Keep yourbrain sharpand alive!Page 3

INSIDE

The Maritime Academy ofAsia and the Pacific(MAAP)’s JSU-IMMAJ Cam-

pus was completed with muchsupport from interested parties.In order to improve the quality ofFilipino seafarers, who are essen-tial to the Japanese commercialfleet, the new facility will providehigh-level academic and trainingprograms required for mercantilemarine college students.

Attended by many interestedparties from the Japanese andFilipino maritime industries,including representatives fromthe All Japan Seamen’s Union(JSU), the International MarinersManagement Association ofJapan (IMMAJ), and the Associat-ed Marine Officers’ & Seamen’sUnion of the Philippines (AMO-SUP), an entrance ceremony washeld June 8 on the JSU-IMMAJCampus for 250 freshmen, whowill receive financial supportunder the JSU/IMMAJ scholarshipprogram.

It is expected that the campuswill produce 250 Filipino mari-ners every year for the Japanesemerchant fleet.

Dalian CSU/JSU training center

On July 20, representatives fromthe JSU, the CSU (Chinese Seafar-ers Union), the IMMAJ and DIM-SCO (Dalian International MaritimeService Co. Ltd.) confirmed mattersconcerning the establishment andregistration of a CSU/JSU compre-hensive training and education

center in Dalian. The remodelingwork, including the installation ofsimulators, will be completed inlate October.

The People’s LiberalizationArmy, which owns the land,decided during a meeting on May8 that the Dalian site would beleased out to provide training andeducation for securing Chineseseafarers to meet the demands of

the Japanese merchant fleet.

Second IBF bargaining session

On July 6-8, the InternationalBargaining Forum (IBF) held thesecond round of its central bar-gaining sessions for the currentfiscal year in Singapore.

Prior to the negotiations, thelabor side had convened internal

meetings, classifying the itemsrequested by both sides, otherthan those relating to wages, intothe following categories – Con-tractual Clause, IBF Administra-tion, and Mechanism of ResolvingDisputes in accordance with theconfirmations made at the first-round sessions.

In order to encourage the dedi-cated subgroups to proceed

smoothly with the negotiations,the labor forum ensured that thegroups comprised both leadersand members of the workingcommittees representing thelabor side.

However, in respect to the pro-posal made by the InternationalTransport Workers’ Federation(ITF) for the revised IBF method-ology for a new wage system, theJoint Negotiating Group (JNG) –in particular, the IMMAJ, whichdemanded reductions of 10 per-cent from the ongoing wage stan-dards – strongly opposed the IBFmethodology.

As such, it was impossible tohold working group meetings ora general meeting, and the sec-ond round of the negotiationsreached a stalemate.

Therefore, executive meetingswere held intermittently to breakthe deadlock, but it was finallydecided that the negotiationswould be carried over to high-level meetings between laborand management to be convenedon Sept. 8-9.

Ceremonies for VSUP students

On June 4, the 42nd meeting ofthe Vietnam Seafarers UpgradingProject (VSUP) management com-mittee was convened in Hanoi,during which representatives ofboth Japan and Vietnam gaveaddresses.

At a time when the Vietnamese

MAAP, See Page 4

Developing more projects for seafarer training

From left to right: Zhang Yong Heng, president of Dalian Int’l Maritime Services Co. Ltd.; Li Tieqiao. presi-dent of the National Committee of the Chinese Seamen & Construction Workers’ Union; Yoji Fujisawa, presi-dent of the All Japan Seamen’s union.

BY: ISS NOEL CRISTOBAL

The Philippine President,Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,conferred a presidential

citation to the JSU during hermeeting with the Filipino commu-nity during the 111th Indepen-dence Day celebration on June 19,which was held at the JSU-ownedHotel Mariners Court Tokyo.

The citation was given to fourdistinguished Japanese institu-tions in recognition of their out-standing contributions in promot-ing the close relationshipbetween the Filipino and Japan-ese people, and for their invalu-able support to the welfare ofthe Filipino communities inJapan.

The JSU President, Yoji Fuji-sawa, received the prestigiousaward on behalf of the union.Presently, there are approximate-ly 51,000 non-domiciled mem-bers, of which 35,000 are Fil-ipinos working aboard Japaneseowned and operated vessels.

Arroyo, in her speech, thankedthe JSU for being generous andsupportive of the Filipino com-

munities. The JSU has oftenallowed Filipino communities touse Hotel Mariners’ Court Tokyofor gatherings such as the Inde-pendence Day celebration.

She also mentioned that in anearlier meeting with the JSU andthe Japanese Shipowners’ Associ-ation (JSA), they discussed theeffect of the global economic cri-sis on both countries, as well asthe welfare of Filipino seafarersmanning Japanese vessels, in-cluding the dangers they face ofpirate attacks in the Gulf of Adenoff the coast of Somalia.

Arroyo said she was relievedthat the earlier idea of complete-ly banning Filipino seafarers towork on vessels transiting pirate-infested areas was not imple-mented, as that would create anegative effect on the Japaneseshipping industry, which alsotranslates to lost job opportuni-ties for seafarers.

The Japanese Minister ofTransport and the Prime Ministerhimself, Taro Aso, told thePhilippine president that the Diethad just approved a law allow-ing the Japanese Self-Defense

Forces (sea and aircraft) to pro-tect and defend not just Japan-ese-flagged vessels, but all ves-sels plying the pirate-infestedarea, which will provide a greatboost to the safety of Filipinoseafarers.

Arroyo commended the Japan-ese government, the Japaneseshipping industry and the JSU foranswering the call to protect Fil-ipino seafarers onboard vesselsplying this dangerous corridor ofworld trade.

This shows that Japan is com-mitted to be a strong and reliablepartner of the Philippines and tothe Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) region asa whole, she said.

With the present global eco-nomic crises continuing to sendshivers and creating challengesfor the entire world economy,there is no better time than nowto strengthen the partnershipbetween the Philippines andJapan, Arroyo concluded.

An excerpt of the citation is asfollows:

To the All Japan Seamen’sUnion for its unrelenting support

and outstanding contribution tothe personal well being of Fil-ipino seafarers, as well as for itsstrong partnership with the Asso-ciated Marine Officers’ and Sea-men’s Union of the Philippines(AMOSUP), which resulted in theestablishment of the JSU-AMO-SUP Mariners’ Home in Malate,Manila and prominent maritimeschool and training centers in thePhilippines.

For its dynamic partnershipwith the Philippine Seafarers’

Union (PSU) in building theseven-story, JSU-PSU Mariners’Court Cebu, which has con-tributed to harvesting the skillstraining and development of sea-farers.

Given this 19th day of June inthe year of our Lord 2009 in theCity of Tokyo, Japan.

Signed,

Gloria Macapagal-ArroyoPresident of the Philippines

JSU awarded citation by Philippine President

JSU President Yoji Fujisawa receives the citation from PhilippinePresident Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

A time limit on seafarer staysmandated by their visas is caus-ing operational difficulties tochemical carrier and lighteringcompanies operating in the U.S.Gulf and off the U.S. West Coast.

The problem is being exacer-bated by private terminals thatdeny visiting seafarers access toshore, which compels the crewto stay onboard until they are ata more favorable port beforeconducting routine personnelchanges.

A major international chemicalcarrier company that requestedanonymity confirmed that a crewswitch could not be completedlast week in Houston because ofthe restrictions.

Five crewmembers that hadtraveled to Houston to join theship were flown back to India bythe company and are to be flownto Brazil to join the vessel at itsnext port of call.

The departing crew onboardcould not leave the ship to catchflights home because they hadbeen in the United States for twoto three days beyond the 29 daysallowed by their visas. Had theygone to the airport, they wouldhave been allowed to leave theUnited States, but would havebeen banned from re-entering for10 years.

The company said the crewswitch could have been done a

few days earlier at the MississippiRiver, but a private terminal therehad a policy prohibiting shoreaccess even to seafarers withvisas. The 29-day limit hadexpired by the time the ship wasin Houston.

At least four other chemicaltransport companies trading inthe U.S. Gulf have experiencedproblems involving the 29-daylimit, sources said.

The problem lies in a provisionin the D-1 visa category for mer-chant seafarers, which limits onecontiguous stay in the UnitedStates to 29 days. Seafarers whoexceed the limit can stay on theship in a U.S. port, but cannot goashore. No provision exists forD-1 stays to be extended.

Sources close to the Houstonincident said chemical carriers ofthis kind arrive at a U.S. north-east port, and progress towardsthe U.S. Gulf. In Houston alone,they might load at several berths,which could take up to threeweeks.

Lightering ships face a similarsituation. Since their job is toshuttle back and forth betweenthe lightering area and a shore-side facility, foreign seafarersthese vessels are not deemed tohave left the United States, andrun up against the 29-day limit.

U.S. Customs and Border Pro-tection (CBP) in Houston is

understood to take a lenientview of lightering crews, and isknown to issue paroles thatenable crews to keep workinglightering ships beyond 29 days.

Sources elsewhere claim thatlightering companies active offLos Angeles and Mississippi haveconventionally had to work with-in the 29-day rule.

Ships that arrive on the WestCoast of the United States and goon to Houston via the PanamaCanal have also been cited asfacing D-1 problems. This isbecause canal transit is notdeemed a foreign stop and thetotal time taken for the journeyand loading could exceed 29days.

Under strict interpretation ofU.S. immigration law, even if avisa holder physically leaves theUnited States, he or she is notdeemed to have left until touch-ing down at a foreign port.

The West Gulf Maritime Asso-ciation (WGMA) is fronting theindustry reaction around Hous-ton.

WGMA director for maritimeaffairs Niels Lyngso said, “We areconcerned about the negativeeffects added security measureshave on the welfare of seafarers.In this case, we are working withCBP to mitigate the stringenteffects of the 29-day rule.”(Source: Lloyd’s List)

(2) JULY/AUGUST 2009MARITIME NEWS

Crew abandonment cases areonce again becoming common-place, with more and more sea-farers stranded on account of theglobal economic downturn, ac-cording to the ITF.

The problem has been a pro-nounced feature during shippingsector-specific slumps and globalrecessions in the past, and hasnever been entirely absent, evenduring periods of prosperity.

As such, unions and employershave worked together more close-ly in recent years, in the hope ofavoiding reruns of situations thatgenerated unfavorable publicityfor the industry as a whole.

However, a spokesman for theITF, a trade union umbrellagroup, said that the general trendin recent months has sharply in-creased, with new cases comingin so thick and fast that up-to-date figures are difficult to calcu-late.

A case in point is Apostleshipof the Sea (AoS), which is provid-ing food to the crew of a shipalongside in the U.K. port of Hullin the wake of the collapse ofEastwind Maritime Inc.

The Catholic seafarer welfareconcern said it had previouslypredicted an upturn in the num-ber of seafarers stranded in portsaround the world, and has beenincreasingly concerned that itsprediction is now a reality.

According to a statement fromAoS, its chaplain in Hull, AnneMcLaren, has been onboard tovisit the crew of the Liberia-flag,6,368-dw/t, 1984-built reefer EWSnowden, made up of 22 Russiannationals.

”She has made sure that thecrew have food, and will continueto support the crew in any wayshe can until the port agents andthe shipowners reach an agree-ment,” it said.

In early March, the InternationalShipping Federation and ITFreached agreement on the princi-ples of a mandatory solution toclaims for abandonment of seafar-ers, and also claims regardingdeath and personal injury.

Details have yet to be finalizedand the agreement is subject toapproval at the International Mar-itime Organization (IMO) andInternational Labour Organization,which will amend the new Mar-itime Labour Convention accord-ingly. (Source: Lloyd’s List)

A Filipino seafarers’ labor groupsaid it would not ask for anincrease on behalf of its membersduring their collective bargainingagreement (CBA) talks withshipowning employers in Septem-ber, but that it will lobby for theretention of jobs even in times ofcrisis.

Gregorio Oca, chairman of theAMOSUP, said his group cannotask for an increase at a time whenthe global shipping industry is fac-ing such a crisis. “We just want ourseafarers to keep their jobs; whatwe’re after here now is for theirsecurity of employment,” he said.

However, Oca said that hisgroup will not accept an earlier

proposal by the employers for a10 percent to 15 percent wagedecrease.

“Some ship owners relayed tous that they want to reduce thesalary, so as not to lay off seafar-ers. We said no…of course wedon’t want that,” he said.

During their last CBA discus-sions with the International Mar-itime Employers’ Committee Ltd.(IMEC), which comprised mostlyEuropean shipowners, they haveagreed on an increase of salary ofabout 7 percent.

Oca said that due to the short-age of competent officers, manyemployers have pirated somecrewmembers by offering them

salaries “beyond” what was agreedupon during the AMOSUP-IMECCBA discussions. At the moment,there are 500 ships already laid offall over the world, but Oca saidemployers are still keeping theirworkforce intact in hopes that thecrisis will turn for the better.

September’s meeting betweenAMOSUP and IMEC will cover col-lective bargaining agreements for2010 to 2012.

The last CBA discussion washeld in November 2007.

Giles Heimann, the IMEC secre-tary-general designate, did notcomment on employers’ request toreduce salaries. “We vowed tomaintain all our crew and we have

no plans to lay off workers at thispoint despite the crisis,” he said.

IMEC currently sponsors AMO-SUP’s cadetship program at theMAAP to ensure continued sup-port of quality seafarers to IMECmembers and to the industry, withthe IMEC occupying a seat on theboard at the MAAP.

The group is the world’s largestemployers of Filipino seafarerswith approximately 52,000 Filipinoratings and 14,000 Filipino officersserving aboard members’ ships.IMEC is comprised of 130 mem-ber-companies and operates 6,500ships and employs a total of157,000 seafarers of variousnationalities.

U.S. visa regulations causing trouble forchemical carrier, lightering operations

Crew abandonmentcases increasing

The United States will soon trainFilipino maritime personnel aswell as seafarers on how to com-bat piracy on the high seas. Thegovernments of the Philippinesand the United States forged a pactto promote cooperation in thefield of education and training ofmaritime personnel to counterpiracy off the Somali coast andother dangerous seawaters.

On the last day of PresidentGloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s work-ing tour in the United States, presssecretary Cerge Remonde said thememorandum of cooperation onmaritime counter-piracy trainingand education sought to promote

efficient and safe transport policiesand practices. The accord alsocited the importance of promotinga healthy maritime transport sectorand its contribution in strengthen-ing trade relations.

“The problem of internationalpiracy has been a serious cause ofconcern. The signing of the agree-ment between the Philippines andthe United States hopes to sendthe message to the internationalpirates that the U.S. is solidly back-ing the Philippines and its seafar-ers in this case,” Remonde said.

“The salient provision of theagreement is involving training forself-defense of Filipino seamen,

training of some Navy Seal-typeoperation for certain elements ofthe Philippine navy to enable ourArmed Forces deal better withpiracy in our part of the world,” hesaid.

During their meeting at theWhite House, Arroyo and U.S.President Barack Obama agreed toforge closer cooperation in fightingterrorism and other securitythreats.

Under the counter-piracy agree-ment, the areas of cooperationinclude exchanges of informationon best practices with respect tothe enhancement of vessel securityagainst threats of pirate attacks;

piracy and armed attacks as ele-ments of current security threatsand patterns; international conven-tions, legislation, and regulationsconcerned with piracy; executionof response plans for pirateattacks; drills and exercises to bet-ter respond to piracy; and explor-ing other avenues of exchangebetween maritime students andfaculty on mutually acceptedterms.

The cooperation accord will tapthe resources and facilities of theUnited States Merchant MarineAcademy, as well as the maritimepersonnel training institutions ofthe Philippines. (Source: Shiptalk)

U.S., Philippines team up to fight piracy

Trade conditions noware even worse thanin the 1930s, a sen-

ior shipping industry officialsaid recently, with weakglobal demand and fleetoversupply set to dampenrecovery prospects for theseaborne transport sector.

Around 90 percent of theworld’s traded goods byvolume are transported bysea, with many hoping for aworld economic recoveryvia resurgence in freightactivity. But a reduction indemand for raw materials,manufactured goods andconsumer products has hitthe shipping sector hardsince last October.

The Baltic Dry Index –which gauges the cost ofshipping resources includ-ing iron ore, cement, grain,coal and fertilizer – col-lapsed to a record low lastDecember of 663 pointsand has remained volatilesince then.

The index hit a morethan eight-month high onJune 3 of 4,291 points, dri-ven by Chinese demand forraw materials, especiallyiron ore, which helpedboost freight rates. Averageearnings for Capesize ves-sels – the largest class ofdry bulk ships – dropped toUS$60,490 a day from theirpeak of $233,988 a day inJune 2008.

Worries have been grow-ing over the number ofvessels expected to hit theshipping market in thecoming years. ShipbrokerSimpson Spence & Young(SSY) forecast new drybulk vessels being deliv-ered this year would total47 million dw/t versus 24million dw/t entering thefleet in 2008. A further 7.5million dw/t is expected tohit the dry bulk market in2009 from ships convertedfrom oil tankers, it said.(Source: Reuters)

Cloudy skiesfor trade

conditions

AMOSUP to lobby for job retention, not wage increases

(3)JULY/AUGUST 2009 SEAFARERS’ CORNER

VOICES from SEAFARERS

Crew of M/V HOEGH SYDNEY posing with JSU staff

This is the first time that we were visited by JSU staff and we learned alot about the union. Please visit us regularly.

Seamen’s Sins

I. A seaman was drinkingbeer while watching TV. Hiswife was getting the tableready for dinner.

He said to her, “I neverwant to live in a vegetativestate, depending on somemachines and fluids from abottle. If that ever happens,just pull the plug.”

The wife stopped whatshe was doing, unpluggedthe TV and threw out hisbeer.

II.A dying seaman whispersto his wife who is keepingvigil by his bedside.

Seaman: Before I die Ihave something to confessto you...

Wife: Shhh, not now.Seaman: But I need to tell

you that I cheated on you...Wife:Yes, I know.Seaman: I need to clear

my conscience before Idie...

Wife: Just lie back and letthe poison work.

By ISS John Canto

JOKE CORNER

Capt. Dionisio R. Dandan and officers of M/V KAMO

We do appreciate your concern and support to us. Please continue tocommunicate with us by visiting us regularly.

Capt. Manuel Luis M. Kierulf with crew of M/V SIRIUS LEADER

Thanks to the JSU staff for the regular visitations and the welfare goodswe regularly receive.

Congratulations to Capt. Roberto C.Satiada of M/V United Spirit for beingawarded by the Japan MeteorologicalAgency and by the National Oceanic andAtmospheric Administration, USA for hisdistinguished achievement and contribu-tion to both agencies.

All Japan Seamen’s Union

Capt. Rodrigo C. Cansancio andC/O Evaristo G. De Guzmanof M/V POLAR QUEEN

While we thank the JSU forthe facilities it helped build inour country, we wish the unionto negotiate for more increasesin the present rate of foodallowance for members.

Brain fitness has basic princi-ples: variety and curiosity.When anything you do

becomes second nature, you needto make a change.

If you can do the crosswordpuzzle in your sleep, it’s time foryou to move on to a new chal-lenge in order to get the bestworkout for your brain.

Curiosity about the worldaround you, how it works andhow you can understand it willkeep your brain working fast andefficiently. Use the ideas below tohelp attain your quest for mentalfitness.

Play Games

Brain fitness programs andgames are a wonderful way totease and challenge your brain.Suduko, crosswords and elec-tronic games can all improveyour brain’s speed and memory.

These games rely on logic,word skills, as well as math andmore, and are also fun to do.You’ll benefit more by doingthese games a little bit every day– spend 15 minutes or so, nothours.

Meditation

Daily meditation is perhaps thesingle greatest thing you can dofor your mind and body health. Itnot only relaxes you, it givesyour brain a workout. By creatinga different mental state, youengage your brain in new andinteresting ways while increasingyour brain fitness.

Eat for your brain

Your brain needs you to eathealthy fats. Focus on fish oilsfrom wild salmon, nuts such aswalnuts, seeds such as flax seedand olive oil. Eat more of thesefoods and less saturated fats.Eliminate trans-fats completelyfrom your diet.

Tell good stories

Stories are a way that we solid-ify memories, interpret eventsand share moments. Practicetelling your stories, both new and

old, so that they are interesting,compelling and fun.

A few basic storytelling tech-niques will go quite a long wayin keeping people’s interest bothin you and in what you have tosay.

Turn off your television

The average person watchesmore than four hours of televi-sion everyday. Television canstand in the way of relationships,life and more. So turn off yourTV and spend more time livingand exercising your mind andbody.

Exercise your body to exercise your brain

Physical exercise is great brainexercise too. By moving yourbody, your brain has to learnnew muscle skills, estimate dis-tance and practice balance.Choose a variety of exercises tochallenge your brain.

Read something different

Books are portable, free fromlibraries and filled with infiniteinteresting characters, informa-tion and facts. Branch out fromfamiliar reading topics. If youusually read history books, try acontemporary novel. Read for-eign authors, the classics andrandom books.

Not only will your brain get aworkout by imagining differenttime periods, cultures and peoples,you will also have interesting sto-ries to tell about your reading, whatit makes you think of and the con-nections you draw between mod-ern life and the words.

Learn a new skill

Learning a new skill worksmultiple areas of the brain. Yourmemory comes into play, youlearn new movements and youassociate things differently. Read-ing Shakespeare, learning to cookand building an airplane out of

toothpicks all will challenge yourbrain and give you something tothink about.

Make simple changes

We love our routines. We havehobbies and pastimes that wecould do for hours on end. Butthe more something is “secondnature,” the less our brains haveto work to do it. To really helpyour brain stay young, challengeit. Change routes to the grocerystore, use your opposite hand toopen doors and eat dessert first.All this will force your brain towake up from habits and payattention again.

Train your brain

Brain training is becoming atrend. There are formal courses,Web sites and books with pro-grams on how to train your brainto work better and faster. There issome research behind these pro-grams, but the basic principles arememory, visualization and reason-ing. Work on these three conceptseveryday and your brain will beready for anything.

Challenge your brain regularly for increased mental fitness

You take the shore party,I’ll stay with my ship.

– Capt. Jack Sparrow –

Making simple changes, meditating, will help you to stay young

Ships switch fuel oil fromresidual fuels to distillate fuels inorder to reduce emissions.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)expects ships will switch fuelmore frequently to comply withnew emission reduction regula-tions. When switching fuel oil,some ships have experiencedpropulsion losses linked to pro-cedural errors or fuel oil incom-patibility.

American Petroleum Institute(API) developed a paper titled“Technical Considerations of FuelSwitching Practices” that discussesproblems that lead to propulsionloss while switching fuel.

The document is available at

http://marineinvestigations.us andmay be useful to vessel owners,operators, and engineers interest-ed in preventing fuel system fail-ures and propulsion casualties,while meeting current and futureexhaust emission control require-ments.

In order to prevent casualtiesassociated with fuel oil switching,the USCG strongly recommendsthat owner and operators do thefollowing:

• Consult engine and boilermanufacturers for fuel switchingguidance

• Consult fuel suppliers forproper fuel selection

• Exercise tight control when

possible over the quality of thefuel oils received

• Consult manufacturers todetermine if system modificationsor additional safeguards are nec-essary for intended fuels

• Develop detailed fuel switch-ing procedures

• Establish a fuel systeminspection and maintenanceschedule

• Ensure system pressure andtemperature alarms, flow indica-tors, filter differential pressuretransmitters, etc. are all opera-tional

• Ensure system purifiers, filtersand strainers are maintained

• Ensure system seals, gaskets,

flanges, fittings, brackets and sup-ports are maintained

• Ensure a detailed system dia-gram is available

• Conduct initial and periodiccrew training

• Complete fuel switching welloffshore prior to entering restrict-ed waters or traffic lanes

This safety alert is provided forinformational purposes only anddoes not relieve any domestic orinternational safety, operationalor material requirement. Devel-oped by the Office of Designand Engineering Standards andOffice of Investigations andAnalysis, USCG Headquarters,Washington, DC.

The British commander of the EuropeanUnion (EU)’s anti-piracy operation off the coastof Somalia warned that there could be a signif-icant increase in pirate attacks on merchantships following the end of the monsoon sea-son.

Rear Adm. Peter Hudson, the senior Britishofficer commanding the EU anti-piracy mis-sion, said the current monsoon season – withwaves rising up to four meters – had led to adrop in the seizing of merchant ships in theregion.

But as the weather changes in the next fewmonths, pirate activity could pick up sharply,Hudson told the U.K.-based Financial Times.

“There’s a possibility that pirates will comeout in force in the autumn,” he said. “As the

commander, I have to work with colleagues inNATO and other coalition forces to make surewe put our ships in the best place to counterthat.”

At present, the large anti-piracy patrol opera-tion involving 34 naval ships has led to amarked decline in successful pirate attacks onmerchant shipping. Six months ago, one inthree pirate attacks in the region were success-ful. Today, it is one in nine, an official fromOperation Atalanta said. However, with 25,000merchant ships passing through the Gulf ofAden each year, the scale of the challenge ishuge.

Hudson warned already merchant shippingthat a significant number of attacks might takeplace in the Gulf of Aden in September in

spite of increased surveillance operations bynational navies off Somalia. Since the EU taskforce was launched a year ago, it has been inthe vanguard of the international anti-piracydrive.

The EU coalition has some 12 ships onpatrol in the region, NATO has five, and theU.S.-led “combined maritime force” four.National navies, including Russia, China, Indiaand Japan, have a total of 13 ships on anti-piracy patrol.

Hudson said there was far more pressure onpirates because of the large number of forcesin the area. But the scale of ocean that neededto be patrolled – 2 million square kilometers –made anti-piracy operations difficult. (Source:Shiptalk)

(4) JULY/AUGUST 2009ADVISORIES/WARNINGS

ALL JAPAN SEAMEN’S UNION

15-26, Roppongi 7-Chome,Minato-Ku, Tokyo 106-0032

Tel.: (03) 5410-8320Fax: (03) 5410-8336E-mail: iss@jsu.jpInternet: http://www.jsu.or.jp

Publisher: Shinichi Tanaka

Send inquiries to the attentionof Mr. Masanobu Makizoe,Director, Foreign Trades Dept.

New report looks at causes of propulsion loss when switching fuels

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)announced that it submitted a Fed-eral Register notice to the marinecommunity containing guidance onnew IMO measures.

These new measures require thatall tank ships subject to the Inter-national Convention for the Safetyof Life at Sea (SOLAS) Conventioncarrying Annex I cargoes and allships using Annex I marine fuels tohave Material Safety Data Sheets(MSDS) aboard.

The SOLAS convention require-ment will become effective Jan. 1,2011. It does not apply to inlandbarges or any other ship not sub-ject to the SOLAS convention.

After Jan. 1, 2011, nations partyto the SOLAS can be expected toverify that ships subject to the con-vention have MSDS as required.After that date, all U.S.-flagged ves-sels under the SOLAS conventiontraveling overseas should expectforeign administrations to ask forMSDS for each Annex I cargo andmarine oil fuel on board.

Also after that date, all foreign-flagged vessels under the SOLASconvention at U.S. ports shouldexpect the USCG to ask for MSDSin fulfillment of the United States’duties as a party to the SOLAS con-vention.

The USCG expects that ship’spersonnel receive MSDS in a work-ing language or languages under-stood by them, and also expectsthat occupational exposure limitsreferenced in a MSDS be based onan internationally recognized stan-dard.

The IMO has recommended aformat for the MSDS and the USCGencourages the use of this recom-mended format and content, whichis set out in the notice.

Some nations party to the SOLASconvention may require MSDS tofollow the IMO recommendationsfor format and content.

In most cases, vessels will al-ready have MSDS for all cargoesthat usually will contain the rec-ommended information. In somecases, certain recommended datamay not apply to the bulk liquid inquestion (data not applicableshould be so noted). However,some member nations may requireall of the recommended informa-tion.

The notice is available at theOffice of the Federal Register PublicInspection Desk at www.federal-register.gov. After publication, itwill be available in the Federal Reg-ister and at www.regulations.gov,docket number: USCG-2009-0553.

MSDS tankerrequirementmoves forward

Anti-piracy mission off Somalia warnsof more attacks as weather changes

MAAP, From Page 1

economy is growing rapidly,highly skilled local seamen tounderpin Vietnam’s maritimesociety are necessary. As such,Vietnam said it was grateful tothe JSU for working on the VSUPtraining and education programs,which have contributed to devel-oping Vietnamese seamen.

As for a vocational college inVinh, located in central Vietnam,which is under discussion for thepurpose of securing workers formarine, transport and port indus-tries, Vietnam stated that it wouldrecruit teachers and develop cur-ricula. It also said that it wouldlike to begin designing and con-structing the school during thethird quarter.

Graduation and entrance cere-monies were held for fifty-two21-year and fifty 22nd-year stu-dents, respectively, in Ho ChiMinh City on June 5 and HaiPhong on June 6, witnessing theattendance of many guests fromJapanese and Vietnamese mar-itime industries.

The ceremonies were all suc-cessful, with most of the guestssaying that they were grateful tothe JSU for contributing to thedevelopment of Vietnamese sea-men.

ITF East Asia FOC/POC campaign

On June 14-16, the ITF East

Asia Flag of Convenience/Port ofConvenience (FOC/POC) cam-paign was carried out at 38 portsin 15 regions across Japan. TheJSU worked together with theNational Council of Dockworkers’Unions of Japan and the JapaneseConfederation of Port and HarborTransport Workers’ Unions, aswell as seafarer and dockworkerunions of South Korea, Taiwanand Russia.

From South Korea, the head ofthe Korea Special Seafarers’Union (KSSU) and the directorgeneral of the union’s internation-al bureau joined the campaign.They participated in the protest infront of Kotoku Kaiun’s headoffice and the inspections at thePort of Yokohama.

The JSU made exchanges withthe KSSU in order to enhance itsinternational cooperation withother countries.

Working toward safety and theconclusion of the ITF agreements,the JSU-led party conductedprotest rallies and activities(appeal activities) against KotokuKaiun’s FOC fleet, Hong Kong-flagged unorganized FOC ships,Singapore-flagged unorganizedFOC ships, other unorganizedships, and others to beware of,based on the councils by seafar-ers and dockworkers to addressthe FOC/POC issues, which hadbeen established across Japan.

It was also confirmed that theactivities had advanced steadily inJapan, Russia, South Korea, andTaiwan.

Campaign activities includedthe following:

(a) The JSU visited 121 ships toconduct onboard inspections.

(b) The JSU supported crew-members of four ships to settletheir complaints.

(c) 10 vessels agreed to signthe ITF agreements.

(d) Negotiations began forsigning the ITF agreements witheight vessels.

(e) 15 ships were requested toundergo port state control (PSC)inspections and/or receive in-struction for improvements.

(f) One ship was found to havea problem with its side ladder;one ship was pointed out to havea problem with its manning stan-dards; and 13 ships were foundto lift their side ladders in unsafemanners and/or violate seafarers’rights of organization.

Activities for the ITF agree-ments to be signed included thefollowing:

(a) Protest in front of the headoffice of Kotoku Kaiun in Ima-bari, Ehime prefecture

On July 14, a group of 42, con-sisting mainly of seamen anddockworkers in the Chugoku andShikoku regions, as well as repre-sentatives from the JSU headquar-ters, made a protest march to thehead office of Kotoku Kaiun.

As the company dealt with theprotestors dishonestly, saying thatit never ordered crewmembers ofits vessel to reject others fromembarking, the group read a let-ter of protest, yelled and voiced

their discontents, and distributedfliers in front of the head office.

(b) The campaign staged pro-test rallies against six vesselsowned by Kotoku Kaiun.

(c) The campaign conductedprotest and appeal activitiesagainst seven vessels owned byKotoku Kaiun.

Background

Kotoku Kaiun is an Imabari-based midsize shipping companythat owns approximately 30 FOCships. As it has not signed anyappropriate ITF labor agreementsthat meet international standards,we, seafarer and dockworkerunions, have been recommend-ing the company to sign them forseveral years now.

However, Kotoku Kaiun hasnever intended to hold negotia-tions with us, and intercepts con-versations that we try to makewith crewmembers of its ships byasking them to close walkwaysand lift up side ladders.

These acts are strictly prohibit-ed and are malicious illegalbehaviors according to interna-tional laws and the Constitutionof Japan.

Therefore, we are carrying outinternational campaigns to makeKotoku Kaiun sign the ITF agree-ments, which clarifies seafarers’rights and to ensure that dock-workers are responsible for cargohandling activities, both of whichare minimum international andsocial requirements.