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IMO
has issued advice to Port State
Control officers that, for a period
of six months after the 1 February
2002 implementation deadline for the
revised Convention on Standards of
Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW
95), ships whose officers do not
hold STCW 95 certificates or flag
State endorsements need not be
detained until 31, July 2002.
The
33rd Sub-Committee on Standards of
Training and Watchkeeping (STW)
recommended that Port State control
officers issue the warnings to the
shipping companies concerned and to
notify the seafarers and inform the
flag State accordingly. The
move by IMO comes in recognition of
the fact that many seafarers have
not yet been able to obtain the
necessary certification required by
the Convention and that Parties to
the Convention have had difficulties
in concluding the arrangements
required to process reciprocal
recognition endorsements.
However,
the sub-committee was particularly
concerned and regretted the fact
that even at the end of the
transitional period (31 January,
2002), seafarers were reportedly
unable to obtain STCW 95
certificates and/or the necessary
flag State endorsements required by
regulation I/10. However, it was
recognised that the 1995 amendments
had introduced radical changes to
the STCW Convention and that these
had been a significant factor in the
delay.
The
Sub-Committee also recognised that
major ISM Code non-conformities
could be raised if a seafarer’s
documentation is not in accordance
with STCW 95. It therefore
recommended that flag States should
inform recognized organizations
responsible for issuing ISM Code
certificates that, until 31 July
2002, it would be sufficient to
inform the flag State of such cases
when assessing compliance with the
ISM Code.
Certificate-issuing
Parties and flag Administrations
were urged by the Sub-Committee to
do their utmost to ensure that
seafarers are issued with the
appropriate certificates and
necessary endorsements with the
minimum of delay.
On
the domestic front, the Marine
Department has also deferred the
enforcement of the
certificate of competency for semen
employed in domestic voyages.
Requirement for these seamen to hold
new certificate of competencies in
accordance with the Merchant
Shipping (training and
certification) Rules, 1999 and the
STCW-95 standards has been given a
one-year grace period until 1
February 2003, said the Honorary
Secretary of Malaysian Shipowners'
Association, Capt Hasnan Anuar.
Capt
Hasnan said the Marine Department in
a circular to shipowners,
shipmanagers, masters and officers
said the Department will defer
action on those certificates held by
seamen employed in domestic voyages
and those certificates are not
required to be reendorsed. Those
certificates may be continued to be
used on board ships in domestic
voyages.
Effective
1 February 2002, all Malaysian
seamen applying for an upgrade of an
existing certificate or issuance of
a new certificate, subject to the
STCW 95, must meet the full
requirement of STCW 95 before a
certificate will be issued.
The
owners and operators of Malaysian
vessels in domestic voyages must
ensure that the seamen, completed
basic safety training and
familiarization training before
February 2003.
Seamen
holding the certificate of
competency for domestic grade such
as master domestic voyage, mate
domestic voyage and mate domestic
voyage (restricted) and serving on
domestic voyages, which is not
equipped with GMDSS equipped, are
not required to have Restricted
Operator Certificate.
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