ASIAN SHIPOWNERS FORUM
SEAFARERS COMMITTEE

c/o Hong Kong Shipowners Association
12th Floor, Queen’s Centre, 58 Queen’s Road, East, Wanchai, Hong Kong
Tel: (852) 25200206 Fax: (852) 25298246
E-mail: hksoa@hksoa.org.hk

Press Release(Final)Fatigue of Seafarers has, for some time, been an important agenda item for
the ASF Seafarers Committee. In this respect, the Committee urges
delegate Governments attending MSC 88 to approve the proposed resolution
on the Principles of Safe Manning with a view to submission to the 27th
meeting of the IMO Assembly for adoption, and to adopt the related revision
to SOLAS Chapter V, Regulation 14. In the meantime, the Committee urges
Asian governments to adopt the revised ‘Guidelines for the Application ofPrinciples of Safe Manning’ at an early stage.
The shortage of seafarers is an increasing concern, particularly inconsequence of the massive order book of newbuilding ships that isscheduled to be delivered in the near future. In response, many of themember Associations of the ASF Seafarers Committee have been taking
urgent action to recruit, train and retain seafarers. The Committee, however,recognised that it takes time to train seafarers and expressed concern about
the consequences of too rapid promotion of seafarers through the ranks, andurges shipowners and managers to consider implementing a stringent
process of post-qualification seatime and proper appraisal before promotion.
The Committee continued to express its strong concern at the continuing
trend of piracy attacks on merchant ships and the apparent inability of theworld’s navies to protect ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and theWestern Indian Ocean. There were also rising concerns about the increased
number of attacks in the South China Sea. The meeting discussed, inparticular, the traumatic experience of seafarers especially those on ships that
had been hijacked by pirates in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. The
situation has become a serious crisis, one that deeply affects the mental
health of the seafarers and their families and the carriage of world trade.
While the ASF is grateful for the protection of the naval forces deployed in andaround the Gulf, the United Nations and the IMO must exercise greater efforts
16th interim meeting of the ASF Seafarers Committee (Qingdao, 21-22 October 2010)1

to protect ships and their crews when transiting pirate infested andtreacherous waters.
It is likely that the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, will achieve thenecessary ratification to come into force in late 2011 or early 2012. It is ofconcern that some 40,000 ships will need to be certified within the next year,
or two if the relevant ILO resolution is adopted by port and flag States. TheCommittee urges all Governments that have ratified, or are about to ratify, theConvention to ensure as a matter of urgency that national laws andregulations are in place so that recognised organisations can be authorized, if
necessary, and Part I of the Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance canbe issued. Early ‘voluntary certification’ of ships flying the flag of ratifying
States will greatly assist the certification process.
The Committee expressed serious concern at a proposal by the International
Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) to unilaterally attempt to determine crew
costs of national flag vessels, which would violate national policies. The
determination of seafarer wages is a matter of negotiation between theshipowner and seafarer. The Committee reiterates its position that theemployment conditions of seafarers should be consistent with the current
market, economic and living situation of each country/region where theseafarers are domiciled.
The Asian Shipowners’ Forum would like to use this opportunity, in the IMO’s
Year of the Seafarer, to thank the seafarers who serve on their ships.
Despite increasing unfair treatment and court-sanctioned violations of their
human rights, seafarers continue, as true professionals, to serve the lifebloodof international trade.
Editor’s NoteThe ASF Seafarers Committee held its 16th interim meeting in Qingdao, China on Friday, 22nd October2010. The meeting was hosted by the China Shipowners Association (CSA) and was chaired by Mr. LiShanmin (CSA), Chairman of the ASF Seafarers Committee.

Delegates from ASF member

associations of China (CSA), Hong Kong (HKSOA), Japan (JSA), Korea (KSA), Chinese Taipei (NACS)
and the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations (FASA), as represented by the shipownerassociations of the Philippines and Singapore attended the meeting, together with theSecretary-General of the ASF.

The Asian Shipowners Forum is a voluntary organization of the shipowner associations of Australia,

16th interim meeting of the ASF Seafarers Committee (Qingdao, 21-22 October 2010)

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China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, and the Federation of ASEAN Shipowner
Associations, comprising the Shipowner Associations of the ASEAN countries. The aims of the ASF areto promote the interests of the Asian shipowning industries.

Between annual ASF meetings, ongoingwork is carried out by five Standing Committees; the Shipping Economics Review Committee, theSeafarers Committee, the Ship Recycling Committee, the Safe Navigation and Environment Committee,
and the Ship Insurance and Liability Committee. The main objectives of the Seafarers Committee are toensure and maintain common standards of training, to promote the stability of employment, theacceptance and well-being of Asian seafarers, and to monitor, consider and comment upon any new
international maritime legislation and convention on manning and training. It has been estimated that
ASF owners and managers control and operate around 50% of the world’s cargo carrying fleet.
For more information about this press release, please contact Gilbert Feng, Secretary of theCommittee, at the above contact details.

16th interim meeting of the ASF Seafarers Committee (Qingdao, 21-22 October 2010)3