Concern over fraudulent seafarers' certificates

 An IMO-funded study to establish the nature and extend of unlawful practices associated with certificates of competency has revealed, from data gather so far, that the problem of fraudulent certification may be more extensive than initially thought.

The research team at the Seafarers International Research Centre, Cardiff, United Kingdom, has made contacts allowing them to produce a price list for the STCW certificates of Master, Chief Mate and Officer of the Watch.

Typical unlawful practices identified so far include:

* Seafarers holding certificates issued or endorsed by or on behalf of a maritime Administration but not valid for the function (s) performed on board and limitations on certificates not observed (trading area, tonnage, engine power or medical);

* Seafarers holding certificates issued or endorsed by or on behalf of a maritime administration but obtained on the basic of deceitful information through "laundered" certificates issued on the basic of a forged certificate or other forged evidence (this mode applies mainly to endorsements of recognition issued by a third party); certificates issued by an Administration but lacking underpinning competence and knowledge; certificates issued on the basic of lax examination and certification practices and certificates issued by corrupts officials  within an Administration; and

* Seafarers holding counterfeit certificates altered by the holder (seafarer) or provided by the ship owner or manning agency; certificates forged "in-house" or obtained on the black market or through organizations dedicated to certificate forging. This certificates are either stolen from a maritime administration or holder, or the whole certificate is produced by organization.

Another factor that has emerged is the extent to which employers, directly or indirectly, promote unlawful practices associated with certificates of competence. Very few companies have the resources or willingness to verify the authenticity of certificates held by the seafarers they employed. Some employers are directly implicated by issuing their employees with forged certificates. From the research to date, this is mainly the case with ancillary certificates. GMDSS certificates in particular seem to be readily available.

The study, scheduled to be finished in December 2000, is intended to determine the extent major unlawful practices associated with certificates of competency (e.g. forged, issued on basic of deception such as on the basic of fraudulent information and documentary evidence, stolen) and also provide best estimates of the number of forged certificates of competency and endorsements in the various categories held by: master, deck officer, chief engineer, deck rating and engine rating.

 The study is also expected to identify the main sources of unlawful practices (e.g. Individuals, manning agents, owners, organized crime and the main geographical areas where the practices occur.

The study follows concern expressed by a number of IMO Member States about a proliferation of fraudulent certificates of competency, or authentic certificates reportedly issued on the basic of forged foreign certificates, which have been found during Port State Control inspections and applications for recognition of certificates.