2012 年 4 月 20 日

海賊事件の恐怖に晒され続ける船員とその家族の心的ストレスに深い懸念～ASF 船員委員会第 17 回中間会合がマニラで開催～

アジア船主フォーラム(ASF)の船員委員会は、2012 年 4 月 19 日～20 日にフィリピン・マニラで第 17 回中間会合を開催した。会合には、委員長の Li Shanmin 氏(中国船主協会／Deputy Managing Director, COSCO Manning Cooperation)の他、台湾、香港、日本、韓国、フィリピン、シンガポール、マレーシア各船主協会の代表と、ASF 事務局長が出席した。
今回の中間会合では、各国の船員需給状況や船員確保の取り組み等について各船主協会から報告があった後、海賊問題の他、船員の訓練及び資格証明並びに当直の基準に関する改正国際条約(改正 STCW 条約)、ILO 海上労働条約に係る各国の取り組み状況等について意見交換した。
アジア船主を取り巻く様々な船員関係諸問題のうち、発生海域を拡げながら続発しているソマリア沖の海賊事件については、商船に乗り組む船員とその家族が海賊の恐怖に脅かされ続けている状況に鑑み、出席者は「状況の改善に向け、あらゆる措置が講じられるよう引き続き求めていく」との見方で一致した。
なお、船員委員会事務局の香港船主協会から発表されたプレスリリースは、添付のとおりである。
以上

ASIAN SHIPOWNERS’ FORUM
SEAFARERS COMMITTEE
c/o Hong Kong Shipowners Associationth
12 Floor, Queen’s Centre, 58 Queen’s Road, East, Wanchai, HK
Tel: (852) 25200206 Fax: (852) 25298246
E-mail: hksoa@hksoa.org.hk

17th	  Interim	  meeting	  of	  the	  ASF	  Seafarers	  Committee	  Manila,	  19-­‐20	  April	  2012	  	  Press	  Release	  –	  Adopted	  19th	  April	  2012	  Stop	  Piracy	  and	  Save	  our	  Seafarers	  	  There	  would	  almost	  seem	  to	  be	  an	  unfortunate	  acceptance,	  or	  perhaps	  fatigue	  with	  the	  issue,	  of	  the	  fact	   that	   seafarers	   and	   their	   families	   are	   still	   being	   severely	   affected	   by	   the	   threat	   and	   danger	   of	  piracy.	   	   This	   is	   not	   only	   in	   the	   waters	   off	   Somalia,	   where	   13	   vessels	   and	   197	   seafarers	   are	  currently	  being	  held	  hostage1,	  but	  also	  and	  increasingly	  in	  the	  waters	  off	  Benin	  and	  Nigeria.	  	  The	   Seafarers	   Committee	   of	   the	   Asian	   Shipowners	   Forum,	   which	   met	   today	   in	   Manila,	   the	  Philippines,	  once	  again	  expressed	  its	  strong	  concern	  at	  the	  continuing	  threat	  of	  piracy	  attacks	  on	  commercial	   shipping.	   While	   thanking	   the	   navies	   in	   the	   area	   for	   their	   support	   and	   the	   various	  Governments	   for	   their	   commitment	   to	   the	   eradication	   of	   the	   threat	   of	   piracy,	   the	   Committee	  continued	  to	  have	  deep	  concern	  about	  the	  effects	  on	  seafarers	  and	  their	  families	  of	  the	  traumatic	  and	  lasting	  effects	  of	  piracy	  attacks	  and	  long	  periods	  being	  held	  hostage.	  	  Mr.	   Li	   Shanmin,	   the	   Chairman	   of	   the	   Seafarers	   Committee,	   said	   “The	   situation	   continues	   to	   be	   a	  serious	  crisis,	  one	  that	  deeply	  affects	  the	  mental	  health	  of	  seafarers	  and	  their	  families	  as	  well	  as	  the	  carriage	   of	   world	   trade.	   	   We	   demand,	   that	   the	   threat	   to	   our	   seafarers	   and	   their	   families	   is	   not	  forgotten,	  and	  that	  all	  possible	  is	  done	  to	  alleviate	  the	  situation”.	  	  The	  17th	  Interim	  meeting	  of	  the	  ASF	  Seafarers	  Committee	  was	  hosted	  by	  the	  Filipino	  Shipowners	  Association	  (FSA),	  and	  held	  in	  Manila,	  the	  Philippines,	  under	  the	  chairmanship	  of	  Mr.	  Li	  Shanmin,	  Deputy	   Managing	   Director	   of	   COSCO	   Manning	   Cooperation	   Inc..	   Attending	   the	   meeting	   were	   the	  ASF	   Secretary-­‐General	   and	   delegates	   from	   the	   shipowner	   associations	   in	   China,	   Chinese	   Taipei,	  Hong	   Kong,	   Japan,	   Korea	   and	   FASA,	   as	   represented	   by	   the	   Philippines,	   Singapore	   and	   Malaysia.	   	  During	  the	  meeting,	  the	  Committee	  also	  discussed	  other	  issues	  of	  concern	  to	  Asian	  shipowners.	   	   	  	  ~ends~	  	  The	  Asian	  Shipowners’	  Forum	  is	  a	  voluntary	  organization	  of	  the	  shipowner	  associations	  of	  Australia,	  China,	  Chinese	  Taipei,	  Hong	  Kong,	  India,	  Japan,	  Korea	  and	  the	  Federation	  of	  ASEAN	  Shipowners’	  Associations	  comprising	  shipping	  associations	  of	  ASEAN	  countries.	  The	  aims	  of	  the	  ASF	  are	  to	  promote	  the	  interests	  of	  the	  Asian	  shipowning	  industries.	  Between	  annual	  ASF	  meetings,	  the	  ongoing	  work	  is	  carried	  out	  by	  the	  five	  Standing	  Committees;	  the	  Shipping	  Economics	  Review	  Committee,	  the	  Seafarers	   Committee,	   the	   Ship	   Recycling	   Committee,	   the	   Safe	   Navigation	   and	   Environment	   Committee,	   and	   the	   Ship	  Insurance	  and	  Liability	  Committee.	  It	  has	  been	  estimated	  that	  ASF	  owners	  and	  managers	  control	  and	  operate	  nearly	  50%	  of	  the	  world's	  cargo	  carrying	  fleet.	  
1	   Source:	  IMB	  Piracy	  Reporting	  Centre,	  18th	  April	  2012