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Pros andcons ofdrinking
Page 3

JSU addresses piracy issue in effort to ensure ‘peace at sea’
The following is a message
from Yoji Fujisawa, Presidentof the All Japan Seamen’s
Union on the subject of dispatch of Japan’s Maritime SelfDefense Force against piracy
and armed robbery in the Gulfof Aden.

There are currently 10
vessels operated by
Japanese shipping companies that pass daily
through the declared area in the
Gulf of Aden. In this area, piracy
and armed robbery has occurred
often, and is rapidly increasing, as
the number of incidents reached
111 last year (2008). Of the ships
hijacked by pirates, 14 aredetained and some 300 seafarers
are still being held hostage. Thisgrave issue has become a major
challenge to overcome immediately for seafarers serving onboard
merchant fleets worldwide.
In respect to the piracy issue,
the JSU in its 64th year’s action

plan, made the following statement for ensuring peace at sea:
“As a result of the piracy issue
and the increase in causalities
stemming from it, countermeasures enabling us to respond more
quickly need to be considered.
The JSU has sought the Government of Japan not just to establish
a new structure – Japan tripartite
correspondence meetings focusing
on High Risk Seas and Ports of
Warlike Operation Areas, but also
to take effective countermeasures,
including improvement of domestic laws against this issue.
“As stated clearly in the Action
Plan for next year, the JSU, bearing in mind the catastrophic experiences of the people and seafarers during World War II, will act
in cooperation with RENGO,
KOUN-ROKYO, 20 other organizations, etc., on maintaining
keynotes such as, ‘Never again bea perpetrator and/or casualty inwar,’ ‘Do not allow for invocationof the military emergency legisla-tion,’ and ‘Observe the constitution.’ The basic concept of JSU
calling for peace remains
unchanged.”
During the question and answer
session at the JSU Annual Congress, I responded that piracy is a
crucial issue concerning human
life; and therefore, I have carefully
addressed this matter.
Firstly, the Gulf of Aden is not a“kind of” Warlike Operation Area,but a sensitive area of the sea. We
have focused on navigational difficulties in this area, but safety oflife remains our top priority.
On the other hand, various
countermeasures need to be taken
depending on how we evaluate
the degree of danger surrounding
an area of the sea. Although the
MSPA (Maritime Security PatrolArea) has been established, there
are other areas not patrolled in the
Gulf of Aden.
In line with the rules between
the JSU and the Japanese
Shipowners’ Association (JSA), or

the JSU and the IMMAJ, it isagreed that both parties shall keep
the JSU informed on every voyageplan for passing through the designated MSPA area.
Possible countermeasures,
including the Emergency Correspondence Network, have effectively been implemented in accordance with protocol between the
JSU and JSA, the JSU and IMMAJ.
However, it is not yet seen as aneffective measure. As such, more
effective measures for seafarers
remain to be seen within the designated area.
According to the provisions of
the Article No. 21 of the Basic Actof the Maritime Law promulgatedin July 2007:“Japan is a country surroundedby the oceans and its economy
has relied upon imports for major
natural resources. Considering that
it is necessary to develop and use
marine resources and to securetransportation by shipping, it shallbe ensured to take appropriate

JSU stages successful
78th FOC/POC campaign
SHOJI YAMASHITAITF COORDINATORT

he All Japan Seamen’s Union(JSU) staged campaigns
against flag-of-convenience(FOC) ships and ports of convenience on Jan. 26-29 at 38 ports in
15 districts in a joint effort with the
All Japan Dockworkers’ Union(JDU) and the Japanese Confederation of Port and Transport Workers’
Unions (Koun Domei), as well as
seamen’s and dockworkers’ unionsof South Korea, Taiwan and Russia.
At a time when the shortage ofseamen and the global financial crisis
are having a mixed impact, we madeefforts to promote safety check activities and encourage ships that have
not yet agreed with the International
Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF)
agreements to do so.
We also focused on Kotoku Kaiun,
which has been responsible for unfair
competition and labor practices; Hong
Kong- and Singapore-flagged unorganized FOC ships; suspicious vessels;
and other unorganized vessels.
As a result of the joint activities via
study sessions and daily tasks on
top of the establishment of councils
for FOC/POC issues across Japan,
we were able to carry out protest
activities on an unprecedented scale.
We also confirmed that cooperation among Japan, Russia, South
Korea and Taiwan is continuing todevelop, and that it has provided
hope and positive prospects for
future FOC/POC campaigns.
Results(1) Analysis on the campaigns as ameasures for peace at sea, securing sea transportation, safety
and/or security of marine transport.”Thus, as a measure for ensuring
the safety of Japanese seafarers’
lives and sea transport by theJapanese merchant fleet, underconsideration by the ruling parties,
the JSU is preparing to release a
joint statement with the JSA so as
to urge the Japanese government
to dispatch a fleet of the Maritime
Self-Defense Force under existinglegislation as soon as possible.
Furthermore, with regard tosecurity measures for non-domiciled members serving onboard
foreign-flagged vessels, as a
responsibility of the union in the
country of beneficial ownership,
the JSU will continue to addressthese problems, corresponding
with relevant unions in manner ofconcluding bilateral agreements.

President
All Japan Seamen’s Union

Food
allowance
deal reachedwhole
The number of ships inspectedduring the campaigns: 104.
(2) Campaign activities(a) The number of dishonest owners of FOC ships against which
seamen and ports/harbors cooperated in staging protest activities: 11.
(i) January 26: We protested
Kotoku Kaiun’s M/V Halcyon at
the Port of Kobe.
(ii) January 27: Our Chugokuand Shikoku-region offices took
the initiative in protesting against
Kotoku Kaiun in front of the line’s
head office.
(iii) January 27: We protested
Kotoku Kaiun’s M/V Halcyon at
the Port of Osaka.
(iv) January 27: We protested
Kotoku Kaiun’s M/V Proteus at thePort of Tachinoura Container Terminal in Kitakyushu.
(v) January 28: We protested
Kotoku Kaiun’s M / V S i n o t r a n s
Nagoya at the Port of Yokohama.
(vi) January 28: We protested
Kotoku Kaiun’s M/V Triumph at
the Port of Tachinoura Container
Terminal in Kitakyushu.
(vii) January 28: We prepared
for a protest against Maruni Line’s
M / V C y g n u s A c e at the Port of
Osaka, making it withdraw its
refusal to allow us to go onboard.
(viii) January 29: We protested
Kotoku Kaiun’s M/V Halcyon at
the Port of Tachinoura Container
Terminal in Kitakyushu.
(ix) We protested Kotoku
Kaiun’s M/V Reliance at the Port ofs you are already aware from the previous Maritime Journal, the JSU held a maritime safety committee meetingwith the Shipowners’ Labor Relations Committee of theJapanese Shipowners’ Association (JSA) and also discussed safetyrelated issues with the International Mariners Management Association of Japan (IMMAJ).
As measures to ensure the safety of Japanese seafarers andnon-domiciled special members who work onboard Japaneseflag vessels and FOC vessels that pass the Gulf of Aden, thethree organizations confirmed, among other subjects, the designation of high-risk areas, conditions for ship deployment, andthe establishment of liaison systems among ships, unions andoperators.
The JSU obtained information that effective Feb. 1, 2009 the
EUNAVFOR, UKMTO, and the UA MARLO Bahrain will strongly
recommend the use of a UKMTO Transit Corridor, which the
UKMTO will develop in this high-risk area in place of the Maritime
Security Patrol Area (MSPA).
This is why the JSU immediately convened a maritime safetycommittee meeting with the Shipowners’ Labor Relations Committee of the JSA and a meeting to discuss safety-related issues with
the IMMAJ.
They have confirmed they will use the UKMTO Transit Corridor
to be developed in place of the MSPA, which will be a straighttwo-direction (eastbound and westbound) lane.
They have also confirmed a new high-risk area.

FOC/POC, See Page 4

High Risk, See Page 4

2nd Revision of IBF High-Risk Area effective Feb. 1, 2009

New high-risk areas identified

A

The International Mariners
Management Association ofJapan (hereinafter referred to as
the IMMAJ) and the All Japan
Seamen’s Union (hereinafterreferred to as the JSU), hereby
conclude an agreement as set
by the two parties below withregard to food allowance for
seafarers serving onboard ships
covered by IBF JSU/AMOSUPIMMAJ CBA, IBF JSU/PSU
IMMAJ CA and IBF JSU IMMAJ
CA (hereinafter referred to IBF
Agreements).
1. Food allowance shall be
US$6.50 per day per seafarer
serving onboard a ship coveredby IBF Agreements.
2. Subsistence allowance of
the IBF Agreements shall not
be linked to this revision.
3. The JSU and each of the
IMMAJ member-companies
shall individually hold a negotiation with regard to loading
expenses for food supplies,
where necessary, based on thecircumstances.
4. This agreement shall beeffective from 1st January 2009.
5. The agreement dated 18th
December 2006 with regard tofood allowance shall be invalidated accordingly.
24th December 2008
IMMAJ (Original copy signed)
JSU (Original copy signed)

MARITIME NEWS(2)JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009

‘M/V Aizu’ thwarts pirates with evasive maneuver
BAYANI A. JABOLIJSU UNION OFFICER

In August last year, the general cargo vessel M/V Aizu wasnavigating through the Gulfof Aden heading westward to
the Red Sea. The vessel with hercrew of 20 Filipinos was at thetime under the command of Capt.
Santos Anduque Jr. Its gross tonnage of just over 14,000 had aboutfour meters freeboard at that time,easy enough for any determinedpirate to climb aboard.
With the sea moderate, the day
could have been another perfect
Saturday, rest day for the crew,
except that they were in the Gulfof Aden and everyone onboard

was aware of the menace in thearea. It was 12:30 when the second officer observed a radar target
8 miles fast approaching on theport bow. Upon receiving theinformation from the second officer, the master immediately went
to the bridge. The target was visually sighted when it was already 6
miles off and Capt. Anduquedetermined it to be an ocean tug.
When the target was about 3
miles on the port beam, two
speedboats came out and sped
toward the M/V Aizu. The captain
immediately ordered for the vessel’s maximum speed, called thecrew to the bridge, ordered all
doors be locked and fired rockets
to attract attention.

It was observed that one of the
speedboats with the two men
onboard were armed with AK-47s
while the other speedboat withfive men onboard had a steel ladder about 4 meters to 5 meters
long. When the pirates began firing at the vessel’s accommodation,
the captain activated the distresssignal on their radios.
As the speedboat with five men
aboard approached about 10
meters on the port beam, the captain ordered 10 degrees to starboard on the rudder allowing thevessel to start turning to starboard.
When it was about five meters
away from port beam, the captainordered hard starboard on therudder. With the sudden turn ofthe vessel to starboard, the vessel’s stern swung in the directionof the speedboat, causing the sea
to strongly push the speedboat
away.
Determined to board the vessel,
the pirates again approached thevessel this time in the starboard
beam while the pirates in theother speedboat continued firing
at the vessel’s accommodation.
Again, the captain made the same
aggressive, evasive action.
He ordered the vessel’s rudder
to hard port when the pirates
were about 5 meters away on the
starboard beam. The sudden turnof the vessel to port almost capsized the speedboat and thepirates were almost thrown over-board. Failing to board the M/VAizu in their second attempt, thepirates finally decided to call itquits. They went away, possibly
to look for another target. Of
note is that there was no patrol
ship or aircraft that arrived toassist the M/V Aizu during thisincident.
The courageousness of the captain and his crew was evident, as
they were able to take pictures ofthe pirates while the attemptedboarding was occuring. The gunfire from the pirates caused minor
damage to the ship’s accommodation and no crewmembers were
injured. Long live Capt. Santos
Anduque Jr. and the crew of M/V
Aizu.

JSU-AMOSUP
Tokyo urges moored ships to shut down engines
Christmas party at
Mariners’ HomeALEJANDRO G. INGENTEISSThe Sanctuary for the Filipino
Seafarers and the Center for Cultural Exchange in Manila blessed
its employees and union members together with their dependents, including union officers
from Tokyo and the ISS from
Kanto and Kansai branches witha Christmas celebration on Dec.
22, 2008.
The celebration started ataround 18:00 with the singing of
the Philippine National Anthem,which was preceded by a prayer
led by Pastor Jackielyn G.
Ingente. A warm welcome
speech in Tagalog was deliveredby Yasumi Morita, branch manager of the JSU Manila Welfare
Office Corp., welcoming everyone and greeting everyone avery Merry Christmas. Immediately after the speech, a child of
one of the Mariners’ Home staff
sang a song. Subsequently, there
was a bountiful gift giving to theattendees through a raffle draw.
The JSU Manila Welfare Office
is now gearing up for more activities in the year 2009, aside fromcatering to its union members
through the Mariners’ Home. The
JSU/AMOSUP Mariners’ Home canalso accommodate up to 180 seafarers with free internet accessthrough the Wi-Fi while they areon vacation. The JSU Manila Welfare Office is also looking forward
to serving the Filipino JSU special
members and their families in taking care of their mutual benefit
and welfare fund benefits.
In advancing the welfare of theseafarers worldwide, the JSU
Manila Welfare Office, in cooperation with the JSU Headquarters
in Tokyo, launched the “Ocean
Gate International,” the official
journal for non-domiciled seafarers in addition to the existing JSU
Maritime Journal. The office islocated on the sixth floor of the
JSU-AMOSUP Mariners’ Homeand queries from non-domiciled
members can be entertained
here.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will begin efforts in fiscal
2009 to encourage large ships
moored in Tokyo Bay to shut
down their engines, in a bid toeliminate carbon dioxide and airborne pollutant emissions. Mooredvessels commonly keep theirengines running to ensure sufficient power for onboard operations such as lighting and air-conditioning systems. The Tokyo government, however, plans to supply
this necessary power from land.
Buses on regular routes acrossthe country have been encouraged to turn their engines off
while waiting at traffic lights. In
Tokyo, car drivers are encouraged to follow suit under an
ordinance, but the measure does
not apply to marine vessels.
The supply of power to mooredships has become an issue under

the central government’s plan toachieve the country’s greenhousegas emissions-cut target under the
Kyoto Protocol. The Tokyo government plans to begin supplying
power to moored ships for a fee
as early as fiscal 2011, and plans tostart building a power transmitter
at Hinode Pier in Minato Ward in
fiscal 2009.
The land power supply will
initially be restricted to domestic
vessels such as cargo ships, large
ferries and sightseeing boats that
consume large amounts of energy. About 4,000 vessels fall under
this category annually. According
to the Tokyo government’s Portsand Harbors Bureau, about
25,000 domestic vessels and6,500 foreign-registered vessels
arrive in Tokyo Bay each year.
The vessels often leave theirengines running while moored toconvert fuel oil into electricity. The
practice emits large volumes ofCO2, as well as acid rain-causing
sulfur dioxide from the use of ship
fuel with a high sulfur content.
Nitrogen oxide, a substance thatcauses photochemical smog, also
is released. The concentrations ofNOx and other airborne pollutants
along the edge of Tokyo Bay isreportedly 20 percent to 30 percent higher than the average
across the capital’s 23 wards.
Since last month, the Tokyo
government has been researching the effect of land power supply on reducing CO2 emissions
using three National Institute for
Sea Training vessels as a testing
platform. The institute is an independent administrative institution. The Tokyo government also
will look into providing subsidies
for equipment on vessels thatenable them to receive landbased power supplies.
Construction and Transport
Ministry calculations show if
domestic vessels shut down theirengines in ports, CO2 emissions
could be cut by 1 million tons ayear – about half the current levels of emissions, even after taking into consideration the landbased power generated formoored ships.
“In this way, we might be able
to reduce airborne pollutants by
90 percent or more,” a ministry
official said. Moves to prevent
moored vessels from idlingalready have begun overseas.
The Los Angeles city government is supplying power fromland to large containerships andother large vessels moored in Los
Angeles Bay. (Source: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

Straight-talking Somali pirate

Y

Filipino cook-trainees posed with distinguished guests at their graduation ceremony.

Cook-trainees graduate from JSU program
BAYANI A. JABOLIJSU UNION OFFICER

A

graduation ceremony was held for the six Filipino cook-trainees of
the JSU-owned Hotel Mariners’ Court Tokyo on Feb. 9, 2009. The
one-year training is sponsored by the Japan Transport Cooperation Association (JTCA) in cooperation with the JSU and the Hotel Mariners’ Court
Tokyo. The trainees were all nominated by the local manning agency in
the Philippines, Leonis Navigation Co. Inc., through their principal in
Japan, World Marine Co. Ltd.
The graduation ceremony was attended, among others, by JSU President Yoji Fujisawa, JSU Executive Board Member Hideo Ikeda, Labor
Attache Danilo P. Cruz of the Philippine Embassy and Osamu Matsumotoof JTCA. Speakers emphasized the importance of good culinary practiceonboard ships. These graduates became the 15th batch of trainees who
graduated from this program of the JSU.

assin Dheere is a 39-yearold Somali who took topiracy five years ago andhas made a fortune from the mushrooming business. He towered over
his bodyguards as he spoke in
Garowe, capital of the northern
Puntland province. Dressed in
expensive-looking traditional robes,
Dheere chewed khat leaves andstroked an AK-47 rifle as he told hisstory, starting with his birth in anotorious pirates’ haven on the
coast.
“I was born in Eyl town and I
used to be a fisherman. I wasforced to hijack foreign ships after
the government collapsed.
“No one was monitoring thesea, and we couldn’t fish properly,
because the ships which trawl the
Somali coasts illegally would
destroy our small boats and equipment. The first time I was involved
in hijacking a ship was 2003. It
must have been Arabian, there
were 18 Yemeni crew. We surrounded it with our boats andseized it at gunpoint at night. We
did not know these modern methods of using hooks and ladders, so
we got near with our boats andclimbed on.”“We held it for two weeks, thensome Somali and Arab mediators
stepped in to negotiate. We wereconvinced to take US$50,000 ascompensation. Gosh! This was ahuge amount for us. That inspired
us and gave us an appetite for
hunting ships. At that time we had
no idea what we were doing, andwe were very worried about what
would happen. In fact, my life haschanged dramatically because I’ve
received more money than I everthought I would see. In one incident I got $250,000, so my life haschanged completely.”“It is incalculable how muchmoney I have made. I mean, I
won’t tell you how much. I buy
cars, weapons and boats. I also
like having a good time and relaxing. I have experienced many difficulties from my work. My life has
been endangered. And some of mycolleagues have died, some at sea
when their boats capsized.
“The worst experience I had waswhen a U.S. warship attacked us
while we were hunting a ship. It
fired on us and captured some ofus. We escaped with our speedboats while bullets buzzed over us.
Pirate talk, See Page 3

SEAFARERS’ CORNERJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009

Alcohol and your health: weighing pros and cons
For every article you read about
the benefits of alcohol consumption, another seems to warn youof its risks. You might find suchconflicting information confusing
and frustrating.
Though moderate alcohol use
seems to have some health benefits, anything more than moderatedrinking can negate any potential
benefits.
Moderate drinking is defined as
two drinks a day if you’re a maleunder 65, or one drink a day if
you’re a female or a male over 65.
So should you avoid alcohol? Or
can you continue to enjoy yourglass of wine with dinner? It’s up
to you and your doctor.
Here are some points on alcohol
consumption for you to consider.

Health risks
Excessive alcohol consumption
can lead to serious health problems, including:• Cancer of the pancreas,mouth, pharynx, larynx, esophagus and liver, as well as breast
cancer• Pancreatitis, especially in people with high levels of triglycerides
in their blood

Health benefits
Moderate alcohol consumption
may provide some health benefits.
It may:• Reduce your risk of developing heart disease, peripheral vascular disease and intermittent claudication• Reduce your risk of dying of aheart attack• Possibly reduce your risk ofstrokes, particularly ischemic
strokes• Lower your risk of gallstones• Possibly reduce your risk of
diabetes• Sudden death in people withcardiovascular disease• Heart muscle damage (alcoholic cardiomyopathy) leading toheart failure• Stroke• Brain atrophy (shrinkage)• Cirrhosis of the liver• Miscarriage• Fetal alcohol syndrome in anunborn child, including impaired
growth and nervous system development• Injuries due to impaired motor
skills• Suicide

Don’t feel pressured
to drink. And if you
do drink, do it
responsibly and inmoderation.

What counts as a drink?
A drink is defined as 12 ounces(oz.) of beer, 5 oz. of wine or 1.5
oz. of 80-proof distilled spirits.
Again, keep in mind that people
age 65 and older shouldn’t drink
more than one drink a day. With
increasing age, adults break down
alcohol more slowly, leading them
to become intoxicated more quickly and increasing alcohol’s damaging effects.
Who shouldn’t drink alcohol?
People with certain health conditions shouldn’t drink any alcohol, as even small amounts could
cause problems. Don’t drink alcohol if you have:• A history of a hemorrhagic
stroke• Liver disease• Pancreatic disease• Evidence of precancerouschanges in the esophagus, larynx,
pharynx or mouth.
If you have a family history ofalcoholism, be particularly cautious when it comes to drinking,as you are at higher risk of alcoholism. And if you’re pregnant,avoid alcohol entirely because of
the health risks for your unbornbaby.
Also, alcohol interacts withmany common prescription andover-the-counter medications.
Check with your doctor, if you

take:• Antibiotics• Anticoagulants• Antidepressants• Diabetes medications• Antihistamines• Anti-seizure medications• Beta blockers• Pain relievers• Sleeping pills
If you combine alcohol withaspirin, you face an increased riskof gastrointestinal bleeding. And if
you use alcohol and acetaminophen (e.g. Tylenol), you
increase your risk of liver damage.
In fact, the Food and Drug Administration requires all over-the-counterpain relievers and fever reducers tocarry a warning label advising those
who consume three or more drinks
a day to consult with their doctors
before using the drug.

What to make of all the evidence
Weigh the pros against the consof moderate drinking and decide
whether drinking is OK for you.
Be sure to consult your doctor if
you have questions or are unsure.
Above all, don’t feel pressured
to drink. Few medical experts, ifany, advise nondrinkers to startdrinking. But if you do drink andyou’re healthy, there’s no need tostop as long as you drink responsibly and in moderation. (Source:
Mayo Clinic)(3)
Pirate talk, From Page 2“In 2006 we were chasing a ship
to hijack. We pulled up alongsideit, and one of our friends jumped
onto the ship. It managed toescape, and we haven’t heard of
our friend since.
“I have employees doing thebusiness for me now. I am afinancier. I get my money and I
don’t have to leave Eyl.
“I have not gone to sea tohijack in recent months. Mygroup goes to sea and I manage
their finances. I buy speedboats
and weapons, whatever theyneed.
“Usually, no disagreements
come between us. Once, though,we disagreed. When we were
holding two French nationals in
Habo, some demanded to takethem to Eyl while others disagreed.
“It’s difficult to stay being apirate but we have changed ourprevious strategies. We have transformed our operations in the Indian Ocean with new types ofattacks, using modern equipment,
including GPS, to show where
warships are.
“If the U.N. gives approval tofight pirates on land, that will leadto the death of innocent Somalis
because they cannot differentiate
us from ordinary Somalis, as we
dress alike.
“Piracy will not stop unless we
get a government,” said Dheere.
(Source: Reuters)

V O I C ES from SE A FA RERS
Capt. George S. Albay, left, andC/O Jacinto R. Mabalatan
M/V CAPE WAKABA
We thank the JSU for their full
support of non-domiciled members of the union.

Capt. Mamoru
Mishina and his crew
M/V MOL ELBE

Crew of M/V TORM SKAGEN
We thank the JSU for all the support that the union provides to thePhilippines. The unexpected visit by the union officers was very muchappreciated.

We thank the
JSU’s Filipino staff
for their regularship visits. We hopethat the JSU’s Japanese staff will visit us,
too.

Crew of M/V TENHO MARU

Crew of M/V QUEEN ASIA

We hope that the JSU upgrades our agreement to IBF as we sail worldwide, too.

Thank you JSU for the projects that you provide to our country. We
assure you our loyalty to our company and to the JSU.

JOKE CORNER
Sportsman’s Double
A sailor was on a shore
leave. He went to a nightclub but ended up with anolder woman, who isalready on her late fifties,
but she still looked youngfor her age.
After a few drinks and a
bit of snuggle, the woman
asked, “Have you had aSportsman’s Double?”“What is that?” the sailor
asked.
“It’s a mother and daughter threesome,” she replied.
The sailor’s mind began
to wander and wondered
what her daughter mightlook like. He was alreadythinking that she had a hotdaughter considering that
this woman is still good.
They drank some more.
“Tonight’s your lucky night,”
the woman said with awink.
They went to her place.
They walked in, sheswitched on the hall lightand shouted upstairs,“Mom, are you still
awake?!”
By ISS John Canto

(4)ADVISORIES/WARNINGS

Increased security
warning on Venezuela

ECDIS
alert

The U.S. Coast Guard has begun
imposing conditions of entry on
vessels arriving from Venezuela.
Ships that visited ports in
Venezuela during their last five
port calls must, among otheractions, report security measures to
the Coast Guard; post guards at
vessel access points, and implement measures per the ship’s security plan equivalent to Security
Level 2. (Source: Shiptalk)

IBF: high-risk areas
From Page 1

The waters surrounded by (1),(2), (3) and shoreside will be designated as a high-risk area.
(1) The line that links the following five points:(a) 11-27N, 43-15E(b) 11-48N, 45-00E(c) 12-00N, 45-00E(d) 12-39N, 43-26E(e) 12-41N, 43-28E(2) The line that links the following four points:(a) 16-40N, 53-07E(b) 14-30N, 53-00E(c) 14-18N, 53-00E(d) 12-33N, 54-31E(3) The line that links the following two points:(a) 12-39N, 53-25E(b) 11-50N, 51-17E
As a general rule, ships should
transit the Gulf of Aden throughthe UKMTO Transit Corridors atthese following points:(1) Eastbound vessel(a) 11-48N, 45-00E(b) 11-53N, 45-00E(c) 14-18N, 53-00E(d) 14-23N, 53-00E(2) Westbound vessels(a) 14-25N, 53-00E(b) 14-30N, 53-00E(c) 11-55N, 45-00E(d) 12-00N, 45-00E

Naval ships and assets from more than 20 nations comprise the Combined Maritime Forces.

Counter-piracy task force set up
The Combined Maritime Forces(CMF) established Combined Task
Force 151 (CTF-151) on Jan. 8
specifically for counter-piracy operations.
Naval ships and assets from
more than 20 nations comprise the
Combined Maritime Forces. U.S.
Navy Rear Adm. Terence “Terry”
McKnight has been named thecommander of the new task force,
which will be fully operational by
the middle of January.
The CMF created the Maritime
Security Patrol Area (MSPA) in the
Gulf of Aden in August of 2008 to
support international efforts tocombat piracy. Coalition efforts
included CTF-150 assets patrollingthe area with ships and aircraft.
However, the charter for CTF-150,
established at the outset of Operation Enduring Freedom, was forthe conduct of Maritime Security
Operations (MSO) in the Gulf ofAden, the Gulf of Oman, the Arabian Sea, Red Sea and the Indian

Ocean. Operations included thedeterrence of destabilizing activities, such as drug smuggling andweapons trafficking.
The establishment of CTF-151
will allow CTF-150 assets toremain focused on those activities,
giving CTF-151 the ability to focus
solely on the counter-piracy mission. “Some navies in our coalition
did not have the authority to conduct counter-piracy missions,” said
Vice Adm. Bill Gortney, CMF commander.
“The establishment of CTF-151
will allow those nations to operate
under the auspices of CTF-150,
while allowing other nations to join
CTF-151 to support our goal ofdeterring, disrupting and eventuallybringing to justice the maritime
criminals involved in piracy
events.”Gortney highlighted the reduction in piracy events in the region
due to merchant mariners’ proactive measures. He also continued tocaution that the efforts of coalition
and international navies wouldn’t
solve the problem of piracy.
“The most effective measures
we’ve seen to defeat piracy are
non-kinetic and defensive innature. The merchant ships havebeen doing a great job stepping up
and utilizing these methods to
defeat piracy attempts. That’s agreat first step. But the problem ofpiracy is and continues to be a
problem that begins ashore and isan international problem that
requires an international solution.
We believe the establishment of
CTF-151 is a significant step in theright direction.”
CTF-151 is a multinational task
force that conducts counter-piracy
operations in and around the Gulfof Aden, Arabian Sea, Indian
Ocean and the Red Sea and wasestablished to create a lawful maritime order and develop security inthe maritime environment. (Source:
Navy News Service)

FOC/POC: ITF and JSU inspected 104 ships during 4-day campaign
are resulting in the headquarters
and Chugoku/Shikoku cooperate
in holding negotiations.
(iv) M/V Emerald Coral (Philippines): Although it has concluded
a shortsea agreement, inspectionsin Kanto are resulting in the headquarters holding negotiations withships in the hopes of having it
conclude the ITF agreements.
(v) M/V Oriental Vega (Panama):
Inspections and warnings in Russia
are resulting in the headquarters
holding negotiations.
(vi) M/V Saigon Bridge (Panama): The headquarters will cooperate with Chugoku and Shikoku
in holding negotiations.

From Page 1

Hiroshima.
(x) We protested Kotoku
Kaiun’s M/V Resolution at the Portof Niigata.
(xi) We protested Kotoku
Kaiun’s M/V Sinotrans Nagoya at
the Port of Nagoya.
(b) The numbers of FOC ships that
concluded the agreements: seven.
(i) M/V Formosa Container No. 4(Liberia): Inspections in Niigata
and Hokuriku, as well as activities
by the headquarters and Taiwan
comprised a total of five ships –M/V Formosa Container No. 4 andfour sister ships – concluding the
ITF-NSCU agreement.
(ii) M/V Cheerleader (Panama):
Inspections and warnings in Kansai made the headquarters’ Foreign
Trades Dept. conclude the JSU
agreement.
(iii) M / V B i z a n (Panama):
Inspections and warnings in Kansai made the headquarters’ Foreign
Trades Dept. conclude the JSU
agreement.
(c) The number of FOC ships ben-

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009

ITF and JSU inspectors boarding an FOC vessel during thenationwide FOC/POC campaign on Jan. 28, 2009.
efiting in Japan that were undernegotiation: eight.
(i) M/V Becky (Panama): Inspections and warnings in Kanto are
resulting in the headquarters holding negotiations with Toshin
Kisen.
(ii) M/V Tsukiboshi No. 3 (Panama): The vessel has concluded ashortsea agreement in South

Korea. As its owner benefits inJapan, however, Chugoku andShikoku will first conduct negotiations with Tsukiboshi Logistics.
Negotiations will be made also for
two FOC ships owned by Tsukiboshi. The headquarters will contact a South Korean labor union.
(iii) M/V Venus Eight (Panama):
Inspections and warnings in Osaka(d) The number of ships that were
pursued: 19 FOC ships that benefit
in Japan and 29 in other countries.
(e) The number of FOC ships forwhich we worked to solve problems upon requests for help fromcrewmembers: eight.
(f) Others: Similar campaigns werestaged in Russia too, at which time
an allowance for bereaved family
members of US$153,731.93 wasgained from the owner of M / V
Vella.

The United Kingdom’s sea
safety body has warned thatcomputerized navigation systems are steering large vessels
into dangerous shallows because officers have insufficienttraining in their use.
The Department for Transport’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) sounded
the alert after over-reliance on
an incorrectly used Electronic
Chart Display Information System (ECDIS) resulted in the temporary grounding of the cargo
ship Performer on HarboroughSand on its way to Grimsby in
May 2008.
A subsequent investigation by
MAIB warned: “The use of
ECDIS has steadily increased inrecent years, and it is disturbingthat the number of accidents
resulting from the incorrect useof ECDIS and ECS [Electronic
Chart Systems] through poor
system knowledge has also
risen.
“ECDIS will soon replace
paper charts as the primaryplanning and monitoring media
onboard most vessels, but thesystem can only realize its
potential benefits to maritime
safety if all mariners who are
expected to use the equipment
at sea are properly trained.”
Many ships’ officers, including
the master of Performer, were
only formally trained in the useof paper charts, although many
have used electronic aids. An
ECDIS installed in 2007 was Performer’s primary means of navigation, but none of her bridge
watchkeeping officers had been
trained in its use.
MAIB cited a number of accidents in recent years in which
misuse of ECDIS or ECS has
been a contributing factor,
including a cross-Channel ferrythat headed for shallow waters
in 2004 without its ECDIS issuing a warning because it had
not been correctly set up.
And in January last year, avessel hit a submerged wrecknear Dover, severely damaging
her propellers, because thewreck was not shown on the
ECS display.
“The need for mandatory
training in ECDIS is compelling,”
said the MAIB report.
Proposed international regulations require ECDIS in mostlarge new passenger vessels andlarge cargo boats and tankers,
and retrofit over time to existing
vessels.

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: Shinichi Tanaka
Send inquiries to the attentionof Mr. Masanobu Makizoe,
Director, Foreign Trades Dept.