GANGWAY
EDITION 26
Welcome
The past month has been probably one of the busiest
on the maritime calendar for a while. There has been
a flurry of activity, a slew of conferences and everyone
Thriller in Manila
rushing around to get everything boxed off before the
Christmas silly season begins. Shiptalk attended the
12th Lloyd’s List Asia-Pacific Manning and Training
Conference in Manila and it was wonderful to see so The “12th Asia-Pacific Manning
many friends and clients there, as well as meeting new and Training Conference” (or
ones.
“ASPACMTC” as it is more snappily
It’s been a hectic time for everyone....aside perhaps known) was held at the Hotel Sofitel
from the Somali pirates that is. Thankfully they have Philippine Plaza in Manila last
been surprisingly quiet. Now we aren’t suggesting
for a moment that they have suddenly found gainful month, with some 350 participants
employment elsewhere, but there is a strong hint that from over 22 countries attending.
the combined efforts of the UN, IMO, governments,
navies, shipowners and seafarers are having some
positive effect. Amongst the gathered throng were big hitters from the Philippines,
Asia and indeed the world – as the conference really is a major high
As the monsoon dropped away there was a real fear point of the maritime calendar.
that a “perfect storm” of piracy was set to be unleashed.
Thankfully up to now that has not been the case and
with a fair wind still in its sails, the shipping industry has Speakers and guests included Peter Hinchliffe of International
been making real progress in the fight against piracy. Chamber of Shipping and International Shipping Federation, Neil
There have been a number of positive developments Frank Ferrer, of the International Maritime Organization (IMO),
which are giving hope to many that the tide is turning in Alastair Evitt and Kuba Szymanski - InterManager, Giles Heimann
favour of shipping. - IMEC and ‘Save Our Seafarers’ Campaign; Capt. Elwert,- Thome;
With governments now beginning to countenance the Arvind Sharma, - Bernhard Schulte Ship Management; Simon Frank
use of armed guards, there have also been a number of - Wallem Ship Management, Ms. Doris Magsaysay Ho of Magsaysay
successful military interventions – all of which paint a Group of Companies; and many, many more, including our very own
slightly healthier picture than in previous times.
Anneley Pickles.
It seems, according to the International Maritime Bureau
(IMB), that attacks are at an all time high, but that fewer The assorted manning and training experts presented papers and
vessels are being taken. This
suggests that we are perhaps presided over workshops as the gathered masses wrestled with the
finally beginning to stem the “real problems in the industry”.
waves of violence at sea, but
that the waves of pirates are
still being attracted to sea, it is There has been a dark, menacing pall hanging over Manila of late, and
clear there is still much to be more particularly the Philippine manning pool...and we don’t mean
concerned about. another Typhoon brewing. As the European Union has stroked its
Anneley Pickles collective beard about the standards of Filipino training and seafarers
Managing Director Shiptalk Recruitment Ltd
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
there are enormous concerns about just how the industry can raise the training standards and competence of
Filipino seafarers and of how the of impact of Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) 2010
on leadership and management training can be assessed.
Also with issues such as ECDIS and simulation rearing up as well as the human cost of ‘piracy’, and the latest
developments in the assessment and maintenance of maritime education and training standards in the Philippines,
there was much ground to cover.
While the ravages of jet lag can take their toll at such global gatherings, it was once more unto the breach for the
delegates fuelled by coffee and pastries...
The biggest single issue which united all is the issue of the human costs of piracy. With firsthand accounts of the
violence faced by so many seafarers and the terrible tales of the problems even once freed from harm, the conference
brought the pain and suffering into sharp focus. There is progress being made, there are battles being won against
pirates – but when one hears of the true effect of the violence, the fear and the suffering it is clear there is a long way
to go. We will look at piracy in more depth through this issue of Gangway, but it shaped much of the debate within
the event and must surely too, shape much of the thinking outside of the conference.
Aside from the evils of piracy, one of the major concerns is the fear that maritime training is on something of a
slippery slope. For all the investments in technology, for all the rules and regulations, there is a concern that too
many people pushed through the system are not up to the standards required. There is a delivery gap – many of the
new officers delivered into the system are not up to the tasks expected of them.
For some, the end users of the manning supply, the event was a chance to ask pointed questions, for the suppliers
much of the focus was on reassurance, with the Government of the Philippines quick to address the challenges,
while stressing the opportunities. They also emphasised the engagement they are looking to have with the end-users,
and in response to the European concerns have entered dialogue to find out how best to move forward.
While the IMO was quick to try and dispel the concerns that many have of the EU pulling the plug on Filipino
seafarers, it may turn out to be an idle threat – the Philippines is no Georgia, as it was stressed – there is still work
ahead to control, to police and to raise the standards of training in the country and within the global supply of
seafarers.
Doris Magsaysay Ho stressed the need for a competent and committed workforce, and reminded all that this won’t
just happen. There needs to be planning to ensure the future supply, and we need to act now to forge sustainable
levels of crew with roadmaps for the future.
How could this be done? Well Doris suggested that live data statistics would give training colleges the know-how
on what shortages are, and allow them to tailor solutions. There is no point just churning people out if they are the
wrong people.
At the moment though, it seems the lag between supply and demand is a key concern – the training centres are
reactive to market forces, but these are delayed. What was needed a couple of years ago may not be the focus today.
But how can this be reconciled?
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Well according to Magsaysay, and they are the big boys, the jobs of crewing managers have evolved and need to even
further – performance needs to be linked to set KPI’s with a means to evaluate the process throughout.
In summing up Doris reminded all of the “power of happy”...and warned against underestimating non-monetary
benefits. A happy crew is a better crew...with satisfied, motivated and engaged people there is a chance to build.
Satisfaction and a desire to be at sea is the foundation onto which the other elements can be built.
People who want to leave, who cannot see a future and who are fundamentally unhappy with their lot can be a
problem. But the emphasis rests with the industry to fix the smiles...are we up to the task?
With shipping in the grip of a sustained and global recession, fighting the scourges of piracy, defending the unjust
criminalisation of seafarers and perceived as the ‘invisible industry to anyone outside its own ranks there are natural
problems recruiting and retaining personnel of the highest professional integrity and ability.
We have stumbled across the problems of the mythical maritime “through life career”, “career path” and “career
ladder” before – and the truth is that they simply do not seem to exist outside the tried, tested and well worn journey
up the shipboard ranks.
For us at Shiptalk the biggest problem is the lack of a clearly defined and recognised parallel career ashore. Rather
counter intuitively, we actually think people would stay at sea longer if they felt more confident that they could move
ashore when they actually wanted to, rather than being forced to jump whenever there is a whiff of opportunity.
In essence because of the lack of a “maritime careers” structure, we are creating “career chaos” as the brightest young
officers become concerned that if they don’t move whenever there is a chance, they fear they could be trapped
working at sea forever. The rungs on the shipboard career structure are extremely well defined, but there is no
equivalent ashore – and this creates real problems for seafarers in their understanding of what options exist, how
often they come about and of how best to pursue them.
Mind you, the problems do not just relate to the lack of a formal system. There are issues regarding how people are
prepared for the wider world of work. The modern mariner wants options, but is ill equipped to deal with how best
to find out what is on offer and then often unprepared as to how to take advantage of them.
We have talked a lot about the poor ways in which seafarers often present themselves to employers. From the ill
advised applications, the dreadful CVs, the spelling mistakes, and on occasion even turning to aggression and
arrogance...these are all issues which need addressing urgently.
There is a wider problem too as seafarers are often surprised to find out that getting a job ashore is not about simply
time served, it is about “winning” the job. In a seagoing career, if you have a couple of years experience in rank, then
you are “ready” and you will be expected to move up the ladder to the next level.
Ashore it is subtly different – experience does play a role, but it is far less structured and simply attaching pages from
a discharge book does not provide the evidence of skill, knowledge and suitability.
So we can see that there are in essence two sides to the story – there are employers who do not have the knowledge
of seafarers and their skill-sets to be able to tap into this valuable resource. Then there are seafarers who do not
seemingly understand how to “sell” their skills, all in all, we have a vague, disjointed and imperfect system. All in all
it’s a mess...so...do you have any questions?
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Supplies Surprise
Much of the conference talk surrounded the issues of
recruitment and retention…not unsurprisingly, given
the title of the conference, “Recruitment, Training and
Retaining Competent Seafarers: Strategies for the future”.
There has been utter confusion about the levels of
recruitment in the industry – some say it’s all fine, while
other state we are just about keeping our (metaphorical)
heads above water. So what is the truth?
InterManager made a very good, sensible point as “you cannot have a shortage when people are looking for jobs”.
If people are scrambling to get themselves recruited can there be a shortage of people? Well, before we pop the
Champagne corks – it does depend on where the job applicants come from. If we are back into the poaching game, then
no, we don’t have enough people. If however they are genuine new entrants seeking works, then perhaps we do have the
people but maybe we aren’t managing them in the right ways.
It seems that at the “top of the food chain” there isn’t a perceived problem – they simply “rob Peter to pay Paul”…
poaching from lower down to support their own needs. That sounds fairly concerning and wholly unsustainable!
There was much concern about the potential levels of wastage. There is no formal maritime industry system to push
people through the training and through into a career, so what can we do? There is almost a complete disconnect
between the various stages of a career – the people who make it to the higher echelons of the industry do it almost by
accident. They take their chances, plotting their own course and hoping for the best.
For every Master and Chief, for every maritime lawyer or P&I Executive with a ticket, there are hundreds of former
seafarers who simply got lost along the way. Such wastage puts immense pressure on the overall system which should
be designed to provide a streamlined flow of fresh talent into the industry and which keeps them there.
Despite the evidence to the contrary there are still those who refuse to see there is a problem. According to them,
supply equals demand. Yet listening to the debate elsewhere, poaching is still being seen as a massive problem. This is
a dichotomy which makes no sense. You don’t have to be Dr Spock, to know that it seems illogical, and the spluttering
stream of new talent is not sustainable. To us it seems the manning side of the shipping industry is eating itself.
Recruitment and retention are two sides of the same coin, you cannot divorce them. Where there are problems with
retention, then allied with the growth of new builds and increasing demand, then there are clearly problems ahead. The
shipping industry is confident that it will soon ride out the financial storms, and that when global trade picks up, we
will be ready to, erm, pick it up. But not without the people who make the maritime magic happen.
There is a real danger that owners, flag States and training centres become the three wise monkeys of shipping…seeing,
hearing and saying nothing while the system collapses around us.
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Image Issues
One of the major problems repeatedly identified at the So what is our corporate “identity” –this is rooted in
conference was the image of shipping. our unique characteristics, which in turn are rooted in
the ways in which our constituent parties behave. So
Peter Hinchliffe of the International Chamber of the issue here would be of how seafarers think, feel and
Shipping and International Shipping Federation was perceive the industry to be.
quite candid and said, “We need to show a positive
image. We need to stop talking about the bad images Image is something else – this is the projection of
so that things can change. “ various elements. It brings together how we behave,
how we communicate and the symbols of our industry.
This is a very interesting point –and actually puts Together these combine and project out as an “image”.
into sharp focus the competing issues of “image”,
“reputation” and the ways in which we communicate The speakers blamed our poor image on the difficulties
them. of getting coverage in the mainstream media, and of
the lack of positive stories reported. While others felt
The identity of shipping as an industry has always been that the regulators needed to drive the change so that
a rather touchy subject – it is almost too vast to catch the public know the importance of shipping/ships.
all the elements, and for every blue chip, blue ship,
there are hundreds of “bad” owners simply chasing a Many seem to think our image is held back by others.
quick buck while not giving a f...fig. However, it seems that sadly, if shipping has a poor
image, then we are looking the wrong way to point the
finger of blame.
Image is the “sum of the stories people tell about
you”. The poor image of shipping is based on the bad
behaviour of some owners; it is based on the lack of
clear communication from the good and the symbols
of kidnapped seafarers, oiled beaches and old rusty
ships. Change these, and we can change our image...
Though even that will only get us so far. We can do all
kinds of wonderful things to slowly over time change
the image of shipping, but that is only part of the story.
We still can do little to alter reputation.
Reputation is another side of the “Image triangle” –
ultimately you cannot manufacture your reputation, it
has to be founded on truth and reality. We can’t force
it; we can only take a long hard look and do the right
things. Then one day, maybe, just maybe we will have
an identity, an image and a reputation of which we can
be rightly proud.
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Communication Key
The debate about the image of shipping rolled on for quite some time, and Tom Leander, Lloyd’s List Editor in
Chief Asia, was on hand to explain some harsh home truths about the role and importance of communication.
If we are not communicating effectively, then we are not reaching out...and we can perhaps see how that causes
concerns for those who don’t know or perhaps understand shipping.
As has been mentioned elsewhere, mention “communications” in regards to shipping and some people think you
are talking GMDSS and satellite bandwidth. But no, we are talking about the fact that shipping does not engage
with the people it should engage with.
This is because shipping fundamentally does not understand “public relations”...and the fact that this is more,
much, much more than simply managing the media. This is about understanding who affects us, and who we
affect. How the relationships work and of how we can then enter into two-way dialogue with them.
What do seafarers, the public, consumers, voters, the navy, politicians, bankers, industrialists, environmentalists,
etc, etc, etc want to speak with the shipping industry about? We need to ask the questions, and we need to listen to
the answers.
Shipping is such a fragmented industry – it is a hydra with many,
many heads. Some of which are hell bent on biting itself. Some
would say that until we keep our own internal stakeholders in the
loop, what chance have we with externals...and they would perhaps
have a point.
It is almost possible to project and promote our industry with either
too much chattering inside, or by exuding an almost mystic silence.
As we all know the modern shipping industry exists because of the
ability to transfer risk through insurance, and the ability to go after
those who wrong you in court. This “financial and legal” fog means
that many owners simply want to stay silent, even when doing
things right they like to stay under the radar, just in case anything
goes wrong. Say too much and your cover may be prejudiced, show
too much and the lawyers may take it away. There is a danger in
opening up, so many stay closed.
In some respects the Somali piracy problem has done shipping a
favour. It has brought many organisations together; it has helped us
to find a unified voice and focus. We now need to try and harness
this to not simply call for governments to quash pirates, and for
more naval support. We need to understand the calls for action we
can make of others and change the way we communicate in order to
combat the invisibility of the industry.
The issues of communication, or image and reputation were
all focused on one element, that of how shipping can appeal to
potential recruits, and of how it can keep those it has.
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
So we didn’t slip into the “all problems, no solutions” trap, Tom set about drawing up some ideas to improve the
situation...which included the following, and which made us think:
1. “A new home for the IMO in the Philippines” – Hmm, not sure all the career diplomats would swap
Mayfair for Makati.
2. “UN/Blue Helmets take active role in guarding vessels in pirate infested waters” – This won’t work, most
vessels are simply not able to accommodate a military detachment onboard...plus we are not sure the
peacekeepers work to safeguard multi-billion dollar companies.
3. “More active recruitment of women seafarers” – We’ve been here before, women simply don’t seem to
like the idea of going to sea. Some do, most don’t. Make the job better and they may, it doesn’t seem to be
a case of going out and recruiting them.
4. “Greek Shipowners donate 0.5% of taxes they don’t pay to Greece. Would assist in seafarer training” –
Ha ha, yeah...good luck on that one!
5. “Asian nations take a more pivotal role in fighting for seafarer’s rights on safety and training issues”
– Asian nations are starting to stand-up and recognise their importance and influence. This is to be
applauded, but could actually create more conflict in the short-term.
6. “Owners that abandon crews are blacklisted and lose flag State status” – Nice idea, let’s hope that if an
owner lost his flag that some “FoC” wouldn’t simply pop up to accommodate. Sadly many parts of the
shipping industry exist to serve the needs of the unscrupulous.
7. “WiFi in all ports”– Slowly, slowly the internet is become more ubiquitous. It is vital that this continues,
as we need to bring Seafarers in line with the family and friends back home. Creating virtual ghettos of
disconnection will damage shipping incredibly.
8. “Vehicle for long-term savings for seafarers, they send some much money home they never have enough
for themselves”. – Nice idea, perhaps a shipowners share scheme? Get it back like the old days, with
seafarers having a much greater vested financial interest?
9. “Ship-owners International to fight criminalisation of seafarers” – Yes, this is a major issue. Sadly it
seems that this is a fight we cannot win. When bad things happen to ships, whether by accident, idiocy
or on purpose, then it will always be the seafarers on the frontline which suffer.
10. “Flag states to move faster in ratifying conventions” – It does seem odd that if a convention is brought
into existence, that the process to actually apply it is so drawn out and convoluted. The industry wanted
MLC when it was first introduced, now it just feels like feet are being dragged.
So, will these things make shipping better? Will it allow us to communicate more clearly and in a concerted way?
Who knows, but something has to give!
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
InterManager AGM 2011 Manila 2011
InterManager members enjoyed a successful Annual General Meeting in Manila, Philippines on November 15th.
Members from throughout the international maritime
community enjoyed a full day’s programme of
discussions and presentations in addition to the
annual meeting and networking events.
InterManager President Alastair Evitt gave a report
of his first year in office. He told members: “The past
year has been a very busy one – but for me one topic
has predominated in my presidency to date and that
has been the issue of piracy. I feel it is appropriate
to acknowledge it and to commit our resources and
energy to continue to support anti-piracy initiatives.”
InterManager has supported a number of pan-industry piracy-related initiatives including the international
Save Our Seafarers Campaign (where InterManager is an active member of the steering group and one of the 30
supporting organisations) and the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program (MPHRP) which is producing
a series of guides and training programs for the industry to prepare seafarers and their families for the possibility of
being kidnapped and held ransom, as well as guiding shipping companies on how to assist crew upon their release.
Working together the shipping industry has identified key objectives which it believes governments and legislative
bodies should address as part of the fight against piracy. These include:
• Reducing the effectiveness of motherships (which are easily identifiable)
• Enacting legislation to ensure that pirates can be held and prosecuted
• Enacting international legislation to ensure the full criminalisation of acts of piracy
• Tracing and criminalising organisers and financiers of piracy
• Ensuring appropriate naval resources are committed to piracy areas, particularly in the Indian Ocean
• Protecting and supporting seafarers and their families
Working with its own membership, InterManager has launched a campaign, entitled ‘Armed Guards – the freedom
to choose’, to bring pressure on Flag States and charterers to allow owners and managers the freedom to choose
whether to put armed guards onboard their vessels where their risk assessment (and in compliance with BMP4
guidance) shows it to be necessary.
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Mr Evitt urged members to visit the Save Our Seafarers’ website and click on the link to send a letter to their
local politician. He said: “This is not a petition – it is much more than that. It is a letter in your own name to the
government in your country of domicile and I hope that, with more than 26,000 letters to date, we are starting to
become a real thorn in their side.”
The President reported on the Association’s progress over the past year, advising members that InterManager has:
• Grown – attracting two new ship manager Full Members and five new Associate Members
• Represented members’ interest at numerous industry bodies, including IMO
• Identified and addressed the important issues facing our sector
• Worked for the improvement of the whole industry, particularly in partnership with Round Table
organisations and other international shipping associations
• Raised the Association’s profile – attending over 50 conferences attended by more than 2,000 people as
well as delivering lectures and classes in ship management topics and on KPIs
• Improved communications with members by revamping the Association’s website – www.intermanager.
org The new website has received more than 7,000 visitors over the past six months
Members also heard progress reports from members of the KPI Project. Mr Evitt said: “This is itself a great success
story of a project that has now outgrown our Association but continues to be fully supported by it and I particularly
thank George, Alex, Markus and Kuba for their massive contribution.”
Another area where InterManager members have committed time and resources is that of Corporate Social
Responsibility (CSR) and this is an area that we will be addressing further through 2012.
Representatives at the AGM heard presentations from Neil Ferrer, Dr. Toby Abaya, Roger Adamson and Roger
Ringstad who all addressed very important aspects in the field of safety, training and welfare. Mr Evitt said: “It goes
without saying that our seastaff are the backbone of our industry and our crew managers, our seafarers and their
safety and well being are a primary concern of InterManager.”
The AGM’s networking opportunities were
sponsored by Philippine Transmarine Carriers,
Aboitiz Jebsen and Thome Members were
particularly grateful to Dito Borromeo of Philippine
Transmarine Carriers and his staff for helping to
organise the event.
For more information about InterManager please
visit : www.intermanager.org
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Shiptalk LIFE AT SEA Survey 2011/12
As you know we like to think of ourselves as shipping’s more cheeky commentators, and with this in mind we are set
to rub our crystal balls once again, as we look to the future with a new “Life at Sea” survey.
With many shipowners in financial dire straits and with pirates bringing the industry to its knees, how is this
impacting on seafarers? It is time to find out, and with your help Shiptalk will embark on its second comprehensive
global study.
Shiptalk wants to see how things are today, and to gauge the change. With shipping facing such a tough time
financially is the industry as panicked and twitchy as it was back in the day? Are recruitment and retention still an
issue? What about the MLC Convention, the dreadful threat of pirates and what about the use of armed guards? There
are so many vital issues to discuss, and it is time to have your say.
The series of short surveys will be sent out to Shiptalk’s 40,000 seafarers subscribers over the coming months – the
returns will then be crunched and the numbers and trends analysed.
The surveys look at the realities of life at sea and will ask serving seafarers searching questions that will cut straight to
the heart of the problems faced by our industry today.
Anneley Pickles, MD of Shiptalk Recruitment says, “It is so important that we understand what seafarers really think
about these issues. Not some watered down, corporate driven view, but a real, honest and frank assessment of the pros
and cons of life at sea today. We urge as many serving seafarers as possible to get involved.”
Shiptalk will run five short surveys consecutively, each looking at one vital piece of the people puzzle. The topics for
this series of short surveys include:
1) Attraction/Retention
2) Salary and Employment Benefits
3) Qualifications and Training
4) Career Progression
5) Regulatory Effect
The first of these short surveys examining Attraction/Retention will ask seafarers why they chose to pursue a career at
sea, what would encourage them to stay at sea or alternatively, what may ultimately force them to leave?
Each of these surveys will be hosted by Shiptalk Recruitment via:
www.shiptalkjobs.com/lifeatseasurvey and will run for approximately 2 months. If you are
a serving seafarer we would urge you to share your opinions. If you are in contact either
professionally or socially with serving seafarers why not encourage them to have a say too.
The study is supported by the Sailors Society and it is hoped that by finding they real problems
facing seafarers then it will be possible to push for solutions.
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email: enquiries@shiptalkjobsashore.com email: enquiries@shiptalkjobs.com
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Follow the Leader
The shipping industry failures to tackle piracy, focusing on the likes of the
has been welcoming Chandlers, it is at last a sign of some progress and
developments over the past month as more nations common sense that we are discussing a positive move.
have followed the lead of British Prime Minister David There has long been a struggle to keep political
Cameron in formally giving the green light for the attention focused on the plight of captured seafarers,
carriage of armed guards on ships sailing under the UK and to remind governments around the world that not
flag. enough is being done to protect merchant shipping.
It seems that Mr Cameron has been listening and the
Mr Cameron stated that, “We are now going to say to announcement will, no doubt, do wonders for morale.
British flag ships that they will be licensed, if they want
to, to have security guards, armed guards on ships”. The news of the UK stance is likely to speed the process
by which other governments view their own legislation
This may not actually represent anything new, as on armed guards. While many have stressed that the
legislation has been in the works for several months and actual numbers of vessels affected by this shift in policy
it has long been clear that the UK government wanted are small, the knock on effect could be substantial and
to clear the way for owners to make their own choices significant.
on security.
The overall industry response has been overwhelmingly
For too long companies have been left wrestling positive – in fact the work of the UK government
with the complex legal and financial consequences has been praised significantly in recent months, the
of carrying armed guards and the liability “Sword of Prime, Foreign and Shipping Ministers seem to have
Damocles” which has been hanging over many owners. come together as a formidable force in the fight against
pirates.
There is still much work to be done by governments, the
maritime industry and the military, but by legitimising The Chamber of Shipping, which represents UK
the use of armed security expertise there is an shipowners, was slightly guarded in its praise, as
additional option for owners looking to safeguard their naturally it does not want to drop its pressure for the
people and assets. government to identify “State-led solutions”. However
they have supported the move to decriminalise the use
The UK government has been faced with a tough call to of private armed security, while stressing that the choice
make, and they have stepped up to make it. It is through of whether to employ them should be up to individual
decisions such as this that we are seeing solutions slowly shipowners.
evolve.
InterManager, the international trade association for the
For many it was not so much what was said, as where shipmanagement industry, said: “The UK government’s
and how that has made the biggest news. Having the recognition of the value of armed guards and the
UK prime minister speak about a maritime policy right of the owner and manager to deploy them, in
change has given a huge boost to the shipping industry. the right circumstances and in accordance with Best
His very public endorsement was immediately Management Practice 4, is a great lead by the UK
welcomed in the industry for drawing attention not just government and it is InterManager’s firm belief that this
to the problems of piracy, but finally to some solutions. stance should be adopted by all flags and charterers that
still do not openly support it.”
In a media which is usually preoccupied with the
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Not everyone is quite so convinced, and others have warned against the use of armed guards being seen as a “quick fix”
to the problem of piracy. It must be remembered that there are potentially serious implications to employing armed
guards if companies get it wrong. Nautilus International general secretary Mark Dickinson said: “There continue to be
grave unanswered questions about liability and responsibility associated with the use of weapons on board merchant
ships.
P&I Clubs have also been quick to warn of the dangers of rushing head long into employing armed guards. The
Standard P&I Club has warned that suitable insurance must be in place when using private maritime security
companies. The Clubs have been stressing to shipowners the importance of ensuring the use of guards does not
prejudice their insurance protection, and that any security company used must have adequately insured itself and its
staff, as well as having sufficient third-party liability cover in place. Otherwise shipowners could find themselves footing
some significant bills.
There are also the financial costs to consider and armed solutions do not come cheap and the cost of employing an
armed team is significant. For ships transiting the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden it is understood that a team of four
operatives would typically costs around $30,000 per voyage. However this is slightly tempered by the fact that insurers
are now giving premium discounts for ships protected by guards, though not enough to cover the additional cost.
Running the Rules on Ransoms
One of the most Once a vessel is hijacked, the game is up. Owners are
concerning yet faced with a very, very short list of very unappealing
consistent whispers options:
to emerge from the
corridors of global Richard Neylon, a Partner in the Admiralty Department
power is the threat to of international law firm Holman Fenwick Willan recently
ban the payments of set out the three basic options in an article for Lloyd’s List:
ransoms.
1. Refuse to negotiate and/or refuse to pay. Select this
We probably all and you will not get your ship and crew back;
recognise the inherent 2. Rely on your national military or private military
problems of paying good money to bad people, but — there seems no appetite for a risky military
regrettably the payment of ransoms is at the moment the solution once a vessel has reached the Somali coast
only method a shipowner has to remove his crew from and a private military solution is impractical and
harm’s way and rescue his vessel if the worst happens. probably illegal; or
3. Negotiate and pay a ransom. Option 3 is your only
You can perhaps see where we are going with this; it is move; your only hope of securing the release of
hard to believe that the banning of ransoms will end the your crew and your vessel.
problems off Somalia. In fact it could actually make things
worse. Despite the fact that only “Option 3” has a likely positive
outcome there are often calls to ban ransom payments.
Naturally the payment of a ransom to pirates, thereby — even judges can see the sense in ransoms, and the
rewarding their violent, criminal conduct, is something importance of providing shipowners with some means of
of a moral maze. But what would really happen if the getting their people and ships back – as observed by Mr
payments were banned? Would that end the problem? Justice Steel in the English High Court decision Masefield
v Amlin (2010). The case concerned the vessel ‘Bunga
Would the pirates simply shrug and head back ashore to Melati Dua’, which together with her crew and cargo, was
their families, homes and alternative employment? seized by Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden.
GANGWAY EDITION 26
In the case the Claimant unsuccessfully argued that the We can all recognise and support the stance of
payment of ransom to pirates was contrary to public government’s which insist they will not negotiate, and
policy, while the Court stated that in reality there was will not pay ransoms – but by banning others from doing
a reasonable hope, and perhaps even a likelihood, that so would mean almost certain death for hundreds of
the ship and cargo would be recovered by payment of a seafarers.
ransom.
While a ban would be destructive, it is sad to note that
Neylon states that if a shipowner is prohibited from there are still long delays in the negotiation process.
paying a ransom, the consequences are likely to be as According to Stephen Askins of Ince & Co, shipping has
follows: potentially lost upwards of $300m this year as negotiators
have spent months fighting to drive down ransom
1. We will be condemning the seafarers held hostage payments for hijacked vessels.
to a long dangerous period of incarceration. The
news that seafarers from “MV Iceberg I” have been He suggests that many owners who look to pay the lowest
mutilated by pirates, proves how this option does figures possible are actually not helping anyone - much
not work. less their crews, and even their businesses in the long
2. Vessels and cargo will be lost. Losses which will fall term.
on the shipowners and possibly their insurers, and
ultimately on the public. The sums appear to bear the argument out - according
3. Danger to the environment – if a VLCC is lost, the to Askins around $90m has been paid out to free ships
impact of the spilt oil could be catastrophic this year, but the loss of use on those vessels has probably
reached as high as $300m to $400m. This is not logical
There is also the effect on global trade of VLCC’s being - owners want their crews and ships back, but they
held – tying up a vast amount of oil will have a serious seemingly go on the defensive with the pirates, who let’s
impact on consumers and industry. be honest, hold all the aces.
It was also stated recently that any move by the European With Somalis treating the hijacks as a “business process”,
Union to ban ransom payments, could violate the notwithstanding the violence - it seems that negotiators
European Convention on Human Rights. Neylon should perhaps be given a little more latitude to get the
again, asks whether outlawing the only viable method ships out, and quick. Metaphorically it seems that we are
of removing a seafarer from harm’s way may not be in playing poker, while the pirates are playing at the roulette
breach of Article 2 (the right to life) and Article 3 (the table. They are happy to just keep spinning, and spinning,
right to freedom from torture, inhumane and degrading until their number comes up.
treatment). He seems to have a point.
Everyone knows that in the second oldest profession,
Even if a ban on ransoms were to be introduced, there shipping, as in the oldest, time is money. Spending
would inevitably be a lag. The process of creating new months negotiating a ransom of say $4million when all
legislation is notoriously laboured and the time for a ban the time you are losing as much as $20million just does
to take effect and for the message to sink in for the pirates not make sense.
would take time. Given the current average length of
detention, this would see many more seafarers captured Something for all parties to consider as the clock ticks and
and vessels held. How on earth would they be freed? the pages of the calendar turn on the crews and ships still
held hostage.
But what of the owners who are beyond the reach of US
and EU law? Well, they will likely continue to pay and
their ships will be released. While those of the companies
who are based in supposed “civilised” nations will
languish in captivity. Not a very acceptable solution. Put
simply the policy will fail – but not before there is death
and destruction.
GANGWAY EDITION 26
Isle of Man Aids Cadets
Bibby Ship Management has worked
with the Isle of Man government to
launch a new officer training scheme.
And last month Gareth Notman, from Tromode, on
the Isle of Man, became the first cadet to benefit from this project, when he began his 36 month sponsored
foundation degree course at Fleetwood Nautical College.
Gareth – whose grandfather and uncle were both in the merchant navy is studying to become an engineer
officer.
The scheme is the result of discussions between Bibby and the Isle of Man authorities and is designed to fill a
gap in the UK tonnage tax and SmarT training support rules, which have not been extended to IOM residents.
Gabby Dolan, training manager with Bibby Ship Management, explained that : ‘This has meant that unless
a cadet has been taken on by a company that these rules do not apply to we have not been able to commit
anyone from the IoM for training.
‘I felt there was a bit of a hole when local youngsters were
questioning me about the possibilities of training as an
officer, and decided that I would start looking into the
possibilities of the IoM government sponsoring a trainee
officer’, she added. ‘The IOM did offer SMarT funding on
the same basis as in the UK, but obviously this did not help
when allocating trainees for the tonnage tax core training
commitment.’
Following a series of meetings with Dick Welsh, director
of the IoM Ship Registry, Andrew Stewart training services
manager for the IoM government, and Ms Dolan, the
scheme has been launched with Gareth as the first cadet.
‘We will next be entering into discussions with the IoM with the IoM Ship Registry to arrange the six months of
seatime that Gareth will require during his training,’ Ms Dolan added. ‘We are in the fortunate position that we
do not have to just use UK/ red ensign flagged vessels for his training as he will not come under tonnage tax or
SMarT rules,’ she said.
‘Hopefully if this all works out, then going forward we will be able to train several trainee officers from the Isle of
Man every year.’
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
A citadel as defined in BMP is “a designated pre-planned
area purpose-built into the ship where, in the event
of imminent boarding by pirates, all crew will seek
protection. A citadel is designed and constructed to
resist a determined pirate trying to gain entry for a fixed
period of time”.
The growth in use has prompted the shipping industry
to produce a set of guidelines on the construction and
use of citadels in waters affected by Somalia piracy. The
document has received approval from Round Table
members (Intertanko, BIMCO, ICS and Intercargo) as
well as other industry associations. NATO, EU NAVFOR
and the Combined Maritime Force (CMF) have also
A Safe Place approved the document.
Citadels have proved to be successful in a number of
attacks, but there have also been instances in which
With armed guards and ransom payments being the citadels have been breached. These failures can be
topic of so much debate of late, it is perhaps time to attributed to a number of factors, including poor
look at another important facet of anti-piracy options, construction and location of the citadel. With the use
“citadels”. of citadels increasing, pirates are gaining experience in
defeating them – these counter measures have included
There have been an increasing number of occasions the use of weapons and ship-board tools, attempts to
where crews have foiled pirates by withdrawing into a smoke out the crew and even setting fire to the vessel.
secure, safe haven, or citadel. When this happens, often
the pirates are forced to withdraw as they cannot gain Reports are emerging that in addition to their usual
control of the vessel or physically capture the crew. piracy paraphernalia, pirates are taking plastic explosives
on their missions with the aim of blasting their way
Not only are citadels starting to gain the attention of into citadels and strongholds. This is a concern, but if
shipowners, the military support their use too. US Navy constructed and managed properly, then citadels are an
Rear Adm. Terry Kraft, commander, Carrier Strike important part of a layered shipboard defence.
Group (CSG) 12 recently spoke of citadels as a strategy
that can work to counter piracy. Indeed it is strongly recommended that citadels are seen
as complementary to, rather than a replacement for, all
Kraft’s stressed that pirate hijackings have been thwarted other self-protection measures. NATO has been quick
by the crew’s use of a citadel where the crew can hide. He to stress that it remains the responsibility of owners,
added, “On three different occasions, as a ship was being operators and Masters to decide and implement policy
pirated, the crew secured themselves inside their citadel in relation to the use of citadels. It also stresses that the
and we were still able to talk to the Master”. use of a citadel does not guarantee a military response.
“With the crew safe in the citadel, pirates lose their most There is a considerable degree of misunderstanding of
important asset, which is being able to get hostages,” he the citadel concept in merchant shipping. Get it right
said. “Once we know the crew is in the citadel, it allows and you could be saved, get it wrong and you could be
us more freedom of action to go after these guys to get dead...so let’s get it right.
them to surrender.”
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
Culture Shift
‘People are our greatest asset’: the industry mantra. Yet do employers invest sufficiently in their greatest
asset? Many a training dollar is sunk into CRM and Leadership Training to address the ‘human element’ but
one area remains neglected: the impact of culture on communication and safety.
Mixed nationality crews are now the norm and are expected to perform efficiently, however, problems can
arise within multi-cultural teams. Miscommunications are often attributed to difficulty communicating in a
common language. However, culture also impacts on compliance, safety and performance.
Recognition of cultural awareness training is growing but few employers know how to tackle it: this is
not a traditional training subject. It seems too abstract, controversial, political, possibly taboo or just an
unnecessary ‘soft’ skill in an industry focussed on its ‘hardware’. It is hard to define, difficult to assess and non-
mandatory, so it is often ignored.
Yet considering the number of incidents caused by the human factor and given that multi-national crews
are here to stay, shouldn’t we pay attention to this issue? Could seafarers do their jobs better, communicate
more effectively, have fewer accidents, stay with companies longer and be more motivated if cultural
barriers were reduced?
Consider some scenarios quoted during Marlins training workshops by seafarers and companies:
• A junior officer from SE Asia witnessed a navigational error made by a European senior officer but he
did not question it – the result was a collision.
• A seafarer collapsed inside an enclosed space. Disregarding all safety training, several crew members
attempted to rescue him, entering without BA. They too collapsed due to toxic fumes.
• On an engine room inspection, it was found that some experienced engine officers had used a ‘magic
pipe’, allegedly to save the company money. The result was a large fine.
• A multi-national crew formed cliques that did not mix socially and the Master was considered
unapproachable. Low crew morale lead to poor performance.
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GANGWAY EDITION 26
These scenarios could all hinge on cultural differences.
• The junior officer who didn’t challenge the senior’s decision came from a ‘high power distance’
culture where you respect authority and do not contradict your seniors. This is often found in
societies within S Europe, India and SE Asia, contrasting with N Europe and USA where people
are often comfortable with a ‘flat management’ structure.
• In the enclosed space scenario, the crew decided instinctively to save their mate: they may
belong to ‘collectivist’ societies with strong bonds to the wider social group, over and above
concern for their own safety. Their actions were also typical of cultures with ‘short term
orientation’ that prioritise immediate action over long term planning.
• The engineers in the ‘magic pipe’ incident were possibly from cultures where risk taking is
common in order to solve problems.
• The Master who ignored the crew morale problem may belong to a culture of ‘high masculine
values’, ie a tendency to focus on task rather than people. For example, Russia, China, Brazil
are some ‘masculine’ societies which promote competition and strength whereas Indonesia,
Philippines, Vietnam place heavy emphasis on nurturing group harmony, teamwork, social
responsibility and cohesion.
Additionally, culture is not only national / regional, it is corporate too. Shipping has a distinct culture while
companies (and ships) have their own work and safety cultures.
Given this complex picture, problems arise when individuals are expected to adhere to industry values that
conflict with their personal values - which are often unconscious.
What should cultural training provide? The first aim is to define our own cultural values then develop
strategies for identifying, predicting, understanding and resolving miscommunications. This is valuable not
only for seafarers but also for cadets, superintendents and shore-based staff.
As the world shrinks in the search for good staff, cultural training is a crucial, low cost investment in our
greatest asset, our people.
Catherine Logie, Manager, Marlins
clogie@marlins.co.uk
Contact Marlins for details of training workshops and e-learning -
www.marlins.co.uk
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