I
N
S
I
D
E

O

n March 12, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport
and Tourism (MLIT)
of Japan convened the PhilippineJapan Seafarer Policy Forum inTokyo for the purpose of exchanging opinions and information surrounding seamen, their development, and other relevant issues.
Organizations from Japan and
the Philippines concerned withmaritime affairs attended theforum, including Secretary ofLabor and Employment Marianito
D. Roque.
The All Japan Seamen’s Union(JSU) was represented by President Yoji Fujisawa, Vice President
Norimasa Ouchi, International
Affairs Bureau General Director
Hideo Ikeda, Fishery Affairs
Bureau General Director Kenichi
Takahashi, General Affairs Bureau
Shinichi Tanaka and six othermembers.
In July 2007, the JSU had taken
the initiative in setting up a laborand management preparatorycommittee in preparation of estab-

Japan invites seafarer dialogue
lishing a council of the Japaneseand Filipino governments, laborand management for discussing
seafarer issues.
Thereafter, the governments,
labor and management worked
cooperatively on seafarer issues in
the Asia-Pacific region. In particular, they worked hard to secureand develop skilled mariners.
When the transport ministers ofJapan and the ASEAN countries
met in November 2008 for their
third assembly, they agreed toestablish a joint program to cultivate an increased number of seafarers.
It was as part of this agreementthat the Philippine-Japan Seafarer
Policy Forum was created.
During the forum, on behalf ofthe MLIT, Director-General Shigeru
Itoh of the Maritime Bureau said,“Prior to this forum, the Japaneseand Filipino ministers agreed on amemorandum of understanding(MoU) to promote an international
project to jointly develop Asian
seafarers as a cooperative framework between the nations, including the use of ships owned by the
MAAP (Maritime Academy of Asiaand the Pacific) to train and educate officers working for theJapanese commercial fleet.”“If the countries make efforts todevelop high-quality seafarers, I
am sure that it will lead not only
to further developing the Philippine economy, but also to ensuring safety and protecting the natural environment at sea, to enlarging
the Japanese commercial fleet,” hesaid.
JSU’s Fujisawa gave a keynote
speech, which was warmly
received by the Filipino representatives.
“In anticipation of employment
insecurity as the global economic

stagnation has caused the downturn in the shipping market, weneed to put up an employment
safety net to protect Filipino seamen and their families,” Fujisawa
said.
“It is also necessary to establish
a Japan-Philippines information
connection center in preparation
for concentrating information thatcan contribute to improving seafarer quality, and ratify the ILO’s(International Labour Union) consolidated maritime labor convention as soon as possible to protect
seamen’s fundamental rights.”
After Fujisawa’s presentation, theInternational Mariners Management Association of Japan(IMMAJ), the JSU, the MLIT, theNational Institute for Sea Training,
and the Philippine-Japan Manning
Consultative Council (PJMCC) gavebriefings on their respective efforts
regarding training and educating

Beat theheat...
or elsePage 3seafarers.
During the discussion part of theforum, a participant suggested that
dialogue be maintained to continue the project.
To allow more students to gain
onboard training and education, it
was suggested that scholarship programs be upgraded and that
improvements in the software
aspect be made – such as enhancing education and training programs, and the quality of instructors. Also, improving hardware
aspects such as upgrading the quality of mercantile marine colleges
and training ships was suggested.
In conclusion, it was agreed
during the forum that in order toimprove the quality of Filipino
crewmembers, it would be essential to develop a system so that the
governments, labor and management can cooperate with eachother more closely and maintainan open dialogue.
It was then confirmed that aworking-level technical meeting
would be held in Manila on April
7, and the forum came to a close.

ITF holds Seafarers, Dockers, Fair Practice meetings

On March 16-20, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) convened meetings of its seafarers’
and dockers’ sections, its fair practice committee, as well as otherunits.
Present at the meetings representing the JSU were, among others, President Yoji Fujisawa, General Director Hideo Ikeda, ITF
Coordinator Shoji Yamashita and
Director Katsuji Taki.

Fernando M. Castro, JSU-PSU Liaison Officer (left) andJesson M. Rizala, JSU ISS

New JSU-PSU Liaison Officer
and ISS join JSU HQ
Last January, a Philippine
Seafarers’ Union (PSU) officer
joined the All Japan’s Seamen
Union (JSU) to work as a JSUPSU Liaison Officer, joining the
JSU-AMOSUP (Associated Marine Officers’ and Seamen’s
Union of the Philippines) Liaison Officer at the JSU’s headquarters.
Fernando M. Castro worked
at The Associated Labor UnionTrade Union Congress of thePhilippines (ALU-TUCP) since
1981, and was assigned to the
PSU after its founding in 1984.
He held several positions at the
PSU before his appointment
there as operations officer in1995.
Castro used to visit vessels
calling at Philippine ports that
had agreements with the PSU
to provide information on PSU

benefits and services. He also
visited various Philippine manning agencies whose vessels
were covered under the PSU to
conduct union briefings to PSU
members. Castro replaced former JSU-PSU Liaison Officer
Melchor Villanueva, whoworked for the JSU from July to
November 2007.
JSU ISS Jesson M. Rizala
joined the JSU on March 16.
Early in his career, he worked
aboard various merchant vessels as a licensed engineer andlater became an instructor atvarious maritime training centers.
He is also an accredited Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)
assessor in the maritime sector,
and has been for the past eight
years.

(1) Discussions on reviewing
the ITF FOC (Flag of Convenience) Campaign Policy from
Delhi to OsloIn accordance with an interim
report on reviewing Chapter 12 of
the ITF FOC Campaign Policy
from Delhi to Oslo, which stipulates the ITF’s FOC campaign
activities, discussions were heldon campaign and policy strategies.
During the meeting, it wasreported that some Japanese shipping companies have insisted on
applying the minimum wages set
forth by the ILO to crewmembers
working onboard ships deployed
for the Tangguh LNG Project inIndonesia, despite the fact thatthey benefit from the FOC ships.
To protect seafarers’ fundamental rights and labor conditions,many labor unions, including
those of countries that supply seamen, agreed on the necessity forfirmly maintaining the system
under which countries of shipowners that benefit from FOC vessels should be more responsible
than flag states.
As there are clearly anti-ITF
moves among Japanese shipowners, chairman Brian Orrell of theseafarers’ section confirmed thatJSU delegates headed by President Yoji Fujisawa (above
photo) during the ITF Seafarers’ Section Meeting, Dockers’
Section Meeting and Fair Practices Committee Meeting.

the maintenance of the system
was important.
When the FOC campaign policies were reviewed, it was confirmed that bilateral agreements
would be encouraged to produce
optimum results that could be realized for seafarers while prioritizing
negotiations under the system.
(2) About the requests submitted by unions for revisingthe 2010-2011 IBF Framework
TCC Agreement

After a report by the secretariat regarding demolitions,lay-ups and other developmentsin the shipping market, which
has been impacted by the global economic stagnation, requests submitted by unions forrevising the 2010-2011 IBF
Framework TCC Agreement
were discussed.
As for wage revisions, the meeting was divided into two groups –ITF meetings, See Page 4

MARITIME NEWS(2)

MARCH/APRIL 2009

Filipino cadets
join ‘Seiun Maru’39 from the MAAP join 115 Japanesecounterparts for 2 months on training vessel
BAYANI A. JABOLIJSU UNION OFFICER
On April 1, 39 Filipino cadetsfrom the Maritime Academy of Asiaand the Pacific (MAAP) boarded
M/V Seiun Maru in Tokyo, a dedicated training vessel belonging to
the National Institute for Sea Training (NIST) in Japan.
The Filipino cadets will train
onboard the vessel for two months,
along with 115 Japanese cadets.
Upon completion of the onboard

Japan giving
Malaysia $8 mil
in security aid
Japan is giving US$8 million in
aid to Malaysia to upgrade its maritime security equipment in theStraits of Malacca and territorial
waters.
About $2 million will be used toenhance the capacity of the Marine
Operations Force and around $6
million to boost the capabilities ofenforcement agencies in preventing smuggling and other illegal
activities.
The assistance will also strengthen Customs’ capability to conduct
regular and sustained sea patrols,
as well as special sea operations.
The foreign ministry’s secretarygeneral Tan Sri Rastam Mohd Isa
and Japanese ambassador to
Malaysia, Masahiko Horie, signed
the agreements relating to the aid.
The Japanese government had
been providing aid and loans in
the form of official development
assistance to Malaysia for many
years.
“The aid has helped the Malaysian government in implementing its national development plansand programs. Malaysia hopes thatJapan will continue to provide
assistance to Kuala Lumpur,” Rastam said.
Masahiko said about 14,000
Japanese ships transit though theStraits of Malacca each month,which mean that upgrading hydrographic surveys and wireless systems will be inevitable. (Source:
Marlink)

training, the MAAP cadets will
return to campus to complete theirmaritime courses before joining
merchant vessels of Japanese shipping companies.
This is the third group of Filipino
cadets from the MAAP to train
onboard M/V Seiun Maru.
This program is jointly sponsored by the All Japan Seamen’s
Union (JSU) and the International
Mariners Management Association
Training ship, See Page 4‘M/V Seiun Maru’ is owned by the National Institute for Sea Training.

Great Reef Barrier breach puts master in hot water
The master of a bulker thatsailed through parts of the Great
Barrier Reef without a pilot has
been convicted and fined in a
Queensland court.
On March 3, Cido Shipping Co.
Ltd.’s Hong Kong-registeredCharlotte Bulker, managed by
Sibamar Ship Management Pte

Ltd. of Singapore and operatedby Lauritzen Bulkers A/S, crossed
the Whitsundays Compulsory
Pilotage Area without a pilot andsailed outside the designatedshipping lane.
Chang Quan Xu, a 46-year-old
Chinese national, appeared in
Gladstone Magistrates Court toface charges brought by the Australian Federal Police (AFP)
under the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park Act 1975.
He was fined A$6,500 (US$4,430), against a possible individual penalty of A$11,000 or
A$55,000 under a corporate
penalty. Pilotage in the Great

Japan approves tonnage tax scheme for shipping firms
By reducing taxes, the system is expected to enhance the competitiveness of Japanese shipping industry
apan will apply the tonnage tax system to 10 domestic oceangoing shipping companies over five years fromfiscal 2009, which started in April. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport andTourism made the announcement March 24
after it approved earlier in the day the 10
shipping companies’ plans to increase
Japanese registered vessels and sailors.
The 10 companies include the nation’s
three biggest shipping firms – Nippon Yusen
Kabushiki Kaisha (NYK Line), Mitsui O.S.K.
Lines Ltd. (MOL) and Kawasaki Kisen KaishaLtd. (“K” Line).
The other companies are Asahi Shipping
Co. Ltd., Asahi Tanker Co. Ltd., Iino Kaiun
Kaisha Ltd. (Iino Lines), Sanko Steamship Co.
Ltd. (Sanko Line), Shinwa Kaiun Kaisha Ltd.,
Daiichi Chuo Kisen Kaisha and Nissho Shipping Co. Ltd.
According to the transport ministry, thetonnage tax system is already in place in 17
other countries. Greece, the Netherlands,
Norway, Germany, the United Kingdom,
Denmark, Finland, Ireland, France, Spain,
Belgium, the United States, South Korea,

J

Italy, India, Lithuania and Poland haveintroduced the system in that order.
The Japanese shipping industry has called
for an early application of the tonnage tax
system to ensure its international competitiveness. The system is expected to have theeffect of reducing taxes on shipping firms.
Japan’s parliament revised the Marine
Transportation Law last year to allow thegovernment to apply the tonnage tax system to domestic oceangoing shipping firms
if they submit plans containing numericaltargets for increasing Japanese-registered
vessels and sailors and get the transportministry’s approval for their plans.
The ministry wants to boost the numberof Japanese registered vessels and sailors inorder to ensure stable transportation ofminimum necessary amounts of goods
even in emergencies, such as large-scale
natural disasters, terrorist acts and political
upheavals, in the home countries of foreign
sailors.
The number of cheaper foreign sailors on
ships operated by Japanese firms is continuing to rise amid increasingly tough interna-

tional competition in the maritime industry.
At present, foreign sailors account for 97
percent of all seamen on vessels operated
by Japanese oceangoing shipping firms.
The number of Japanese sailors has
declined to below 3,000. In addition, of
about 2,000 vessels currently operated by
Japanese oceangoing shipping firms, fewer
than 100 are Japanese-registered.
The 10 shipping firms that will be allowed to pay tonnage taxes plan to morethan double the total number of their Japanese-registered ships to 160 within the next
five years from the current 76 ships.
These figures include not only ships the
10 firms own alone, but also vessels theyown jointly with other domestic firms thatwill not be required to pay tonnage taxes.
The number of these jointly owned ships
has been calculated in accordance with the
10 firms’ ownership ratios.
The 10 shipping firms also plan to increase the total number of their Japanese
seafarers to 1,138 within the next five years
from the current 1,050. (Source: Journal ofCommerce)

South African company offers ships security against piracy
A South African security company is to provide its services to ships
operating in the Gulf of Aden, aPretoria seminar was told recently.
SecuroQuest is made up of former special forces and jet fighter
pilots. The company is expected to
be based in Egypt and will joinships sailing from the northern
entrance of the Suez Canal as far as

Barrier Reef Marine Park is compulsory for vessels over 70
meters.
The AFP said the principal
risks of not having a pilot onboard relate to the potential forship grounding, ship collisionand chemical and oil pollution.
(Source: Fairplay)

Oman.
Guards placed on vessels – with
combat experience in Africa andthe Middle East – will be armed orunarmed, depending on theirclients’ wishes.
At least two leading shipping
companies have expressed interestin engaging the services of SecuroQuest, which chief executive offi-

cer Schalk Fourie described as
being unique in being able tointroduce a hands-on experienceof African ideology and thinking to
the challenges faced by shippinglines from Somali-based pirates.
“We’re able to bring first worldtechnology and methodology towhat is a third world pirate environment, which requires a thor-

ough knowledge of how thepirates think and act,” Fourie said.
“This will not be a gunslinger
cowboy approach to a serious
international problem, but a proactive response aimed at preventing
pirates from getting on board merchant ships sailing from the Suez
through the Red and Arabian seas.”(Source: Tradewinds Today)‘Nautilus’ engineer guilty
The former chief engineer on the
Cypriot-flag chemical tanker Nautilus, operated by Spain-based Consultores de Navegacion S.A., pleaded guilty to using falsified records
to conceal improper discharges ofoil-contaminated bilge water. The
U.S. Justice Department said that
Carmelo Oria, a Spanish citizen,
faces up to six years imprisonment
and a US$250,000 fine.

SEAFARERS’ CORNER

MARCH/APRIL 2009

(3)

Things to be aware of in preventing and countering heatstroke
What is heatstroke?
Heatstroke is a condition inwhich the body becomes overheated in a relatively short amount oftime. This can be a life-threatening
condition, requiring urgent medical
attention.
Abnormally high body temperatures (hyperthermia) may occur inseveral different circumstances,such as:• Classic heatstroke (also calledsunstroke, which is a little misleading because the condition can arise
without the direct effect of the sun)is when, typically, the skin isflushed, red and dry• Heatstroke caused by exertion,
which often occurs in conjunction
with pronounced physical exertion,e.g. sports activity• In extensive burns (including
sunburn), where the sweat glands
have been damaged or destroyed• In a number of less common
medical conditions, such as overactivity of the thyroid gland (thyrotoxicosis)
When can heatstroke occur?
Heatstroke occurs when the
body cannot dispose of excess heatin the normal way. Heatstroke andfever can be distinguished as follows:• A fever is where the body’s
mechanism for regulating temperature is functioning but set at a higher level. The patient is, typically,
flushed and bathed in sweat• Primary hyperthermia (e.g.
heatstroke) is where temperature
regulation is either partially or totally out of action. The patient often
sweats only a little or not at all andthe skin is flushed red, hot and dry
What puts the traveler at risk of suffering heatstroke?
• Surroundings with high temperature, high humidity and strong
sunlight (typically in the tropics)• Too much physical exertion(e.g. sports), particularly in theabove conditions, extensive sunburn, particularly in a hot andhumid climates• Lack of fluids/salt in hot (particularly tropical) surroundings; andexcessive alcohol consumption
under the same conditions
What can you do to help yourself?
• It is important to get used tothe heat and humidity slowly, particularly before physical exertion.
This acclimatization to the tropics
can typically take one to three
weeks• Make sure you drink plenty ofsalty liquids (at least 3 to 5 liters aday, but not alcohol). In very hot
conditions you may need to drink
much more and a good tip is tostart the day by drinking at least
two liters• Make sure you supplement
your salt intake (for example byeating chips and/or taking salt
tablets)• Wear light, airy, loose-fitting
clothing (light cotton)• Be careful if you undertake
any hard physical exertion, particularly if your fluid/salt intake is low• Stay in the shade or, if possible, in an air-conditioned environment• Take frequent dips in coolwater (sea or pool), particularly if
you are sunbathing a lot
When does heatstroke become critical?
• It becomes critical when yourbody temperature reaches around41 degrees Celsius (measured in
the rectum)• You feel increasingly unwell,
tired and dizzy, and your head may
hurt and you may feel “distant”• If your skin becomes flushed
red and dry (e.g. perspiration is
reduced or not functioning)• You produce less urine,
which is of a dark yellowish
color (which indicates a shortageof fluid)• You become less alert, witha tendency to faint, and experience confusion, impairment orloss of consciousness and convulsions• At temperatures above 42
degrees Celsius the situation
starts to be serious. Cell damage
to the brain, liver, kidneys andskeletal muscle can occur, in
addition to bleeding disorders
Countering a heatstroke
If a person suffers from heatstroke, it is important to put him or
her in the shade and preferably in acool environment (ideally an airconditioned room at a temperatureof 15 degrees Celsius to 18 degrees
Celsius).

The patient should be undressed
and made to lie naked, or covered
only by a thin sheet.
If the patient’s temperaturerises to 39.5 degrees Celsius, andthe skin is still dry and burning
hot (or with only very slightsweating) he or she should beshowered with cool water (15degrees Celsius to 18 degrees
Celsius).
You can also put the person ina bath of cool water while massaging the skin to increase circulation. Another possibility is tocover the patient with wet sheetsor towels, changing them often,
preferably in combination with anelectric fan, or something similar
to bring the temperature down
further.
Do not use water cooler than 15
degrees Celsius because this will
restrict heat loss as the blood vessels in the skin will contract.
If possible, the patient should betaken to a doctor, or better still a
hospital, as soon as possible. A
person with heatstroke often needs
oxygen, a drip (fluid infusion intoa vein) and sometimes medication.
(Source: Men’s Health)

VOICES from SEAFARERS

JOKE CORNER
Seaman’s Confession

Capt. Ray Luis Capalaran and crewof M/V TRANS LEADER
Capt. Jesus De Isidro and crew of M/V CAPE HOPE
We are grateful for JSU union officers having taken time to visit us
onboard, and giving us the latest information on the shipping industry. The
shipping crisis is now picking up momentum as more vessels are laid up or
its operations halted, and the JSU is doing its part to try to alleviate theeffect of the crisis among seafarers; this has helped to lift our spirits. We
hope that you will continue with your support and visits to all your member
vessels, and provide us with the latest updates in shipping.

Free e-mail access is one of the services we need help in availing so that
we can keep in constant touch with our family back home. Thank you foryour support.

A married seaman goesto confessional and tells thepriest,“I almost had an affair
with a woman.”
The priest asks,“What doyou mean, almost?”“Well, we got undressed
and rubbed together, butthen I stopped.”
The priest replies, “Rubbing together is the same as
putting it in. You’re not togo near that woman again.
Now, say five Hail Mary’s
and put $50 in the poorbox.”
The seaman leaves confessional, says his prayers,
and then walks over to thepoor box. He pauses for a
moment and then starts toleave.
The priest quickly runs
over to him and says,“I saw
that. You didn’t put any
money in the poor box!””Well, Father, I rubbed up
against it and you said it was
the same as putting it in.”By Union Officer
Eduardo E. Galang

Capt. Mario R. Ladra and crew of M/V GLOBAL PRESTIGE

Crew of M/V ATLANTIC ACE with union officer Eduardo Galang
We would like to thank the JSU for its support of member-seafarers.
Please continue the ship visitations.

I am proud to be a member of the JSU and am fully satisfied with theservices that they are providing for its members. For those ratings who
cannot take the board exam and are being left behind without getting
their dream positions, I hope your interest to become officers will continue with the implementation of the walk-in exam being offeredthrough funding by the JSU.

The good seaman weathers
the storm he cannot avoid,and avoids the storm he cannot weather.
– Proverb –ADVISORIES/WARNINGS(4)

Seaway notice:max. allowable draft
From Montreal to Lake
Ontario, the maximum allowable draft will be 80.8 dm,
subject to favorable water elevations (effec. March 31). This
increase applies to all vessels.
Mariners are reminded that forships loaded to a draft greaterthan 80.0 dm, speeds will bemonitored carefully between
St. Lambert Lock and St. Nicolas Island. (Source: Marlink)

Best defense
against pirates
Our members’ ships have been
affected by pirate attacks on bothwest and east coasts of Africa.
As such, experience gained fromthe significantly increased pirate
attacks on merchant ships in the
Gulf of Aden and off the coast ofSomalia has identified some effective precautions that crews andowners can take to protect themselves.
First, before transiting the Gulfof Aden, register the ship withMaritime Security Centre – Horn ofAfrica (MSCHOA) as well as the
position, speed and course of thevessel with U.K. Maritime Trade
Office Dubai (UKMTO) wellbefore arrival at the transit corridor. To register see details below:

Caution urged at Mexican ports
Mariners venturing ashore at
Mexican ports are being urged totake special care because drugrelated violence is escalating.
Most attacks on foreigners
have occurred in areas bordering
the United States, but an intelligence analyst in Washington told
Fairplay that ports also pose a
special danger: “Drug dealers in
Mexico operate both in the border area and near ports where

illicit drug shipments often comeashore in smaller craft.”
He urged mariners to travel
ashore in groups, avoid “dangerous” areas of towns, stay alert tothreats and remain in contact
with the ship or its agent. He
also suggests that seafarers establish a “duress code” to use on
the phone when in the presenceof potential criminals.
These recommendations are

similar to warnings issued today
by the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to truckers
who venture across the U.S.
Mexico border to make pickups
or deliveries.
Since 2004, more than 200
Americans have been killed inviolence spurred by warring drug
cartels fighting each other andthe government. (Source: Fairplay)

U.S., Canada plan pollution control zones
To require use of low-sulfur
fuel within 200 miles
The United States and Canada
plan to establish new pollutioncontrol zones for ports along theircoasts, a policy that would force
domestic and foreign ships alike tocurb emissions linked to thousands of illnesses and premature
deaths each year.
The restrictions announced by
the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) outlined in arequest to the International Maritime Organization, will requirelarge vessels such as oil tankers,
cruise ships and cargo ships toeither use low-sulfur fuel or new
technology to ensure that theyemit less sulfur dioxide, nitrogenoxide and soot while within 200
nautical miles of the lower 48
states. It would also apply to theseven populated Hawaiian Islands
and one uninhabited nature preserve, Kahoolawe, as well as toAnchorage.
The EPA said creation of this“emissions control area” will save
as many as 8,300 American andCanadian lives every year by 2020and protect Americans living as far
inland as Kansas.
“This is an important – and long
overdue – step in our efforts toprotect the air and water along ourshores, and the health of the people in our coastal communities,”
said EPA Administrator Lisa P.
Jackson in Port Newark, N.J., with
Coast Guard and state officials.
The International Maritime Organization – a United Nations bodythat oversees air pollution andother policies for oceangoing vessels – approved the concept ofemission control areas in October,and the announcement represents
the strongest interpretation possible under that law.
Under the proposal ships mustuse fuel with no more than 1,000
parts per million of sulfur beginning in 2015. (Source: Washington
Post / March 31, 2009)

MSCHOA – Via Web site forreporting: www.mschoa.org; tel:+44 (0) 1923 958545; fax: +44 (0)1923 958520; Email: postmaster@mschoa.org
UKMTO – Email: UKMTO@
eim.ae; tel: +971 50 552 3215; fax:
+971 4 306 5710; telex: (51)210473It appears so far that none ofthose ships that have taken boththese precautions have beenhijacked. However, still less than 40
percent of ships transiting the area
register with the security center.
Some common vulnerabilities
have been identified from analysis
of successful attacks made against
ships. These are frequently exploited by pirates:• Low speed – to date no successful attacks have occurred on
ships at 15 knots or more
• Low freeboard• Inadequate planning and procedures• Visibly low state of alert orevident self protective measures –vigilance should be highest atdawn and dusk, when the majority
of attacks have taken place• Slow response by the ship –the majority of attempted hijacks
have been repelled by those ships’
crews who have planned andtrained in advance of the passage
and employed passive countermeasures to good effectAttacks have been successfully
undertaken at a greater range fromthe shore using a pirate “mothership,” a larger ship carrying personnel, equipment and smaller
assault craft. Commonly two or
more small high-speed (up to 25
knots) open boats or “skiffs” areused in attacks often approachingfrom the port quarter and stern.
(Source: UK P&I Club)MARCH/APRIL 2009

Tossing sends
wrong signal
Crying wolf in this case translates to “beacon overboard” –and paying a fine of US$5,500
for “falsely activating an emergency position indicating radio
beacon (EPIRB),” as the Federal
Communications Commission(FCC) termed it.
The owner of Honolulu fishing vessel Princess K had
acquired a new digital EPIRB ayear ago. He placed the old unit
in a plastic bag and – once
under way – told a crewman to“take care of it.” He tossed it
overboard.
But that activated the unit andtriggered “transmission of false
distress communications” – anda Coast Guard search that costmore than $35,000 in aircraft
time alone.
The FCC originally demandedthat the owner pay an $8,000
fine, but the agency reduced thefine and reminded vessel owners that they are “responsible forthe actions of their employees.”(Source: Fairplay)

ITF: JSU urges
employment safety
net for seafarers
From Page 1

Programs such as these are intended to increase the number of future marine officers
who will man Japanese-owned vessels.

Training ship: To benefit Japan, Philippine maritime industries
From Page 2of Japan (IMMAJ), in cooperation with the AssociatedMarine Officers’ and Seamen’
Union of the Philippines(AMOSUP), which manages the
MAAP.
The shortage of marine officers
is still a concern to the JSU andJapanese shipping companies.
Therefore, programs such asthese are intended to increase thenumber of future marine officers

who will man Japanese-owned
vessels.
Guests who attended the“embarkation ceremony” included Hideo Ikeda, General Directorof International Affairs Bureau of
the JSU; Vice Adm. Eduardo Ma.
Santos AFP (Ret), MAAP President; Takao Manji, Chairman of
the IMMAJ; Capt. Yoshinari
Okano, President of NIST, as wellas Japanese officers and instructors of the M/V Seiun Maru.
Santos emphasized the signifi-

cance of this training, sayingthat it will be beneficial to future
officers of the maritime industryof both Japan and the Philippines.
Meanwhile, Ikeda encouraged
the Japanese cadets to emulate
the positive attitudes of the Filipino cadets, while advising all
trainees to learn from eachother’s respective cultures.
The cadets will disembark at
the Port of Kobe at the end of
two months’ training.

one demanding further wage
hikes in relation to officers’ wages
and the other insisting that
employment be secured for seamen who are affected by thescrapping and laying up of ships.
Meanwhile, the JSU asked themeeting to consider the fact thatJapan’s Big Three shipping companies – Nippon Yusen Kaisha(NYK), Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL)
and Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (“K”
Line) – have unveiled plans to
reduce their fleets of charteredships by 5 percent to 10 percent.
The JSU added that the government of the Philippines’ Overseas
Workers Welfare Administrations(OWWA) should take the initiativein setting an employment safety
net for Filipino seamen.
In terms of International Bargaining Forum (IBF) negotiations,the meeting decided to request
the wage hikes and the application of disability compensation
payments for those who suffer
lifetime injuries during their period of employment. In the end, it
was decided to make all requests
with no cost issues.

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.