Vol. 15 No. 1 January/February 2018

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Voicesfrom theSeafarers
Page 3Happy New Year 2018
Shipping, fisheries industries underpin people’s lives
Necessary to secure, grow Japanese seafarer successors
HAPPY NEW YEAR to union members
who celebrated the New Year at sea while on
duty and at home with their families after
long separations.

end, we will help children who will play important roles in future generations feel theappeal of the ocean and ships by encouraging
them to go on board ships and participate inseine fishing. We will also carry out PR activity, called the “J-Crew Project—Yappari Umi
ga Suki” (We Love the Ocean After All), tourge students to go on to specialized vocational high schools, colleges and universities
that have merchant marine-related programs.

It has been slightly over 72 years since the
All Japan Seamen’s Union (JSU) was established in October 1945. During the PacificWar, a total of 60,643 seafarers lost their precious lives. Learning from this experience,
we have always been strongly seeking world
peace and seas of peace, developing a variety
It is needless to say that securing safety atof activities to this end.
sea is necessary and essential to seafarers,
who work at sea, while also necessary and esIn Japan, which is surrounded by sea, the sential are work environments that can help
shipping and fishery industries bolster the their families see them off to work withoutmaintenance and development of the nation- anxiety. As for the anti-piracy actions taken
al economy and the livelihood of Japanese in waters off the coast of Somalia and in the
citizens. Japan could never remain as a mari- Gulf of Aden, I would like to express mytime nation without seafarers, who work very gratitude as seafarers and vessels were prohard day and night to operate ships safely tected regardless of the countries they beand fulfill other responsibilities, while having longed to. In 2015, the number of patrol
to remain separated from their families and vessels deployed was reduced from two tosociety. They are engaged in carrying goods one, as the number of piracy and other cases
both internationally and domestically; trans- had decreased to zero. Today, however, piporting people on ferries, passenger ships and racy and other incidents are occurring again.
others; and operating fishing boats to secure To secure safety for seafarers and vessels, we
seafood products.
are demanding that inquests be conducted
to resume the number back to two.
Nevertheless, it is hard to say their importance is acknowledged or recognized widely
In the Pacific War, many requisitioned seaor correctly among the general public. As farers and private vessels were sacrificed. Taksuch, it is a major challenge to secure and ing this sad experience into consideration, we
cultivate successors to Japanese seafarers who will patiently ask the government of Japan
lead the maritime industry.
and the Ministry of Defense to be self-contained in respect to moving goods and forces
To secure successors in the shipping and in case of emergencies.
fishery industries who are inevitable to thedevelopment of Japan and the livelihood of
As for the efforts that we make regarding theJapanese citizens, it is necessary for the gov- taxation system for seafarers, we will continueernment of Japan and the maritime industry to have it introduced in municipalities otherto work hand in hand to publicize maritime than Yokkaichi and Toba cities, Mie Prefecaffairs and get people thinking about mari- ture. In many countries that are advanced intime affairs. For its part, the JSU will con- terms of shipping, tax incentives have beentinue to work to make seafarers known more implemented to secure native seafarers. To
widely and deeply as an occupation. To this raise seafarers’ status and secure successors,

Yasumi Morita
President
All Japan Seamen’s Union

we will work hard to have a tax cut policy(an income tax reduction) implemented immediately.
In addition, we are also working on themaintenance of educational institutes for cultivating seafarers and an increase in the number of students accepted, the developmentof information infrastructure, the construction of new fishing vessels to replace existingones, whaling, actions to eliminate marine
accidents and ensure safety, the promotion ofmodal shifts, the maintenance and continuation of ferries and passenger ships and thepromotion of safety in channels inside ports
and harbors. We will strive to seek understanding from and promote cooperation with
union members who work on site and people
from relevant industries to realize these action
policies, and develop activities accordingly.
I would like to close my New Year addressby praying that seafarers will stay healthy, andthat vessels will be operated safely in the year
to come.

MARITIME NEWS(2)JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Shipyards and search for best newbuild values

Rising waves of nationalism are being seenin politics around theglobe, and the trend
is also bleeding over in ship construction. Owners are ordering alarger number of ships from yards
in their home countries, as can beseen in the chart below.
Japanese owners have always
been partial to domestic yards,
due in part to the tight relationship between Japanese trading

houses and builders. However,many small owners continue tofavor their country’s yards. This isa longstanding trend, and is littlechanged from 2012 to the present.
One of the big shifts reported
is the increasing number of shipsordered by Chinese owners attheir home based yards. Orders
placed jumped from 18 percent
in 2012 to 28 percent in 2017,
and the trend looks like it willcontinue. Financing made avail-able by national banks and leasing
companies will ensure that work
continues to be steered towards
businesses in mainland China.
South Korea has seen a modest
boost as well, but interest fromtheir countrymen remains a muchsmaller piece of their businessthan the other two Asian shipbuilding powerhouses.
Some of the domestic orders are
driven by protectionism, such asorders placed in U.S. yards. Cabo-tage laws such as the Jones Act tend
to drive this activity. The impact ofthe dramatic fall in oil prices in
2014-15 can be seen in the sharp
drop in orders at Norwegian yards,
which had specialized in supporting the offshore industry.
Trends in economic nationalism
come and go over the decades, andthe current favoritism for domestic work will not continue indefinitely. However, it does look like
we will see a higher percentage ofowners ordering from the yards intheir home countries in the nearterm. This will be most noticeable
in low specification ships. Specialized units and complex projects
should continue to go to the mostcapable builders though. Independent owners with access to financing will seek the best yards at
the fairest price. Meritocracy still
reigns supreme in the highly competitive, and global, business ofshipping. (Source: VesselsValue Ltd.)S’pore aiming to ride transport tide with ambitious project
Staying ahead of the competition in
an industry that suffers from excess
capacity and price wars is tough,but that is precisely what Singapore’s maritime sector, centered on
its transhipment port, must do.
Acknowledging this, an ambitious plan to help the sector navigate rough seas is set out in the Industry Transformation Map. The
goal is to grow the sector’s valueadd by $4.5 billion and create over
5,000 good jobs by 2025. This effort is vital as the maritime industry as a whole employs more than
170,000 people and contributes 7
percent to the economy. Last year,

container throughput at the port
in Singapore rose 8.9 percent to33.7 million, making it the world’s
top container transhipment hub.
No hub can afford to rest on its
laurels as the pressure to find evershorter sea routes and smarter, faster ways to move goods from where
they are produced to where they
are consumed is relentless. Thereis also intense competition fromregional ports stretching from Malaysia to Shanghai.
To stay ahead, Singapore must
be dogged in exploiting technology and other means to boost its
logistics capabilities. It calls forwidespread acceptance of “real anddeep transformation over the next
few years”, as Senior Minister ofState for Transport Lam Pin Min
put it, so that new growth opportunities can be captured.
Expanding the sector’s value-add
will be key to ensuring Singapore
remains a global maritime hub
prized for connectivity, innovationand talent. Only a combination ofhuman skills upgrading and the
managerial ability to work withradical new technology will makethe transformation map viable.
Key to this ongoing endeavor isthe multibillion-dollar Tuas proj-

ect, which will, when completed,increase the port’s capacity to 65
million TEUs of cargo – more thandouble what was handled last year.
This expansion is the latest in aseries of bold moves to grow Singapore’s port by building ahead ofdemand. Indeed, Singapore might
have been too cautious in the past
in planning infrastructural projects
to catch a rising tide. Now, thethinking behind the Tuas megaport is that it is impossible to consistently ensure that just enoughcapacity is available at the righttime. Instead, projects must be
ready to benefit from rising tides

as global demand recovers from aperiod of stagnation.
Tuas is set to be not just huge
but also efficient and intelligent,harnessing emerging technologies
and data analytics to optimise operations. While the Governmenthas both the resolve and resources
to invest in the infrastructure andtools to keep Singapore’s port competitive, the challenge – as faced byother sectors experiencing disruption – is to help workers adapt tochange and to upgrade their skills
to meet the needs of a 21st century port in a fast-changing world.
(Source: Straits Times)

Inmarsat adapts Fleet Xpress plans to meet OSV requirements
Inmarsat has launched a new setof Fleet Xpress plans designed specifically to meet the technical andcommercial requirements of offshore support vessels (OSVs).
The new plan exploits the technical capabilities inherent to Fleet
Xpress, such as high-speed connections and guaranteed performance,
to offer vessel operators levels of
flexibility that are naturally suited
to the demanding requirements ofa high-end sector such as offshore
support.
It recognizes that connectivity
needs onboard OSVs change frequently and that swings in data
usage are likely to be more pronounced than for conventionalcargo ships by accommodating
free upgrades and downgrades inservice levels during the 36-monthcontract period.
When on-hire, the appetite forbandwidth from OSVs can beimmense. Projects often generateconsiderable volumes of data thatneed sending back to shore foranalysis, with third-party contractors onboard and an intense working environment. Furthermore,
OSV operators also traditionallyare generous with crew welfare.
Supported by a 1m antenna,
Fleet Xpress for OSVs delivers committed information rates of up to
3Mbps for uploads and 6Mbps fordownloads with a standard antenna,
climbing to 5Mbps and 10Mbps,
respectively, with an enhanced antenna. When off-hire, a more economical 128kbps/128Kbps link

may be sufficient to keep core operational data exchange ticking over.
This elasticity means that OSV
operators can utilise the full potential of Fleet Xpress for the durationof a project and then switch to anarrower “standby” link between
projects, also avoiding early termination costs. A network service
device (NSD) manages bandwidthand regulates the flow of data traffic between the vessel and shore.
The offer also includes provision
for owners to suspend services for
up to 180 days, subject to equivalent contract term extension.
“The global footprint of Fleet
Xpress means OSVs can count on
reliable connectivity wherever inthe world they are deployed,” says
Eric Griffin, VP Maritime, Off-shore Energy and Fisheries, Inmarsat. “Unlike conventional VSAT
installations, Fleet Xpress is designed for seamless global mobility
and automated satellite and beamswitching, supported by the added
resilience of unlimited FleetBroadband back-up. Inmarsat satellites
are supported by redundant landbased infrastructure to ensure network availability, as defined in theservice level agreements that form
part of a subscription.”
In addition, the new set of OSVplans can be used in conjunction
with new hardware from existingterminal manufacturers that will
provide a dual antenna solution tominimise outages caused by line ofsight blockages, a common occurrence for OSV vessels due to theirproximity to rigs and operating inhigh seas. This will be managed bya single antenna control unit thatwill handle the service and seamless switching between antennas.
“The connectivity requirements
of offshore support vessels place
unique demands on satellite operators. Successful and timely completion of a contract is increasingly
dependent on a highly resilient,high-capacity data link. The technology behind Fleet Xpress has thecapacity to meet these demands
and our new plan sets a precedentin joining the dots between thetechnical requirements and commercial realities of OSV operationand highlights how Fleet Xpress
can be used in the energy sector,”
said Mr. Griffin. (Source: Inmarsat)

Underwater seal repairs help avoid drydock and off-hire costs
Following a spate of stern tube
seal failures, Antwerp-based Hydrex has reiterated its capability incarrying out repairs to stern tube
seals during a ship’s routine port
visit, saving the expense and lossof revenue of unscheduled drydocking.
Stern tube seals can suffer undue wear or damage due to avariety of causes, causing water
ingress and oil leaks. With evertightening environmental regulations resulting in heavy penalties
for oil pollution, rapid and timely
repairs are essential.

The company’s flexible Mobdock repair method allows seals tobe repaired or replaced while theship is afloat in harbor, allowing
shipowners to keep vessels earning
revenue by avoiding extra visits todrydock.
A recent stern tube repair was
carried out to a tanker berthedin Antwerp. “Although this wasvery close to our headquarters,
we can undertake similar work
anywhere,” Hydrex CEO Boudvan Rompay said. “Our wellstocked fast-response center candeliver the necessary equipment

anywhere in the world without delay. All of our offices areequipped with the latest facilities, lightweight equipment andtools, and our network of skilled
technicians can be mobilised tobe ready to start work as soon as
the ship arrives at its next port ofcall.”
It is not always straightforward
to replace seals. There can be considerable variation in the size ofthe stern tube itself and the liners can be worn down and show
ruts. In the case of the tanker in
Antwerp, a thorough underwaterinspection of the stern tube seal
assembly revealed that a ropeand a fishing net had become entangled. Hydrex divers removed
both, and the flexible Mobdock
was installed to allow the repair
work to be undertaken in dry
conditions.
Hydrex technicians removed
three damaged seals and replaced
them with new ones. Hydrex
worked in close cooperation withthe seal manufacturer, which allowed the company to provide theclient with original spare parts,
thus guaranteeing a sound repair

using the best quality material.
To help ensure this, a technician
from the seal manufacturer was inattendance during the repair.
Van Rompay said: “Taking advantage of the Hydrex flexible
Mobdock technique, the team
was able to carry out the entire
repair on-site and underwater.
Because all the required equipment is ready to be transported
at any time, there is no wasted
time making preparations and it
is possible to carry out the entire
job without delays to the vessel’sschedule.” (Source: Hydrex)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

SEAFARERS’ CORNER(3)

VOICES from SEAFARERS

Capt. Platon M. Pornel and crew of
MV PACIFIC NOBLE
On behalf of the officers and crew, I would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to the staff of the JSU for enlightening us with regards to our welfare and benefits.

Some crewmembers of MV COMET ACE
We have heard that the CBA negotiation maybe concluded in February. Thanks for your efforts and we hopeeverything will be resolved positively. Happy New Year to
all of you!!!

Capt. Ernesto R. Umipig Jr, and some crewmembersof MV KEN VOYAGER
Free Wi-Fi internet connection onboard should be provided in the CBA so that we can communicate with ourfamilies conveniently. Also, members should be provided
with health cards so that anytime they can have medical
attention for free.

Capt. Brando A. Torrino and crew of
MV TRANS FUTURE 11
We would like to thank you for visiting us at the Portof Hakata. Thank you very much for the souvenirs andreading materials.

Capt. Cleto C. Aguelo and crew of
MV STAR PATHFINDER
Thank you for your efforts in resolving seafarers’ requests and problems. We appreciate your visit to our shipeven in heavy snowfall. Keep up the good work!!!

Officers and crew of MV EUROPEAN HIGHWAY
Happy New Year to all the seafarers in the world!!!
Thank you JSU for always visiting us and giving us information on maritime matters.

Some crewmembers of
MV GLORIOUS SENTOSA
We really wish our ship be provided with Internet connection. Convenient communication with our families isvery important. Please include a provision in the CBA that
Internet should be provided to ships free to crewmembers.

Capt. Alexander J. Loket and some crewmembers of
MV WESTERN OWENDO
We appreciate your visit to our ship and the discussion
we had even in a limited time. Thank you for the information regarding the CBA.

Filipino crew of MV ARIES LEADER
We have been waiting for the new agreement and wehope it would be concluded soon. Thank you for coming
and for the information you provided. Please continue
visiting ships so that we can all be updated with the maritime news.

Capt. Marlon A. Dayag (standing 7th from left),officers and crew of MV FUJISUKA
Thank you for the explanation regarding the JSU Union
Dues and the benefits accorded to the members. Happy
New Year To All Seafarers!!!

Capt. Jesus S. Lapitan, C/E Mario N. Alentajan (inset)
and some crewmembers of MV HOUYU
It’s nice meeting you again. Working and living conditions of seafarers onboard have been improved a lot because of what you are doing. Thank you also for the facilities you made in the Philippines.

Capt. Shieldon T. Tirazona (standing center) withsome crew of MV ANSAC CHRISTINE NANCY
Please negotiate for an increase in wages especially forthe ratings. Also the Food Allowance should be increased.
Thank you for visiting us.

ADVISORIES/WARNINGS(4)JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2018

Yemen’s Houthis Changes in shore leave rights enter force
threaten to block
Red Sea traffic
Yemen’s Houthi rebels have threatened to block the vital shipping
route that connects the Mediterranean Sea with the Arabian Sea andIndian Ocean.
The president of the so-called
supreme political council, whichruns Sanaa and other rebel-held
territory, had made the threat in a
meeting with the deputy UN envoy to Yemen, according to both
Saudi and Houthi media.
Council president Saleh Al Samad told the UN’s Maeen Shureim that the Houthis will turn to“strategic choices” if the Saudi-led
coalition fighting in Yemen does
not halt efforts to retake ports in
Hodeidah province, where coastline runs along the Red Sea.
Pro-government forces—backed
by the coalition—have been making rapid advances in rebel-held
Hodeidah, hoping to prevent the
Houthis from using the province’s
ports to smuggle in weapons from
Iran.
According to Saudi Arabia’s Al
Hadath news channel, Mr. Al Samad said the rebels would “cutinternational navigation”, while
the Houthis’ Al Masirah TV elaborated, reporting that he threatened
to “block the Red Sea and target
international navigation”.
The Red Sea runs between two
chokepoints, the Suez Canal andthe Bab El Mandeb.
The U.S. Energy Information
Administration estimated that 4.7
million barrels of oil were transported through the latter daily in
2014, mostly headed to markets in
Europe.
On the other side of the Suez
Canal lies the Mediterranean Sea
and on the other side of the Bab El
Mandeb the Gulf of Aden. Beyond
that is the Arabian Sea and Indian
Ocean.
Shureim, in Sanaa to resume
peace negotiations, was due tomeet with Houthi leaders to discuss paving the way for anotherround of negotiations with thegovernment.
In his meeting with Shureim,
Al Samad criticized the United
Nations’ efforts to resolve the war
in Yemen, including the role ofspecial envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh
Ahmed, Al Masirah TV reported.
“We’ve come to a stage where we
don’t care any more about the roleof the UN in solving the crisis in
Yemen,” Al Samad said.
The Saudi-led coalition, in
which the UAE plays a leadingrole, has been fighting in Yemen
since March 2015. It wants to restore president Abdrabu Mansur
Hadi to power. His internationallyrecognized government was forced
to flee Sanaa after it was seized by
the Houthis in September 2014.
(Source: The National)Seafarers’rightstoshore leave have beenstrengthened throughamendments which entered into force globally on thefirst of the year, under the revised
treaty, which aims to achieve thesmooth transit at ports of ships,
cargo and passengers.
The amendments to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL
Convention) also bring in a newrequirement for national governments to introduce electronic
information exchange, including electronic data interchange(EDI), to transmit information
related to maritime transport.
This should be in place by April
8, 2019, with provision for atransitional period of at least 12
months during which paper andelectronic documents would beallowed.
Use of a “single window” fordata is encouraged, to enable all
the information required by public authorities in connection withthe arrival, stay and departureof ships, persons and cargo, tobe submitted via a single portal,
without duplication.

In addition, a number of standard forms, standards and recommended practices relating tostowaways have been updated.
The FAL Convention has 118
signatory States.
Shore leave

The amendment to the international standard on shore leaveadds a new provision, on top of
the requirement to allow crewashore while the ship on which
they arrive is at port. This newprovision says there should be
no discrimination on groundsof nationality, race, color, sex,
religion, political opinion or social origin. Shore leave should be
granted, irrespective of the flag
State of the ship.
If any request is turned down,
the relevant public authorities
must provide an explanation to
the crew member and the master,which the seafarer or master canrequest to be provided in writing.
Security and stowaways
The section on preventing stowaways is updated and expanded.

National authorities are recommended to apply operational
procedures equivalent to thosein the IMO International Shipand Port Facility Security (ISPS)
Code, to prevent stowaways accessing a ship.
A new standard requires governments, where appropriate, toincorporate legal grounds to allow prosecution of stowaways,
attempted stowaways and any
individual or company aiding astowaway or an attempted stowaway with the intention to facilitate access to the port area, any
ship, cargo or freight containers
into their national legislation.
New FAL Forms
Updated FAL forms are in effectfrom January 1, 2018, covering IMO General Declaration;
Cargo Declaration; Ship’s Stores
Declaration; Crew’s Effects Declaration; Crew List, Passenger
List and Dangerous Goods.
Three additional documents
have been introduced for ships’
clearance that may be required by
the shore authorities—securityrelated information required un-

der SOLAS, advance electronic
cargo information for customs
risk assessment, and advanced
notification form for waste delivery to port reception facilities.
FAL Convention
The FAL Convention, first adopted in 1965, aims to harmonize procedures for ship’s arrival,
stay and departure from port. It
includes mandatory “Standards”
and “Recommended Practices”
on formalities, documentary
requirements and procedures
which should be applied on arrival, stay and departure to theship itself, and to its crew, passengers, baggage and cargo.
The revised annex, which wasdeveloped following a comprehensive review of the treaty, will
ensure the convention adequately
addresses the shipping industry's
present and emerging needs andserves to facilitate and expedite
international maritime traffic.
The objective is to prevent unnecessary delays to ships, and to
persons and property on board.
(Source: IMO website at www.
imo.org)

ABS achieves industry leading safety standard milestone
ABS yesterday announced it
had zero work-related lost time
incidents during 2017. The corresponding Lost Time Incident
Rate (LTIR) of 0.00 represents asignificant milestone in the organization’s continuing journey tosafety excellence.
“Safety is the heart of our mission and remains at the core of
all we do, so we are thrilled torealize this exceptional safety

record result,” said ABS Chairman, President and CEO,
Christopher J. Wiernicki. “Thisachievement adds to our alreadystrong industry-recognized safety leadership. At the same time,
we continue to promote safety
excellence through ongoingtraining and process improvements that enable and empower
employees to recognize and control hazards in their daily work

environment.”
ABS has an ongoing safety
excellence program which incorporates strong occupational
health and safety processes andpolicies, including its Stop Work
Obligation rule authorizing all
employees to intervene if safety isin question in any aspect of theirwork.
ABS continues to strengthen
its global Health, Safety, Qual-

ity and Environmental (HSQE)
record with increasing engagement of several leading safety
behaviors, including timely reporting of potential incidents or
hazards and documenting nearmisses. ABS also holds a leading
position in safety with all major
Port State Control areas while
maintaining its focus on exceptional client service delivery.
(Source: ABS)ITF issues statement on UAE’s new protection for seafarers
ITF released a statement in response to the circular issued by
the UAE Federal Transport Authority – Land And Maritime,requiring all UAE-flagged ships
trading internationally and all
ships operating in UAE waters
to have a contract of insurance toprotect seafarers.

David Heindel, chair of theInternational Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), seafarers’
section, said: “We are strongly
behind the mandate issued by
the Federal Transport Authority– Land and Maritime, for the financial protection of seafarers operating in the waters of the United

Arab Emirates (UAE).
“Basic rights are being violated
on a daily basis by companies
operating in this region who not
only fail to pay wages, but also
fail to provide safe working conditions and enough food and cleanwater for their seafarers.
“This mandate makes clear that

PSC inspections focusing more on risk profilingPort State Control inspections are
increasingly focusing on the risk
profile of the ship under inspection with inspectors singling out
the performance of the ship manager and the flag state recognizedorganization (RO) as major factors to concentrate on.
Petros Achtypis, chief executive
officer of Cyprus-based Prevention
at Sea (PaSea), said PSC inspectors
were changing the way they inspected ships with greater emphasis being placed on a vessel’s risk

profile.
Many PSC Memoranda of Understanding were starting to draw
direct parallels between the risk
profile of the ship and the performance of the ship manager and theRO.
“There is a growing trend to lookat ways to identify operational andmanagement risks and detect any
pitfalls that could lead to accidents
or injury,” he said.
Since risk assessment became partof the ISM Code the shipping in-dustry has viewed risk identification
and assessment as a simple process,limited to the use of one matrix—(consequence) x (probability).
“With the technical knowledge
in risk assessments currently available, it is proved that the use of one
matrix is inadequate. I believe thatrisks, when identified, should be
categorised and a new matrix developed with accurate results helping to calculate the actual risk,” Mr
Achtypis stressed. (Source: Prevention at Sea)ship owners must provide financial protection against abandonment, death or injury.
“This is a huge step forward ina region where, historically, shipowners have been allowed to repeatedly abuse the rights of seafarers. This has to stop and it has tostop now.” (Source: ITF)
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. Hiroyuki Watanabe,
Director, Foreign Trades Dept.