Opening address by the Secretary-General
Safety of small fishing vessels - work begins to develop standards
The development of safety standards for small fishing vessels was initiated at the Sub-Committee on Stability and Load Lines and on Fishing Vessels Safety when it met for its 48th session.
The proposed safety standards would complement the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)/International Labour Organization (ILO)/IMO Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels, 2005, and the Voluntary Guidelines for the Design, Construction and Equipment of Small Fishing Vessels, 2005 which were approved by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) at its 79th session in December 2004 and subsequently approved by the FAO and ILO. Part B of the Code of Safety for Fishermen and Fishing Vessels applies to vessels of 24 metres in length and over while the Voluntary Guidelines apply to decked fishing vessels of 12 m in length and over but less than 24 m in length.
Commercial fishing is one of the most hazardous occupations in the world and it has been estimated by ILO, and reported by FAO, that the fishing industry suffers in excess of 24,000 fatalities per year and that the large majority of them occur on small fishing vessels. Currently, there are no international safety standards in place for decked fishing vessels of less than 12 m in length and undecked fishing vessels of any size and in many countries, national regulations, guidelines or standards for small fishing vessels are either non-existent or inappropriate.
The proposed standards for fishing vessels below 12 m in length and undecked fishing vessels of any size would address the safety concerns specific to these vessels. It is anticipated that the standards would primarily be used by the relevant competent authorities to upgrade their national laws and regulations.
The Sub-Committee noted that, in some countries, the safety of small fishing vessels is delegated to bodies other than the maritime authority, such as the ministries of fisheries or agriculture, and recommended that Member States ensure the involvement of all appropriate bodies concerned with fishing vessel safety in the development of the new standards.
The work will be continued at the next session of the SLF Sub-Committee. Meanwhile, a correspondence group has been tasked with examining existing regional and national safety standards for small fishing vessels and developing a consolidated draft text of the safety standards for small fishing vessels covering decked fishing vessels of less than 12 m in length and undecked fishing vessels of any length, for consideration at the next session.
Development
of explanatory notes for the revised SOLAS chapter II-1
The Sub-Committee progressed the development of explanatory notes on the application
of the provisions in the revised SOLAS chapter II-1 (which was adopted by the
MSC in May 2005). The revision of SOLAS chapter II-1 harmonizes the provisions
on subdivision and damage stability for passenger and cargo ships. The revised
provisions in parts A, B and B-1 will be applicable to new ships built after
the expected entry into force date of 1 January 2009.
The amendments, which have been intensively developed over the past decade,
are based on the "probabilistic" method of determining damage stability,
which is itself based on the detailed study of data collected by IMO relating
to collisions. Because it is based on statistical evidence concerning what actually
happens when ships collide, the probabilistic concept is believed to be far
more realistic than the previously-used "deterministic" method.
The development
of the explanatory notes will be further advanced intersessionally by a correspondence
group with a view to finalizing Interim Explanatory Notes at SLF 49.
Review of the
Intact Stability Code
The Sub-Committee continued its comprehensive review of the Code on Intact Stability
for all Types of Ships covered by IMO Instruments. The Code was adopted in 1993
by resolution A.749 and later amended by the MSC in 1998. The review will, in
the short term, allow for the development of amendments to the Code to bring
it up to date and, in the long term, allow for the preparation of performance-based
stability criteria to replace the existing prescriptive provisions.
The Intact
Stability Correspondence Group was reinstated to review the text of the draft
revised Code and to report to SLF 49. The Correspondence Group is also tasked
with preparing a draft revised text of MSC/Circ.707 on Guidance to the master
for avoiding dangerous situations in following and quartering seas.
Review of the
OSV guidelines
The Sub-Committee finalised the revised Guidelines for the Design and Construction
of Offshore Supply Vessels (originally adopted by resolution A.469(XII)) and
forwarded the proposed text to the Dangerous Goods, Solid Cargoes and Containers
(DSC) Sub Committee for finalization and submission to the MSC for adoption.
Review of the
LHNS Guidelines
The review of the Guidelines for the transport and handling of limited amounts
of hazardous and noxious liquid substances in bulk on offshore support vessels
(previously (resolution A.673(16)) was also finalized and forwarded to the DSC
Sub-Committee for finalization and submission to the MSC and Marine Environment
Protection Committee (MEPC) for adoption, taking into account the comments by
the BLG Sub-Committee.
Passenger ship
safety
Issues relating to the holistic overview of passenger ship safety were reviewed
by the working group on subdivision and damage stability. The guiding philosophy
for the work on passenger ship safety is based on the premise that the regulatory
framework should place more emphasis on the prevention of a casualty from occurring
in the first place and that future passenger ships should be designed for improved
survivability so that, in the event of a casualty, persons can stay safely on
board as the ship proceeds to port.
In relation to the work on Casualty threshold for return to port and casualty
scenario for the time for orderly evacuation and abandonment, the Sub Committee
endorsed the group's recommendation to develop mandatory requirements for water
ingress detection and continuous flooding level monitoring systems, taking into
account best industry practice, with a view to providing the master with real
time information on the progression of flooding.
The Sub-Committee agreed modifications to the draft amendments to SOLAS chapter
II-2 on the functional requirements for safe areas, to include flooding issues.
It was also agreed that references to flooding detection systems, if installed,
as well as bilge systems, should be included in the draft performance standards
for essential systems and equipment on passenger ships for safe return to port
after a casualty, which were developed by the Sub-Committee on Ship Design and
Equipment (DE).
The work on reviewing passenger ship safety was initiated by the MSC in 2000 with various tasks assigned
to the different Sub-Committees.
A correspondence
group was established to develop criteria for safe return to port, either under
own power or under tow, and to prepare mandatory requirements for water ingress
detection and flooding level monitoring systems, ahead of the next SLF Sub-Committee
session.
Harmonization
of the damage stability provisions in all IMO instruments
Work continued on harmonizing damage stability provisions in all IMO instruments
with further development to be made intersessionally by the correspondence group.
Revision of
the technical regulations of the 1966 LL Convention
The Sub-Committee agreed draft amendments to Annex B to the 1988 LL Protocol,
relating to regulations 22(4), to correct a paragraph reference, and 39(1) relating
to the depth in the bow height formula, for submission to MSC 81 in mid-2006
for approval, with a view to adoption at MSC 82.
Review of the
2000 HSC Code
The Sub-Committee agreed proposed amendments to the 2000 International Code
of Safety for High-Speed Craft (2000 HSC Code), relating to buoyancy, stability
and subdivision; remote control, alarm and safety systems; stability of multihull
craft; and stability of monohull craft. It forwarded them to the DE Sub-Committee
which is co-ordinating the HSC Code review.
Tonnage measurement
of open-top containerships
The Sub-Committee agreed to amend the provisional formulae for reduced gross
tonnage (GT) for open-top containerships prescribed in TM.5/Circ.4, which was
issued in 1993, to give a preliminary IMO formula to be used for the calculation
of gross tonnage for open-top containerships of up to 30,000 gross tonnage,
under the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969. The
Sub-Committee noted submissions stating the formula needed amending to allow
for open top containerships without defining a limitation in size. It was agreed
that a Correspondence Group should prepare a revised TM.5 circular to include
amended formulae.
Safety aspects
of ballast water management
The Sub-Committee agreed to recommend to the MSC that no transitory deviation
from safety standards should be permitted during ballast water exchange and
invited the MEPC to note the Sub-Committee's recommendation.
The recommendation
followed a request by the MEPC to confirm the acceptability (or otherwise) of
transitory non-compliance with safety regulations when conducting ballast water
exchange.
