INS
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Voicesfrom
Seafarers
Page 3Nat’l meet held in quake-hit Tohoku
JSU addresses
various issues,
drafts proposals,
next budget

T

he All Japan Seamen’s
Union (JSU) held its
72nd Annual National
Assembly in Hachinohe,
Aomori prefecture on Nov. 8-10,
2011. The meeting is held annually to
discuss and agree on action policies
to be implemented in the following
fiscal year. The decisions from thecurrent three-day meeting are to affect the union’s 67th year.
Aomori prefecture is in the Tohoku
region, which was damaged heavily
by the Great East Japan Earthquakethat struck on March 11, 2011, while
the city of Hachinohe laid in the pathof the ruthless tsunami triggered by
the massive tremor.
The national assembly attendees
were treated to a dance performanceby children from one of the elementary schools in the city, which is stilltrying to recuperate fully from thedisaster. The traditional dance called
Okiage Ondo, was presented as an invocation for the quick and complete
recovery in their hometown.
The JSU’s many invited guests fromvarious Japanese industries, who having watched closely the union’s response to the natural disasters, gave
praises for its post-quake response.
Further, labor unions in Japan andabroad that maintain close relations

JSU President Yoji Fujisawa, joined by other union leaders, speaks to the audience at the 72nd Annual National Assembly in
Hachinohe, Aomori prefecture on Nov. 8-10, 2011.

with the JSU sent telegrams congratulating it for its actions. The messages,
including those from the AssociatedMarine Officers and Seamen’s Unionof the Philippines and the Philippine
Seafarer’s Union, among others, wereread aloud at the convention.
During the plenary session on thefirst day of the national assembly,
discussions were held on JSU’s activities in fiscal 2010, or its 66th year.
In respect to an action policy bill thatgoverns all activities of the JSU, regional representatives made proposals on which they then exchanged

opinions. They also made several
other proposals to resolve their respective regional problems. They included proposals to alter the reformof the taxation system for seafarers,
to reform the communication system between vessels and overlandbases, to eliminate policies favoringoverland transport, to stabilize fuelprices and to maintain ferry and other passenger services.
On the second day, meetings discussed oceangoing, fishery anddomestic issues, with members exchanging views on the different challenges facing these sectors.
During the oceangoing session,questions were raised, for example,
on the subject of the piracy, efforts
to improve communication between
ships and land facilities (eliminating
the so-called “digital divide”), public
relations activities to promote learning at nautical colleges (securing anddeveloping Japanese mariners for
oceangoing services), the Asian SeaThe assembly was entertained by local
school children who performed a traditional
dance called Okiage Ondo, as a form of
prayer for the quick recovery of the region.

farers’ Summit, projects to train seafarers advanced in China and Vietnam, and training centers in South
Korea.
In particular, the session focusedon piracy. Questions broached thesubject regarding the definitions of“rejecting sailing”, “rejecting assignments to work onboard ships” andother terms, as well as the coverageof “high-risk areas” and “extended
risk zones”.
These question and answer sessions led to deepened mutual understanding between the JSU andthe representatives. The oceangoing session began at 9:30 a.m., andafter holding long and detailed discussions, members agreed on action
policies before adjourning at 3 p.m.
On the last day, there was deliberation on reports from the section
meetings and a draft of the JSU budget. Also, the chairman of the committee on discussing resolution proposals announced which resolutions
were handled and revised during thenational assembly.
JSU President Yoji Fujisawa gave
his closing address and the meetingcame to an end.

MARITIME NEWS(2)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011

ITF moves to protect against hazardous reefersT

he ITF is taking action
to protect the healthand safety of port
workers and seafarers
as concern continues over potentially dangerous reefer containers.
Some 900 refrigerated units
were withdrawn by Maersk lastmonth after three fatalities werelinked to maintenance work carried out on containers in Vietnam.
Although as yet unconfirmed,

it’s thought that some reefers may
have been topped up with contaminated gas causing them to bepotentially explosive under certain
conditions.
ITF affiliates across dockers,
seafarers and road and rail sections, have been informed of thepotential risk attached to theseunits and are being advised to follow up with their local health andsafety authorities.

Time to makemove on MLC

Manila confab attends to welfare challenges

The Maritime Labor Convention(MLC) 2006 enters into force 12months after 30 countries representing 33% of the world’s fleet
have ratified the Convention. The
status today is that 20 countries
representing 55% of the world’s
fleet have ratified it. The International Labor Organization (ILO)
is still optimistic that the 10
remaining ratifications will bereceived by the end of this year orin early 2012.
When the Convention enters
into force, all ships of 500 grosstons and above in international
trade will need to hold a valid MLC
Certificate and a corresponding
Declaration of Maritime Labor
Compliance (DMLC).
All other ships will need to beinspected, but there are no MLC
certification requirements for suchships.
The number of ships to beinspected is estimated by Lloyd’s
Academy to be around 65,000. No
doubt this will generate a longqueue of ships to be certified within the limited time period. In order
to avoid such a certification rush,some Administrations are introducing a voluntary certification
scheme prior to the entry into
force of the Convention.
This is currently the case with
Marshall Islands and Liberia, whichhave published their DMLC Part I(and through that their national
legislation implementing the MLC
2006) and in which they encouragesuch a voluntary certification
scheme. Each owner has to apply
the relevant Administration for aship specific DMLC Part I, before
they can prepare their DMLC Part
II and proceed with the certification process.
Even though many shipowners
may already have some of the
MLC requirements in placethrough their ISM systems, someissues still need to be addressed
and implemented in order toachieve full compliance with theConvention’s and flag states’ specific requirements. It should also be
kept in mind that some of theseissues, like Collective Bargaining
Agreements, Seafarers’ Employment Agreements, clarifying specific requirements for special ships,
clarifying the definition of a seafarer, and ensuring crewing agents
operate in compliance with theConvention may be time-consuming tasks and should be properly
planned for in order to be in compliance before the Convention
enters into force. (Source: Safety4sea)

A National Tripartite Consultative
Conference on Seafarers’ Welfare
was recently conducted in Manila
in order to validate previously
gathered data from focus group
discussions and in-depth interviews with the tripartite sectors ofthe maritime industry.
Held at the AMOSUP Convention Hall, AMOSUP Seamen’s
Center, Intramuros, Manila, theconference was attended by 49
participants from the tripartitegroups of the government,
employers and seafarers.
The activity culminated the data
gathering activities for the study
Challenges Facing the Welfare ofFilipino Seafarers—An Analysis
of Current Welfare Services vis-àvis Seafarers’ Needs, a collaborative undertaking among the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA), Associated Marine
Officers’ and Seamen’s Union of
the Philippines and the National
Maritime Polytechnic (NMP).

ITF dockers’ section secretary
Frank Leys said: “We are pleased
to see that big shipping lines like
Maersk have reacted quickly tothis situation and we would join
our U.S. affiliate, the International
Longshore and Warehouse Union,
in urging any companies or organisations who haven’t already taken
steps to alleviate this risk, to follow suit now.“
Seafarers’ section secretary Jon

NMP Executive Director Atty.
Josephus B. Jimenez informedthat the output of the Conference
will be processed, analyzed andwill then form part of the reportof the study. The completed
research is due by end of December 2011.
Undersecretary Danilo P. Cruzof the Department of Labor and
Employment (DOLE) in his Keynote Address commended theagencies involved.
“I would like to congratulate
the OWWA, NMP and AMOSUP
for this collaborative research, andexpress my thanks to the participants from the government,
employers and seafarers who haveprovided inputs for the study.
With these, it is hoped that thewelfare services and programs
would be enhanced to be truly
responsive to the current andfuture needs of seafarers,” USec
Cruz said.
Three (3) resource speakers pre-Whitlow added: “We are extremely concerned for the welfare ofthose workers on ships who may
be unaware that a defective container is being carried on board.
“Whilst of course the explosionof a container ashore is a tragic
event, we think that a similar
explosion on board a vessel could
have potentially catastrophic
effects on workers, ships and theenvironment.”

sented priority areas for welfare
services from the particular viewpoint of their respective sector.
An interactive session ensued
right after the presentations.
Mr. Alexander Querol, Senior
Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of Magsaysay Maritime Corporation, one of thePhilippines’ leading humanresource company and recipientof the Philippine Overseas
Employment Administration(POEA) Award of Excellence,
spoke for the employers’ sector.
Deputy Administrator Josefino
I. Torres, of the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration, represented the government sector.
For seafarers, Second Engineer
Arvin Ivan G. Peralta of the MST
Marine Services Inc. and an alumnus of the Maritime Academy of
Asia and the Pacific, discussed thewelfare needs of marine officers
and ratings.
Executive Director Jimenez in

Additionally, inland transport
section secretary Mac Urata commented: “This is not just an issue
for seafarers and dockers, workers
right across the supply chain arepotentially at risk. We are looking
now for a swift and thoroughinvestigation into how these tragedies came about and information
on what happens next to ensure
workers’ safety.” (Source: ITF Seafarers)

his closing message said, “Withthe increasing number of seafarers being held captive by pirates,
the impending enforcement of
the Maritime Labor Convention,
not to mention the problems ofrecruiting and retaining seafarers,
the issue on welfare has increasingly become a serious concern
in the maritime industry. Working
on ships should not make seafarers less human, nor justify theneglect and inhumane practices
onboard and ashore that reducethem to commodities or caricatures. They are people with values, vulnerabilities, needs andaspirations.”
He underscored that “for a sector who has greatly contributed tothe country’s economic survival,
the least that the government
owes its seafarers is the entitlement to better welfare services
and programs protecting theirrights and well-being.” (Source:
Shiptalk)

IMSN develops multi-layered anti-piracy system Seafarers’ Trust
With seafarers’ safety and lives atrisk, along with the billions ofdollars maritime piracy costs theglobal economy every year, International Maritime Security Network (IMSN) has developed asolution to combat piracy with its
Triton Shield Anti-Piracy System(APS).
The multi-layered defense
package is designed to detect,deter and defend against piracy
on the high seas by incorporating
training, education, technologicaldeterrents and security.
After five years of research andtesting, the final phase of testingfor the Triton Shield APS will becompleted by the end of Marchon a voyage from Jacksonville,Fla., to San Juan, Puerto Rico,aboard a Horizon Lines vessel.
A representative from theInternational Merchant Marine
Registry of Belize (IMMARBE)
will observe and evaluate the Triton Shield APS and Anti-Piracy
course aboard the Horizon Linesvessel.
The voyage will test IMSN’s
early-detection cameras, ballistic
ar mor for safe rooms, andupgrades to the Triton Shieldwall-of-water device.
In addition, IMMARBE willobserve crew training and a security team’s role aboard the vessel.
“While there is little credible
threat of pirates in the Caribbean

waters, the Horizon Lines vessel
will allow testing of all processes
and training of crew members atsea,” said Capt. Timothy D.
Nease (ret.), co-founder and
CEO of IMSN.
He added that this initial testingis imperative in preparation foranother voyage on a different carrier scheduled through the highrisk waters off Africa in April.
The world’s largest ship registry,
PMA, has certified the Triton
Shield APS based on a demonstration conducted in Panama lastSeptember.
IMSN also presented its AntiPiracy course, which PMA is currently evaluating for certification.
“The Panama Maritime Authority’s support for an anti-piracy system is very significant for the
maritime industry,” said Nease.
IMSN’s Triton Shield APS provides layered security beginningwith an innovative camera system
to detect any watercraft thatenters a one-mile radius of the
IMSN-equipped vessel.
Additionally, the Triton Shieldwater system discharges a powerful wall of water alongside of theship, which can run continuously
on vessels transiting throughhigh-risk waters. The wall ofwater makes it extremely difficultfor pirates to scale the hull of theship, and can flood small boats
within minutes.

The wall of water can further
be enhanced with environmentally safe irritants making it evenmore challenging for pirates toever board a commercial vessel.
“Our team at IMSN has been
researching ways to make the system more affordable and transferable between ships,” said Nease.
“This is a very practical solution for ship owners with multiple
vessels. We’re also seeking designs
applicable to yachts and expect tointroduce customizable solutions
this summer,” he continued.
According to IMSN, early
detection of maritime piracy
allows for proper use of force
continuum with various methodsof deterrence to harden the target
and warn pirates off before theneed for direct engagement anddefense.
The IMSN Anti-Piracy
Defense Course, designed for
officers and crews, provides concepts related to anti-piracy laws
and the needed practical training
for activities such as watchkeeping,lock down procedures,anti-piracy drills, hand-to-handdefensive tactics, as well as contingency plans for issues such as
surviving a hostage attack or
movement of prisoners.
IMSN has the only certified
Anti-Piracy course available
online or on DVD. (Source: Shiptalk)donations reachover $14 million
The latest donations made to thecharity arm of the ITF, the Seafarers’ Trust, have been revealed
bringing the total for 2011 to
GBP9 million, or a little over
US$14 million.
The most recent round of
donations amount to GBP6.5 million, which will be used to provide
funding for five different projects
for the welfare of seafarers.
A sum of GBP5 million has
been allocated to Seafarers’ Rights
International (SRI) for a five-year
program for continuing work on
advancing the legal rights of seafarers.
Among other projects to gain
funding is the Maritime Piracy
Humanitarian Response Program,which was officially launched in
London in September. MPHRP is
set to receive GBP750,000 overthree years as part of its GBP3.3
million program to address the
problems facing seafarers andtheir families affected by piracy.
“In spite of very difficult conditions within the maritime industry,
the Trust sees the importance of
supporting good projects for
major expenditure when theopportunities are there to benefit
seafarers,” the Trust said. (Source:
ITF Seafarers)

SEAFARERS’ CORNERNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011

(3)

Season’s Greetings from JSU President Yoji Fujisawa
Merry Christmas& Happy New Year!
Members of the All Japan Seamen’s
Union (JSU) must have spent Christmas and the New Year with manythoughts on their minds. I pray thatyou and your families will remain
healthy throughout this year.
In 2011, many parts of the world were
hit hard by natural disasters, and theglobal community was sucked under bymajor forces, such as political upheavals and financial crises. We were also
impacted here in Japan catastrophically by the Great East Japan Earthquake.
The shipping industry is no exception
in that it too is faced with a very critical situation brought on by huge forces.
Because the world is in such a difficult state of affairs, I would like the
JSU to carry on international labor

campaigns even more aggressively andpromote other activities to protect the
dignity of seafarers and their labor inpartnership with other labor unions in
the Asia-Pacific region as well as othermembers of the International Transport
Workers’ Federation.
I hope you will join together andwork hard with us so that seafarers canenjoy a brilliant future 100 years fromnow.

VOICES from SEAFARERS
Union for the untiring support of its members.
Wishing you a Joyful Christmas and Prosperous New Year.

M/V SOUTHERN HIGHWAY
We the crewmembers of Southern Highway
would like to express our gratitude to the JSU
for negotiating the implementation of broadband connection on JSU vessels instead of freee-mail access. Merry Christmas.

Officers & Crew
M/V Eternal Ace
We’re happy to receive souvenirs from the
JSU. We also request the JSU to continue its
support to non-domiciled members especiallyin implementing of broadband onboard. Wishing all seafarers Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year.

Capt. Ildefonso C. Cuachon & Crew
M/V Cresta Blue
Many thanks to the JSU staff for visiting ourship. We are happy and thankful for the information about the increase of salary. We arelooking forward to seeing you again. Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Capt. Floro V. Lora Jr. & Crew
M/V Great Perseus
May Almighty God bless the JSU and all theseafarers and people behind this organization.
We’re so delighted for the increase in ourwages. A message to all: “A heart that is open
to appreciate every blessing should always bebigger than the eyes that could see what is
missing.” Merry Christmas to all.

Officers and Crew
M/V Positive Passion
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to
our fellow seafarers. We wish and hope forlong lasting support of the JSU in improving its
members’ working conditions and welfare.
Wishing you all the best in the years to comeand more power.

Officers & Crew
M/V Baltic Highway
We express our most profound and longlasting gratitude to the All Japan Seamen’sCapt. Rene D. Villaverde & Crew
M/V YM People
We are very thankful for the effort and support that the JSU gives us. The visitation andinformation provided by the JSU are wellappreciated. Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year!

Capt. Mario A. Astrera & Crew
M/V Shin Nichiho
We thank the JSU’s Filipino staff for theirregular ship visits and hoping that this kind of
JSU activity will continue in order to update us
with the latest information. Merry Christmas
and a Prosperous New Year.

Capt. Danny B. Torrano & Crew
M/V Kyowa Orchid
We hope that the company will provide us
access to the Internet. We give thanks to the
Lord for our good health and to our loved ones.
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all!

ADVISORIES/WARNINGS(4)

California judge
awards $250K
to whistleblower
A judge in California has awarded
US$250,000 to an oiler who blew
the whistle on violations of U.S.
pollution laws by his ship’s chiefengineer.
U.S. District Court Judge James
Ware of California’s northern
district made the award yesterday
after ordering Panamanianshipowner Dianik Bross Shipping
to pay a $500,000 fine for using a‘magic pipe’ to bypass pollution
control equipment.
U.S. MARPOL regulations allow
whistleblowers to receive an award
of up to one-half of fines
collected under the statute.
The fine and award resulted
from an Aug. 10 Coast Guard
inspection of Kostas N while the
1982-built, 35,971-dwt bulker was
docked at Oakland. The oiler gave
inspectors who had gone aboard anote alleging pollution violations,leading to an expanded MARPOL
examination, court documents
said.
The examination revealed thatengineer Vassili Samoilenko used ahose to bypass the ship’s oily water
separator, allowing illegal amountsof oily water to be discharged into
San Francisco Bay.
Samoilenko, 54, pleaded guilty to
two counts of obstructing justice,arising from falsifying the ship’s oilrecord book. He was sentenced tomore than three months ofcommunity confinement “and will
be returning immediately” to
E s to n i a , h i s h o m e, c o u r t
documents stated.
Dianik Bross was also ordered to
pay $150,000 for community
service projects. (Source: Fairplay)

Armed guards
spark headache
for insurers

Allowing ar med guards onmerchant vessels will create
insurance confusion, according to
the International Group of P&I
Clubs in London.
The Group’s secretary Andrew
Bardot told Fairplay that fighting
pirates with guards will present
challenges for P&I underwriters:“The use of armed guards raises araft of issues from liability pointof view – such as if crew comeunder crossfire and someone ishurt, liabilities if a pirate is shot
and a complicated matrix ofinternational law if an incident
happens in the territorial waters ofa country.”
The shipping and insurance
industries have recently backed
away from their stance against theuse of armed guards, moving to a
middle ground as pirate activities
have increased.
“We do not advise for or against
it [the use of armed guards], this issomething each owner must
decide individually,” Bardot said.
He added: “Stakes are rising andt h i s i s a ve r y p r o f i t a b l ecommercial activity, which also
includes lawyers, insurance
security companies etc.” (Source:
Fairplay)

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011

Six Gulf PSC bodies toughen entry restrictions

T

he Port State Control(PSC) authorities of six
GCC states, including
the Sultanate, whichcome under the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding(R-MoU), have taken initiatives toprevent substandard vessels fromvisiting their ports.
“Our aim is to ensure effective
PSC regime in the R-MoU region,
through cooperation and harmonisation of PSC activities to eliminate substandard shipping. This isnecessary to promote maritime
safety, protect marine environ-ment and safeguard working andliving conditions on board,” said
Hamoud S. Al Maskry, Directorof the Secretariat and Information Center of the Riyadh MoU.
He was speaking to Oman Tribune on the sidelines of a twoday training programme for port
state control officers (PSCOs) ofmember countries of the Gulf
region on ship hull inspection
and ways to handle damages.
“Regular inspections are carried out by marine inspectors toensure that cargo, passenger
ships and ships carrying livestock

are seaworthy and comply withinternational conventions and thenational regulations of member
authorities. Efforts are taken toprevent substandard vessels fromvisiting ports,” he said. “TheMoU is to achieve safe, secureand efficient shipping in the maritime jurisdictions in the Gulf
region. It is one of several
regional pacts on PSC signed bymaritime authorities under the
auspices of the International
Maritime Organization,” he said.
Al Maskry said the training
prog ram, org anized by the

Riyadh MoU on PSC in association with Lloyd’s Register at Rotana
Hotel, is being attended by 18
PSCOs from Gulf states.
“We want to update PSC officers with the latest resolutions
and techniques on safety ofships,” Al Maskry said. “Various
programs are being planned in2012.”The Riyadh MoU on PSC in
the Gulf Region was set up by
Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar,
Saudi Arabia and UAE in 2004.
Iran, Iraq and Yemen will joinsoon, he added. (Source: Shiptalk)Philippines re-elected to UN’s IMO Council in Category ‘C’
The Philippines has been re-elected to the Council of the International Maritime Organization(IMO) under Category “C”.
Ambassador Enrique Manalo,
Philippine Permanent Representative in London, said the re-election of the Philippines demonstrated the high-regard of the
170-member UN organization.
It also recognized the country’s
status as the primary provider of

seafarers around the globe.
The Philippines was first electedto the IMO Council in 1997 andhas since been re-elected under
Category “C” where 20 governments representing all major geographical areas of the world havespecial interests in maritime transport and navigation.
Elected together with the Philippines were Australia, the Bahamas, Belgium, Chile, Cyprus, Den-mark, Egypt, Indonesia, Jamaica,
Kenya, Liberia, Malaysia, Malta,
Mexico, Morocco, Singapore,
South Africa, Thailand, and Turkey.
Ten governments are electedeach under Category “A” and “B.”States with high interest in international shipping services like
Greece, Japan and the UnitedStates were elected under Category “A” while those with largest

interest in international seaborne
trade like Germany, Brazil andFrance were elected under Category “B.”IMO is a UN specialized agency
responsible for ensuring maritime
safety and security and protecting
the marine environment. The
Council is the Executive Organ of
IMO and is responsible for supervising the work of the Organization. (Source: Shiptalk)Maritime skills to become more vital in future Solar-powered
These are dangerous times forthe global economy and particularly so for those who make theirliving from sea trade. With half
the world drowning in debt andthe other half husbanding mostof the money, it does not bodewell for any speedy return to fiscal normality.
The shipping industry has in
the past shown its considerable
resilience to difficult economic
circumstances, with a ship being
so much more flexible than afixed asset on land. However, it
does not get any easier, with theincreasing specialisation of ships,
to see them gainfully employedwhen particular sectors are suffering from overcapacity and further declining demand.
There are limited opportunities
for instance, to employ a
15,000TEU containership if its
original purpose is denied it,
while a car-carrier fleet becomesa liability when nobody is buying
new cars. Life was so much easier
when there were dr y cargo
tweendeckers and tankers that
divided up the world trade
between them.
Nonetheless, this present situation is such a difficult one to call,as it is so different to all the

downturns of the past.
During the 1970s and 1980s,
when the anchorages were full oflaid-up vessels and shipbuilders
saw the grass growing on theirlaunching ways, there was noequivalent to the extraordinary
development of China, India andBrazil, which between them canplay a major role in any global
recovery.
Some say that China will suffer
because of the shrinking abilityof its customers overseas who
cannot afford its goods, but there
remains an extraordinary domestic appetite, as this vast country
spreads its development from thecoastal provinces into the interior.
There is an internal dynamic in
all three of these huge countries,
which hopefully will influenceworld trade, even if the best we
can hope for from troubled
Europe and the United States is afew points better than the economics of stagnation. Nonetheless, the crisis reminds us of theinterconnectivity of the whole
globe and the importance oftrade for getting the economies
moving again, and indirectly, ofthe role of economical, efficientshipping in facilitating this recov-

ery.
We can extrapolate these ideas
to underline the importance ofmarine technology in this vitaltask, with maritime expertiseincreasingly important in somany important areas that willkeep the world on track. Thinkof how many activities are
employing, if not seamanshipitself, skills that are maritimerelated and depend on expertise
afloat.
Consider our growing dependence upon offshore oil and gas,
the sea skills that are employed inwinning energy from deeper andmore exposed waters.
Think about the technology
involved in working offshore instormy waters in shuttle tankers,
FPSOs and the bewildering number of service craft that are
employed in the offshore arena.
Consider too the growing importance of offshore wind energy
and other sustainable developments, largely dependent uponsea skills.
It is this maritime expertisethat will continue to be important as we go forward into thisuncertain economic future. We
can, in any rate, depend on this.
(Source: Shiptalk)Court weighs cost liability in piracy diversion
A court battle is being fought out
in London with piracy at its core –and the key question of who has
to pay for diversions being argued.
According to a report in Lloyd’s
List, Pacific Basin andBulkhandling Handymax are in a
dispute over who foots the bill fordiversion round the Cape ofGood Hope motivated by fear ofpiracy in the Gulf of Aden.

It seems the case may now beremitted to the arbitrators forreconsideration, after an initialdecisio n ho lding tha t th ealter native route, “did notconstitute a deviation”.
The case is important as it
wrestles with the true dilemma ofpiracy and its knock on effects on
trade. Does for instance a “onein-300” risk of attack from pirates

constitute a war risk? Lawyers forthe defendants, argued that thisrepresents a serious risk that thevessel would be exposed to piracy.
Both sides are seeking afavourable interpretation of the“Conwartime 1993” clause, which
permits masters to refuse to travel
through any area perceived torepresent a war risk. (Source:
Shiptalk)vessel makes briefstop at Sri Lanka

The world’s largest solar powered
vessel is set to arrive into Sri
Lanka.
This Swiss vessel named PlanetSolar is on a world tour to markthe first solar boat expedition. This
vessel arrived at the Colombo harbour on Nov. 16 for a brief stopover.
Environment Minister Anura
Priyadarshana Yapa expressed hiscooperation observed that the useof green energy is a timely initiative to reduce carbon emission
resulting from fuel burning. PlanetSolar has a crew of six men. Its
tour will take it across the Atlantic
Ocean, the Panama Canal, thePacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean
and finally the Suez Canal, before
returning the Mediterranean.
The surface area of the solar
panel in the vessel is 537 square
meters. It started navigation on
Sept. 27 last year and is to complete the tour in May 2012. (Source:
Shiptalk)

All Japan Seamen’s Union
15-26, Roppongi 7-Chome,
Minato-Ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Tel.: (03) 5410-8320
Fax: (03) 5410-8336
E-mail: iss@jsu.jp
Internet: http://www.jsu.or.jp
Publisher: Hiroyuki Tachikawa
Send inquiries to the attention of
Mr. Takayuki Ura,
Director, Foreign Trades Dept.