Vol. 16 No. 1 January/February 2019

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Voicesfrom theSeafarers
Page 3Happy New Year 2019!
Familiar challenges await‘As indispensible partners,
persistence pays off’
HAPPY NEW YEAR! I wish you all its joy. I would also like toconvey my respect to All Japan Seamen’s Union (JSU) members
who spent New Year’s day working on board vessels.
In 2019, we embark on a new era, as it will be the end of the
Heisei era. Having many hopes but anxieties, too, I am afraid there
may be various unexpected changes surrounding circumstances.
Without reacting nervously over them, however, I hope that we cansteadily take steps forward. This is the Year of the Boar. It is believed
to be a symbol of good health. I can only pray that we will remain
healthy without being affected by disasters.
When we held our annual nationwide assembly in September
2018, I was re-elected chairwoman of Zenkoku Kaiyu Fujin Kai.
Although having the experience of working as its chairwoman for
four years, I have misgivings when thinking that I am getting older.
However, I am bracing myself and determined once again. I hope
you will continue to support us.
We will work with the JSU again this year, and would like to do
our best to stage campaigns to promote the status of seafarers. As an
indispensable partner with the JSU, to this end, we will pay close attention to various things and, as families of seafarers, collect wisdom
so that, as it is said, persistence will pay off.
I really think that persistence does pay off. Grateful to people
from across Japan for cheering us on, we will continue this year to
strive to pass on our persistence to future generations. We will work
together with the JSU, hoping there will be new developments.
In November 2018, the JSU convened its annual general assembly, at which a resolution was adopted on policy challenges related
to shipping and seafarers. When the union presented the resolution to the government of Japan, Zenkoku Kaiyu Fujin Kai was allowed to accompany it. Visiting several organizations, we appealed
as family members of seafarers to make our small voices from
Zenkoku Kaiyu Fujin Kai louder from a broad point of view thatfits with the times. I felt they
had a stronger impressionof us. Zenkoku Kaiyu Fujin
Kai is facing a challenge in
growing its membership, as
members are getting old. But
by promoting friendship andmaintaining harmony within
the organization, I think
we need to keep it going. I
would like advice and guidance to this end.
I pray for safety at work
Chiyoko Sakai
sites and in ship operations,
Chairwoman
and that 2019 will be a great
Zenkoku Kaiyu Fujin Kai
year.

Through the transition fromthe Heisei era into a new era,
the JSU will continue to strive
to tackle ongoing challenges
of today’s and future seafarers

H

appy New Year to All Japan Seamen’s
Union (JSU) members who spent
New Year’s Day while on duty at sea
and at home with their families after
long intervals. I am pleased to deliver this New Year’s
address.
The JSU convened its 79th annual nationwide assembly in November 2018, at which it agreed on anaction plan for its 74th year and a new lineup of executives. This year, Emperor Akihito will reliquinsh
his throne to the Crown Prince, who will then start a
new era. I am determined once again to take the initiative in making efforts to execute activities, working hand in hand primarily with two of the other
top three leaders and other members of the Central
Executive Board, and also with other executives, onsite committee heads and union members and members of Zenkoku Kaiyu Fujin Kai, an organizationof women from families of seafarers, ex-seafarers andother workers engaged in the maritime industry.
Looking back at 2018, we were hit hard by natural
disasters one after another, such as the earthquake innorthern Osaka, the heavy rain in July, Typhoon Jebi
and the earthquake in eastern Iburi, Hokkaido. They
all wrecked enormous damage to the respective areas.
To the families of those who lost their lives in thesedisasters, we extend our deepest condolences. To
those who suffered damage, we pray for their speedy
recovery and restoration.
Japan is a maritime nation, surrounded completely
by sea. Seafarers engaged in the shipping and fisheries businesses contribute to maintaining and further
developing the Japanese economy and supporting
people’s lives by transporting passengers and goods
by sea and constantly supplying marine resources.
However, it cannot be said that the importance ofa seaman’s career is correctly understood by the nation. Due partly to a decline in the number of births
and the aging of the population, we urgently need tosecure and develop successors of Japanese seafarers.
To secure and develop Japanese seafarers for the
future and have the occupation of seafarers better
understood, it is important to carry out PR activities
on maritime affairs and popularize relevant thoughts.
To this end, we will vigorously hold events to help
people feel more familiar with the sea, inviting elementary and junior high school children across thenation to on-board experiences and allowing them toparticipate in seine fishing, for example. In addition,
we wonder that if the PR activities conducted separately by maritime affairs-related organizations arecarried out collectively, they could be more effective.

Mr. Yasumi Morita
JSU President

Currently, the JSU’s Oceangoing Seafarers Department is advancing “J-Crew Project—Yappari Umi ga
Suki (We Love the Ocean After All),” a joint project with the International Mariners Management
Association of Japan (IMMAJ). We are striving topromote the attractiveness of becoming oceangoingseafarers to the general public through videos, publications, advertisements and other media.
It is impossible to secure and develop Japanese seamen in a short space of time. We need to have thegovernment of Japan take responsibility for securing
and growing successors for the future of the shippingand fisheries industries. To secure and cultivate Japanese seamen, who are important to Japan, a maritime
nation, we at the JSU, as an industrial labor union,
will do our best.
In addition to securing and developing Japanesemariners, piracy and other crimes that still take placein Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden, in southern Africanand Southeast Asian waters, and on coasts facing theIndian Ocean represent threats to ship operations.
The JSU’s Domestic Seafarers and Fisheries departments are both working on many challenges, withthe former working to enlarge enrollment limits at
maritime academies and colleges, and preserve andkeep up ferry and passenger-ship services, and thelatter endeavoring to build alternative fishing boats
and clamp down on international illegal fishing activities.
No matter what environments and circumstances
we may be in, we are determined to strive to raise thestatus of seafarers and the attractiveness of becoming one, and have relevant policies put into practice.
Also to maintain fair and equitable order and to develop fair and equitable markets in the shipping andfisheries businesses, we will carry out any necessary
industry activities.
The Heisei era will come to an end, and we will begin a new one. Without changing from what we havebeen, the JSU will continue to work to seek world
peace and peace at sea.
On a final note, I would like you to allow me toclose my New Year message by praying that you will
all stay healthy and that vessels will all be operated
safely in 2019.

MARITIME NEWS(2)JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

ABS, industry join in ballast water mgmt challenges

A

BS recently issued
questionnaires
andhosted Ballast Water
Management (BWM)
Workshops, receiving feedback
from across the globe from shipowners and operators with BWM
systems installed onboard theirvessels.
“As ships come into compliancewith ballast water management
requirements, it is important toconsider some of the common
system challenges and best practices for operating these systems,”
said ABS Senior Vice President
for Engineering and Technology,
Derek Novak. “The responses we
received from the owners and operators who attended our workshops helped us gain a broad industry perspective from aroundthe globe, which we will use todevelop and enhance our guidance to industry.”
Global workshops were held in
New Orleans, Shanghai, Hong
Kong, Singapore and Athens.
Workshop attendees spent a large
portion of the day reviewing thebest practices that support successful BWM system integration, exploring both common
and unique challenges resulting
from different applied technologies, various ship types and sizes,
operational and environmental
conditions, operating frequency,crew competencies, BWM system
maintenance requirements andfeasible contingency measures.
To help focus discussion anddrive the agenda, workshop participants completed a comprehen-sive questionnaire covering thecritical aspects to consider in selecting, installing and operating a
BWM system. Aggregated results
allowed common issues—as wellas any outliers—to be identified.
In analyzing the results from thegathered responses, it is clear thatmany in the marine industry aremaking efforts to get systems fully
functional and in operation tomeet U.S. Coast Guard or IMO
compliance timelines. Responses
indicate that the number of completely inoperable systems has
dropped from 14%, down to 6%,
since ABS last conducted a questionnaire in the fall of 2017.
Key insights gained during theworkshop include:• Incorporating ship-specificcontingency measures within the

BWM Plan helps avoid potential
downtime and financial penalties;• System-specific training, bothfor shoreside support and shipcrew, is critical for effectively operating and maintaining a BWM
system;• Monitoring key data and operational trends and understanding system design limitations
helps crew determine the suitability of the treatment technology
for a vessel’s planned operationalroutes;• Vendor after-sales global support and expertise is critically important for uninterrupted system
operation.
“We commend ABS for taking
the lead on this topic and facilitating dialogue on such a critical issue to the industry,” said Crowley

Maritime Corporation Directorof Engineering Contracts, Roy
Choudhury. “By participating in
the questionnaire and the workshop, we were able to hear fromothers in the industry who are experiencing similar challenges andshare strategies that can benefit thebroader marine industry, helping
us all meet and achieve environmental compliance objectives.”
ABS is updating the Best Practices for Operation of Ballast Water Management Systems Report,
last published in August of 2017.
The updated 2019 Report aims
to capture all the key discussions
items, lessons learned and valuable insight shared by the workshop attendees with respect tothe installation and operation of
BWM systems. (Source: ABS)

IMO moves closer to standardization, safer navigation
A subcommittee under the International Maritime Organization(IMO) has forwarded three documents for adoption in June, moving one step closer to the adoptionof a standardized system for electronic navigation.
This year’s Navigation, Communication, Search and Rescue subcommittee (NCSR 6) took placefrom January 15-25 in London.
The work to standardize the display of bridge equipment started at
IMO level in 2015 and throughout the process, the end user—thenavigator—has been in focus. A
correspondence group was formed
consisting of a number of member
states and various internationalorganisations representing differ-ent industries. Over the next three
years, the group worked on formulating and improving a set of
guidelines for the design of navigational related data on bridge equipment.
The work on improvement tosafety is now complete and threeimportant measures were agreed
upon at the NCSR sub-committee
meeting. All three documents havenow been forwarded to the Marine Safety Committee (MSC) for
adoption in June this year.
Once completed, all new Radar,
ECDIS and integrated navigational displays (INS) from 1 January2024 and all other displays on thebridge from 01 July 2025 will display information in a harmonizedmanner.
“This development is an important step which will bring great
benefits to the seafarers. In the
future, they will be able to easily
familiarise themselves with the different bridge displays. In fact, thenumber of hours spent on familiarisation training can be reduced,”says Ashok Srinivasan, Manager,
Maritime Technology and Regulation at BIMCO and part of thesubcommittee.
“Above all, this will greatly assist the navigator in making better
decisions and greatly contributetowards improvement in safety ofnavigation,” Srinivasan says.
The three documents that will
be up for adoption at the IMO’s

MSC meeting in June are:
• Guidelines for the standardization of user interface design for
navigation equipment (Standardized mode). The formulated guidelines will apply to navigational
equipment such as Electronic
Chart display and information
system (ECDIS), Integrated Navigation systems (INS) and Radarequipment.
• Guidelines for the presentationof navigational-related symbols,
terms and abbreviations (SN.1/
Circ.243.Rev1). These guidelines
have been completely revised.
• Performance standards for thepresentation of navigation-related
information on shipborne navigational displays (MSC.191(79)).

These standards have been amended.
An example of this (once thestandardization is adopted) is
when the user selects radar default
settings. Here, all radar equipment—irrespective of the makeor model – will display exactly thesame information.
Another example is that “Truemotion reset” can be performedby the touch of a single button on
both ECDIS and Radar, across all
makes and models. The functionalities will be standard across all
Radars, ECDIS and Integrated
Navigation displays on all ships,
paving the way for smooth familiarization and operation of thesesystems. (Source: BIMCO)

Study: Inadequate risk management leading cause of all accidents
A recent study by the Seafarers
International Research Centre(SIRC)[i] into the causes of maritime accidents between 2002 and2016, found that inadequate risk
management was the leading causeof almost 56% of all accidents.
Technology also featured prominently in accident reports, with ineffective use of technology cited asa key concern, representing almost
17% of cases. Fatigue among crew
members was another big factor,
contributing to just over 10% of
all accidents.
Alexander Buchmann, Managing Director of Hanseaticsoft
GmbH, a leading provider of in-novative, cloud-based maritime
software, says shipping companies
can reduce their risk of accidents
caused by ineffective use of technology and crew fatigue by choosing the right software.
“The shipping industry is slowly
embracing technology to improve
efficiency and streamline processes.
However, technology that is used
inefficiently or inappropriately canlead to accidents. This is often due
to a lack of training, since this canbe both expensive and time consuming,” Mr. Buchmann said.
Hanseaticsoft has developed
cloud-based solutions that are
intuitive and require little to no

training at all, and the company is
helping shipping companies withmanagement, maintenance andadministrative processes. Cloud
Fleet Manager (CFM) is the firm’s
web-based platform which allows
information to be centralized, processed and accessed in real time using apps and mobile devices.
Modules such as Maintenance,
Circulars and Rest Hours within
CFM are helping companies reduce the risk of accidents. For example, the Maintenance module
gives full visibility of the fleet status
so companies have control over the
maintenance jobs of the fleet, andthe Rest Hours module ensurescrew take the correct rest periods –thus preventing fatigue.
“Inadequate training of crew,
long hours and ineffective maintenance can lead to accidents. Our
software ensures that tasks are handled correctly and offers the crew aknowledge base for certain tasks,”
Buchmann said. “For example,
providing safety procedures, collections of manuals or circularsthat can be sent from the office directly to all vessels.
“One of the key benefits of thissoftware is that it’s been designed
for the modern-day shipping environment and it’s easy to use withminimal training needed. We’ve

optimised the user interface ofthe software and created workflows that intelligently guide users through their tasks – and thismeans that intensive training isn’t
required,” Buchmann continued.
“Cloud-based solutions are not
only leading to more efficient
processes, but are also helping to
reduce accidents by automatingtasks and ensuring ships are compliant and procedures are followed
correctly and on time. The wellbeing of the crew is also improvedby enabling crews to enter and access their own data, ensuring thecorrect rest periods are entered.”(Source: Hanseaticsoft)

Clarksons: Liberia confirmed as world’s second-largest ship registry
Liberia is the second largest ship
registry in the world, according
to leading shipping analyst Clarksons in its Clarksons World Fleet
Monitor January 2019. This reportconfirms that, in gross tonnage
terms, Liberia has overtaken andoutgrown the Marshall Islands,

which now languishes in third
place. Alfonso Castillero, CCO of
the Liberian International Ship &Corporate Registry (LISCR), theUS-based manager of the Liberian
Registry, says, “This is about quality of service, not discounted rates.
“The Liberian fleet was the fast-

est growing major open flag inboth the shipping and offshore
sectors in 2018, and currently has
a growth rate of 8.0%—more than
twice that of most other open flags.
There are a number of reasons for
this, not least a growing recognition on the part of major ship-owners and managers that Liberia,more than any other flag state, isable to combine increased safety
and efficiency with reduced costs.
“The quality of service offered,and the rapid response times
achieved, are important factors behind the significant growth record-

ed by the Liberian Registry, whoseclients are able to communicate
with our highly qualified, motivated staff at any time of the dayof night, thanks to the registry’s
global network of offices staffed byexperience professionals. (Source:
LISCR)

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

SEAFARERS’ CORNER(3)

VOICES from SEAFARERS

Capt. Armando G. Gelogo and Crew of
M/V MISATO K
We welcome the new chapter of the year with a pleasant surprise and appreciation to the JSU.Thanks to theimplementation of the new wage increase likewise this will
motivate the seafarers to be more diligent workers.

Capt. Edgar S. Luciapao Jr. and Crew of
M/V CF DIAMOND
Our appreciation goes to the JSU staff who has enlightened our knowledge about the union activities. In addition, it has reminded us of the welfare services offered tothe member seafarers by JSU. Thank you and more power
to you all.

Capt. Benjamin R. Ubanos and Crew of
M/V LEGAZPIOn behalf of my crew, I’d like to extend our gratitude
to the JSU in sharing us the current information. Most
likely about the union activities such as enhancement of
the benefits and improvement of working conditions of
the members.

Capt. Dennis Albert C. Ramirez and Crew of
M/V KARIYUSHI LEADER
M/V KARIYUSHI LEADER’s officers and crew has
highly appreciated the visit of the JSU inspector at theport of Kobe. The visit provides positive motivation andfresh informations on maritime matters. Please continue
your task in providing seafarers with their welfares and beon the right track.

Capt. Vann S. Eusebio and Crew of M/V ISS BREEZE
The year 2019 has a fresh start of the JSU visit on our
ship. The crew had cherished the distribution of the JSU
welfare goods and much more onto the informations thathas been discussed about wage increase and medical benefits. Thanks to the proper guidelines and keeps on going.

Capt. Bernardo D. Ocampo and Crew of
M/V ATLANTIC ERICA
Greetings to all of you! Though we felt the year of 2018has brought lots of joy and sorrow to some and others, on
this year of 2019, we wish you all the best to come and be
happy on the New Year.

Capt. Edwin B. Bermudez and Crew of
M/V SPLENDEUR
Thanks to the JSU staff who visited us prior to the shipdelivery. When the year 2019 entered, we are amazed toknow of a certain wage hike. A heartwarming applause to
the staff that makes these things happened and good luck.

Capt. Neil A. Echavia and some Crew of
M/V NEPTUNE LEADER
We are surprised of the current information about wage
increase. This progress had expressed the worthwhile dedication of the union to improve its members’ living andworking conditions.In appreciation of your kind deeds,
rest assured of our endless support and thank you.

C/E Francisco L. Espina Jr. and Crew of
M/V CRESTA BLUE
Ship visitation of the JSU staff had caught an encouraging inspiration within our ranks. The topics about shipping affairs and development had reminded us of what
welfares and benefits rendered by the union for its members. With our wish and support, we hope JSU endeavor
will come up with good results.

Capt. Danilo Q. Absolor and Crew of
M/V ASIAN JOY
It is a pleasure to say, JSU has done it again. The longawaited wish of wage increase by seafarers like us had beenachieved. Thank you so much!

Capt. Rafael D. Necor and Crew of M/V KAGUYA
We’d like to extend our utmost support to the JSU for
the struggle on the members’ welfare and benefits increment. It has recently gained success with the example ofthe crew wage hike. With these, living standard of themembers will timely improve. Thanks to the job well done.

Capt. Ray Luis P. Capalaran and Crew of
M/V GARDENIA ACE
Praise be with the JSU staff ship visitation. We hope thiskind of JSU activities will continue in order to update us
and be informed of the current informations of the shipping industry. Thank you and happy new year!

(4)ADVISORIES/WARNINGSJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019

Stressful work puts seafarers at risk of ‘silent killer’Hypertension or highblood pressure is a
medical conditionin which constricted arterial blood vessels increase
the resistance to blood flow, causing an increase in blood pressure
against vessel walls. Thus, theheart must work harder to pumpblood through the narrowed arteries and if the condition persists,
damage to the heart and bloodvessels is likely, increasing the risk
for stroke, heart attack, and kidney or heart failure.
Hypertension is often labelled
as ‘the silent killer’, because it usually causes no symptoms until itreaches a life-threatening stage.
Seafarers may be prone to hypertension due to the nature of theirwork, diet onboard, physical inactivity, alcohol and tobacco use,
and a diet high in sodium usuallyfrom processed and fatty foods.
Symptoms of hypertensive crisis
In the case of hypertensive crisis, a situation in which the bloodpressure quickly rises and remains
to 180/120 mm Hg or higher. If
pressure does not fall in to normal
figures, then medical assistance is
to be provided immediately. The
consequences of uncontrolled
blood pressure in this range canbe severe and include:• Stroke• Loss of consciousness• Memory loss
• Heart attack• Damage to the eyes and kidneys• Loss of kidney function• Aortic dissection• Angina (unstable chest pain)• Pulmonary edema (fluid backup in the lungs)• Eclampsia
A variety of symptoms may be
indirectly related to, but are notalways caused by, high blood pressure, such as:• Blood spots in the eyes: Bloodspots in the eyes (subconjunctival
hemorrhage) are more common
in people with diabetes or highblood pressure, but neither condition causes the blood spots. Floaters in the eyes are also not related
to high blood pressure. However,an ophthalmologist may be able
to detect damage to the optic
nerve caused by untreated highblood pressure.
• Facial flushing: Facial flushingoccurs when blood vessels in theface dilate. It can occur unpredictably or in response to certain
triggers such as sun exposure, cold
weather, spicy foods, wind, hot
drinks and skin-care products. Facial flushing can also occur withemotional stress, exposure to heator hot water, alcohol consumption and exercise — all of which
can raise blood pressure temporarily. While facial flushing may
occur while your blood pressure
is higher than usual, high bloodpressure is not the cause of facial
flushing.
• Dizziness: While dizzinesscan be a side effect of some bloodpressure medications, it is notcaused by high blood pressure.
However, dizziness should not beignored, especially if the onset issudden. Sudden dizziness, loss ofbalance or coordination and trouble walking are all warning signsof a stroke. High blood pressure
is a leading risk factor for stroke.
How to handle
hypertension onboard
There are many factors which areimportant to become part of seafarers’ lifestyle to help prevent andmanage hypertension, including:• Control weight: Being overweight or obese increases the riskof cardiovascular disease, diabetes
and high blood pressure• Exercise regularly: Physical inactivity as part of seafarer’ lifestyleincreases the risk of getting highblood pressure.
• Eat healthy: A diet high in salt
consumption, as well as calories,
saturated and trans fat and sugar,
carries an additional risk of highblood pressure.

• Reduce or quit smoking andtobacco use: Using tobacco cancause blood pressure to temporarily increase and can contribute todamage arteries.
• Control stress: Too muchstress can encourage behaviors
that increase blood pressure, suchas poor diet, physical inactivity,and using tobacco or drinking alcohol more than usual.
What is more, keeping a bloodpressure diary in which seafarers
record their blood pressure measurements, including the time of
day and notations about events
that might have affected the records, such as changes in medication, diet, or physical activity,
could assist them intimately involved in their own care. However, seafarers should not use
these recordings to self-medicate
or make an attempt to diagnose
themselves but they should always seek medical care in case any
symptoms make their appearance.
(Source: SAFETY4SEA)

South Asian scrap yards saw over 90% of 2018 ship tonnage ILO aims for 100
their lives, suffer from exposure
to toxics, and coastal ecosystems
are devastated. Ship owners havea responsibility to sell to recycling yards that invest in theirworkers and environment,” said
Ingvild Jenssen, executive director and founder, NGO Shipbreaking Platform.
With the oil and gas sector seeing a downturn in the last coupleof years, the Platform has documented an increase in offshore
units that have gone for scrap.
Out of the 138 oil and gas units
which have been identified as demolished in 2018 alone, 96 end-

ed up on the beaches of South
Asia.
“Clean and safe solutions are
already available. Responsible
ship owners, such as Dutch Boskalis, Germany’s Hapag-Lloyd,
and Scandinavian companies
Wallenius-Wilhelmsen
andGrieg, recycle their vessels off thebeach. The EU maintains a listof clean and safe ship recycling
facilities. More ships need tobe diverted towards these sites,”said Nicola Mulinaris, communication and policy officer, NGO
Shipbreaking Platform. (Source:
MarineLink)

744 large ocean-going commercial vessels were sold to the scrap
yards in 2018, out of which 518
were broken down on South Asia
beaches, accounting for a recordbreaking 90.4% of the gross tonnage dismantled globally.
According to new data releasedby the NGO Shipbreaking Platform, at least 34 workers losttheir lives when breaking apartthe global fleet. The Platform
documented at least 14 workers
that died in Alang, making 2018
one of one of the worse years for
Indian yards in terms of accident
records in the last decade.

Another 20 workers died and12 workers were severely injuredin the Bangladeshi yards. In Pakistan, local sources confirmed one
death and 27 injuries. Seven injuries were linked to yet anotherfire that broke out on-board abeached tanker.
“The figures of 2018 areshocking. No ship owner canclaim to be unaware of the direconditions at the beaching yards,
still they massively continue tosell their vessels to the worst
yards to get the highest price for
their ships. The harm caused bybeaching is real. Workers risk

Window opens
on reporting

Fast, low-cost connectivity vital for seafarers

European shipowners have repeatedly asked the EU to improve andsimplify regulations to the existing
Reporting Formalities for Ships
Directive (RFD), which has notbeen able to meet their needs.
Therefore, last summer the EC
published transport proposals
including a new draft for the socalled European Maritime Single
Window Environment (EMSWe).
The new draft is intended toadapt itself to a more digitalized
world. However, it does not yet
contain a fully European approach;the new proposals do not includesensitive customs reports, whichshould be made on national systems
based on a European platform.
Also, the proposals revealed
there was no European but only
a national report-once-only approach. (Source: Euromar)

Connectivity remains the number one demand for seafarers.
However, they also expect better levels of service and lower
costs. It was also observed thatseafarers are keen to make crewinternet access compulsory on
all ships.
According to the Seafarers
Happiness Index, the majority
of seafarers face the triple threatof poor quality, high cost, or
non-existent connectivity.
Because seafarers want to beable to connect via the internetwith family and friends, thisissue is considered one of themost important, as it is considered vital to their happiness.
However, respondents feltthat insufficient investment isbeing made to ensure ongoing,high speed, and quality connections.
For this reason, the United

Nations suggested that access tothe internet should be a necessity or basic right, rather than aluxury, and it was stressed timeafter time that seafarers do nothave the same human rights as
the rest of the population.
What is more, connectivity is
an increasingly important factor for seafarers when choosing which shipping company towork for. In fact, seafarers said
that online access influenced
their decisions on whether towork for a particular company. There is also a strong
seafarer network, and crew doshare their experiences regarding which companies look after
their connectivity needs.
In addition, responding to
the latest Seafarers HappinessIndex, seafarers have called
for ship owners, operators andmanagers to have designatedhuman resource managementin place to address concerns andto reflect the growing appreciation and importance of seafarer
mental health and wellbeing
onboard.
This comes as the second
quarterly report of 2018 sees
seafarers experience an increasein happiness in relation tophysical health opportunities
and welfare facilities onboard,according to the Mission to
Seafarers.
These figures represent a
growing trend of the importance placed on the welfare ofseafarers at sea, with seafarers
requesting that ship owners andmanagers invest in a dedicatedseafarer liaison officer, who
would be responsible for ensuring seafarers’ welfare while atsea and at port. (Source: SAFETY4SEA)

states to sign MLC

2019 is the centenary year of theInternational Labour Organization (ILO) and it hopes to celebrate the anniversary by achieving
100 member states signing up to
the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC). The MLC setsworldwide minimum standards
for the living and working conditions of seafarers.
The MLC has so far been ratified
by 90 member states, representing
more than 91 percent of the world
merchant shipping fleet. However,important states have yet to backthe convention, including the USA
and much of South America, Africa,
the Middle East and Central Asia.
The ILO says that ratificationand implementation of the MLC
benefits the world’s 1.5 million
seafarers, shipowners and flag, port
and labour-supplying states, as wellas contributing to the achievementof the United Nations sustainable
development goal on sustainableoceans. (Source: ITF Seafarers)

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.