NAUTILUS. de jaar ème année. Maandelijkse vergadering Réunion mensuelle

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1 NAUTILUS Maandblad van het Koninklijk Belgisch Zeemanscollege v.z.w. Revue mensuelle du Collège Royal Maritime Belge a.s.b.l. Zetel / Siège: Stella Maris Italiëlei Antwerpen Permanent secretariaat / Secrétariat permanent: dinsdag en donderdag / mardi et jeudi: h & h Mw. Caroline Smits Tel.: / Fax: kbz.crmb@telenet.be Website: Bankrekening / Compte bancaire: IBAN: BE BIC: KREDBEBB BTW-nummer / Numéro TVA: BE Raad van Bestuur / Conseil d Administration 2013 Voorzitter / Président: A. Pels Ondervoorzitters / Vice-Présidents: A. Annaert, I. De Cauwer*, D. Vanderplasschen Schatbewaarder / Trésorier: D. Vanderplasschen Secretaris-generaal / Secrétaire-général J.Cuyt Raadsleden / Membres du Conseil: T. Aga*, P. Boyens*, T. Coornaert*, J. Cuyt, J. De Bock*, M. De Cocker, F. Doomen*, C. Lacroix*, C. Maerten, W. Mazijn, J. S Jegers*, R. Van Damme*, H. Van Herendael*, K. Van Overloop* 104 de jaar ème année Maandelijkse lunch Lunch mensuel Maandelijkse lunch Lunch mensuel Bestuursvergadering Réunion du Conseil Maandelijkse vergadering Réunion mensuelle DRAKENBOOTRACE Maandelijke lunch Lunch mensuel LEDEN / MEMBRES AGENDA juli-augustus juillet- août donderdag, 18 juli jeudi, 18 juillet donderdag, 22 augustus jeudi, 22 août dinsdag, 3 september mardi, 3 septembre dinsdag, 3 september mardi, 3 septembre donderdag, 22 augustus jeudi, 22 août donderdag, 18 juli jeudi, 18 juillet Nieuwe leden / Nouveaux membres (juni 2013) Werden aanvaard als toegetreden leden vanaf : Ont été acceptés comme membres adhérents depuis DUBOIS Gildas, STAS Adriaan, UYTTEBROUK Alexandra, VANDENBOSSCHE Jonathan,VANDEWALLE Rienert, VANDEWALLE Tiemon Overlijden Op 22 juni overleed ons medelid Kapt.t.l.o. Arnold CLAUS (zie in Memoriam). Geboren te Menen op 17 oktober 1924, en overleden te Wilrijk op 88 jarige leeftijd. Het KBZ biedt aan de familie zijn oprechte gevoelens van medeleven aan om à 12h00 om à 12h00 om à 19h30 om à 20h00 Zie NAUTILUS Voir NAUTILUS om à 12h00 Consulteer ook de MARITIEME AGENDA / Consultez également l AGENDA MARITIME AANDACHT / ATTENTION In de maand augustus hebben er geen vergaderingen plaats De maandelijkse lunch gaat elke maand wel door, ook in augustus ( !!!) En août il n y aura pas de réunions Le lunch mensuel aura bien lieu chaque mois, même en août ( !!!) Bestuurssecretaris / Secrétaire de direction: J. Gleissner * varend lid / membre naviguant Lidgeld / Cotisation: e 75,00 Studenten HZS / Etudiants ESN: e 40,00 Steunend lid / membre soutenant: e 55,00 Abonnement : e 55,00 (excl. BTW) Alle artikels worden gepubliceerd onder de verantwoordelijkheid van de auteurs en vertolken niet noodzakelijk de mening van het KBZ Tous les articles sont publiés sous l entière responsabilité de leurs auteurs et ne reflètent pas nécessairement la conception du CRMB. Omslag / Couverture: Dover Lighthouse Olieverfschilderij van / Peinture à l huile de André Paquet Verantwoordelijke Uitgever / Editeur Responsable: KBZ Italiëlei Antwerpen INHOUD / SOMMAIRE Info-Agenda 217 In Memoriam 219 KBZ / CRMB - Verslag maandelijkse vergadering Hot topics op de KBZ-agenda 223 Open Forum / Forum ouvert - Are ships too big to save? 226 Ship Management - IMO seeks to cut ship paperwork 229 Criminalisation - Career plan: become master, get arrested 230 Electronics - Governments confront rising threat to ships from signal jamming 233 Piraterij / Piraterie - G8 Ransom Ban Anti-piracy support group backs new film A Hijacking Private maritime security companies 236 World Shipping - Après le Canal de Panama, voici celui de Nicaragua! 237 Koopvaardij / Marine Marchande - L un de dernières géants en cale sèche. 240 Scheepvaartongevallen / Sinistres Maritimes - Costa Concordia investigation report published 241 De Belgische vlag van toen / Le pavillon Belge autrefois - Het grootste houten zeilschip: Schaldis 247 Vacature - Port of zeebrugge 250 Nautilus, juli-augustus

2 Bredastraat B-2060 antwerpen tel.: Fax.: Boomkorstraat 2 - B-8380 ZeeBrugge tel: Fax: telex: vhulle-b - info@vanhulleships.be - mob Nautilus, juli-augustus 2013 tel. after hours: zeebrugge@vanhulleships.be - info@vanhulleships.be

3 IN MEMORIAM Ere-bestuurslid Kapt. Arnold CLAUS overleden Zaterdag 22 juni werd in de Sint-Antoniuskerk in Antwerpen kapt. t.l.o. Arnold Claus begraven. Hij overleed op 88-jarige leeftijd. Kapt. Claus kon terugblikken op een rijk gevulde carrière, die hij in 1991 afsloot als directeur van het maritieme verzekeringskantoor Belgibo. Hij had in de loop der jaren dan ook een reputatie van maritiem verzekeringsexpert verworven. Zijn wieg stond in Menen in 1924, dus ver van de zee maar dat belette hem niet om in 1943 toch de weg naar de Hogere Zeevaartschool in Antwerpen te vinden waar hij in 1945 het brevet van aspirant-officier ter-lange-omvaart behaalde. Op 18 maart van datzelfde jaar monsterde hij al bij de toenmalige rederij Deppe en doorliep er de hele hiërarchie van lichtmatroos/matroos/bootsman tot en met 1 ste officier en kapitein-hoofdinstructeur. Hij behaalde het brevet van kapitein-ter-lange-omvaart in In 1957 ging hij bij Deppe in waldienst. Zijn carrière bij genoemde rederij tekende hem dan ook als Deppe-man. Na de overname door CMB, maakte hij met een aantal kaderleden de rederij UBEM operationeel. Arnold Claus werd er hoofd van de nautische dienst en gevolmachtigde en richtte er de maritieme expertise-afdeling op. Vervolgens ging hij over naar de rederij Bocimar als operations manager/gevolmachtigde en hij leidde er tevens het verzekerings- en claims-departement. Hij was lid van het Koninklijk Belgisch Zeemanscollege sinds 1953, en van 1958 tot 1978 was hij bestuurder van het KBZ. Na zijn pensionering in 1991 bleef hij zeer actief in tal van sociale en maritieme organisaties. Zo was hij o.a. voorzitter van de Rotary Club Antwerpen-West en organiseerde mee de voorlichtingsavonden voor de laatste-jaars humaniora waarbij hij ook de zeevaartstudies aan bod liet komen. (JG) De raad van bestuur en de leden van het KBZ bieden de familie Claus hun oprechte deelneming aan bij het overlijden van een van hun oudste en trouwste leden. (JG) Nautilus, juli-augustus

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5 KBZ KBZ CRMB CRMB VERSLAG MAANDELIJKSE VERGADERING (4 juni 2013) RAPPORT REUNION MENSUELLE (4 juin 2013) Op de maandelijkse ledenvergadering van dinsdag, 4 juni 2013, stonden o.m. volgende onderwerpen op de agenda: Leden Werden aanvaard als toegetreden lid vanaf : DUBOIS Gildas, STAS Adriaan, UYTTEBROUK Alexandra, VANDENBOSSCHE Jonathan, VANDEWALLE Rienert, VANDEWALLE Tiemon. Info-avond studenten HZS De info-avond voor de studenten van de HZS op woensdag, 15 mei wordt als positief geëvalueerd. Ook de nieuwe formule waarbij elk van de potentiële werkaanbieders een eigen standje hadden, scheen erg te worden gewaardeerd zowel door de studenten als door de aanwezige werkgevers en andere informanten. Alleen lag de opkomst van de studenten lager dan vorige jaren. Seminarie over de nieuwe Belgische wet op de privémilities De Secretaris-generaal vestigt nogmaals de aandacht op het seminarie over de nieuwe Belgische wet op de privémilities, dat op 25 juni wordt georganiseerd op initiatief van het KBZ, en met de medewerking van de Koninklijke Belgische Redersvereniging, de Belgische Vereniging voor Zeerecht, de Belgische Zeevaartbond en de Koninklijke Belgische Marine Akademie (zie aankondiging in Nautilus mei en juni). IFSMA/CESMA Secretaris-generaal Kapt. J.Cuyt vertegenwoordigde het KBZ op de Jaarlijkse Algemene Vergadering van IFSMA in Melbourne (16 en 17 april) en van CESMA in Nantes (10 en 11 mei) en brengt daarover bondig verslag uit. CAO Koopvaardij Nadat het KBZ de Kon. Belgische Redersvereniging had gewezen op het probleem van de afgestudeerden van de HZS die onvoldoende vaartijd hebben om als wachtoverste te worden tewerkgesteld, en bijgevolg ernstige problemen ondervonden om hun zeegaande carrière aan te vatten, kon Secretaris-generaal J.Cuyt aankondigen dat er een aanpassing van de CAO-Koopvaardij in de maak was, waarbij een nieuwe functie in het leven wordt geroepen: Aspirant (officier of werktuigkundige) zonder STCW Varia Volgende onderwerpen kwamen ter sprake: dossier Charlesville, dossier Belgica, Jaarverslag Belgische Redersvereniging, Day of the Seafarer ( ) Lors de la réunion mensuelle des membres du 4 juin 2013 les points suivants étaient à l ordre du jour : Membres : Sont acceptés comme nouveaux membres à partir du : DUBOIS Gildas,STAS Adriaan, UYTTEBROUK Alexandra ;VANDENBOSSCHE Jonathan, VANDEWALLE Rienert, VANDEWALLE Tiemon. Soirée-info pour les étudiants de l ESNA : La soirée-info pour les étudiants de l ESNA s est avérée positive. La nouvelle formule avec laquelle chaque employeur potentiel disposait d un stand séparé a été fort appréciée, tant par les étudiants que par les employeurs et autres informateurs. Le seul bémol fut le nombre moins élevé d étudiants présents par rapport aux années précédentes. Séminaire sur la nouvelle loi Belge sur les milices privées : Le secrétaire général attire à nouveau l attention sur le séminaire du 25 juin traitant le thème de la nouvelle loi belge sur les milices privées et qui sera organisé par le CRMB avec la collaboration de l Union Royale des Armateurs Belges, l association Belge de Droit Maritime, la Ligue Maritime Belge et l Académie Royale de Marine de Belgique (voir l annonce dans le Nautilus de mai et juin). IFSMA/CESMA : Le secrétaire général Capt. J. Cuyt a représenté le CRMB lors des Assemblées Générales Annuelles de l IFSMA à Melbourne (les 16 et 17 avril) et du CESMA à Nantes (les 10 et 11 mai) et nous en fait les rapports circonstanciés. CCT Marine Marchande : A la suite de l intervention du CRMB auprès de l Union Royale Belge des Armateurs au sujet de la problématique des étudiants sortis de l ESNA ne possédan pas suffisamment de temps de navigation pour être engagés comme chef de quart et qui de ce fait rencontrent de gros problèmes pour entamer une carrière maritime, le SG J. Cuyt nous a annoncé qu une adaptation au CCT- Marine Marchande était en élaboration et qu une nouvelle fonction d «Aspirant Officier sans STWC (pont ou machine)» y verrait le jour. Divers : Les sujets suivants furent également discutés : le dossier «Charlesville», le dossier «Belgica», le rapport annuel de l Union Royale des Armateurs Belges ainsi que le «Day of the Seafarer» ( ). Traduction Néerlandais > Français par Marc Sohie Maandelijkse KBZ-lunch Zin in een gezellige lunch, niet duur ( 28,00 all-in), met oude(re) en jonge(re) collega s? Kom dan naar de Captain s Lounge, Beatrijslaan Antwerpen( linker-oever) op donderdag, 18 juli en donderdag, 22 augustus van 12u00 tot 14u00 Iedereen welkom: leden, niet-leden, sympathisanten, jong, oud! Nautilus, juli-augustus

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7 KBZ KBZ CRMB CRMB HOT TOPICS OP DE KBZ-AGENDA (Ledenvergadering van ) Aspirant zonder STCW krijgt meer kansen op arbeidsmarkt (na interventie KBZ) Het Zeemanscollege doet er wel toe! Dat wordt bewezen door de aanpassing van de ontwerp-cao Koopvaardij waarbij een nieuwe graad werd ingelast: aspirant zonder STCW. Hiermee wordt tegemoet gekomen aan een verzuchting van veel afgestudeerde studenten, die nu moeilijk een job vinden omdat ze onvoldoende vaartijd kunnen voorleggen om hun STCW te verkrijgen en dus minder goed liggen op de arbeidsmarkt. Nu kunnen ze als aspirant zonder STCW aanmonsteren en aldus hun 12 maanden verplichte vaartijd volmaken. (Van deze 12 maanden wordt al zeven maanden erkend als stage na volledige simulatortraining.) De aanpassing kwam er nadat een van de jongere pas afgestudeerde leden, optredend als tolk voor zijn collega s, op de maandelijkse vergadering van het KBZ de aandacht van de aanwezigen had gevestigd op deze discriminatie. Immers afgestudeerden van de andere maritieme instituten in België, die meer gelegenheden voor stages kregen, studeerden wel af met STCW, konden dus onmiddellijk worden aangemonsterd als wachtoverste terwijl HZS-afgestudeerden die geen vaartijd hadden opgebouwd tijdens de vakanties op de keien bleven staan. Ook met de afgestudeerden van Nederlandse zeevaartscholen werd diezelfde discriminatie ervaren. Het bestuur van het Zeemanscollege nam de klacht van de jonge leden ernstig en schreef een brief aan de Belgische Redersvereniging, die het probleem erkende en daarop een aanpassing van de cao voorstelde. Die werd bekend gemaakt op de maandelijkse vergadering van het KBZ, dinsdag 4 juni; en meer hadden voorzitter Alain Pels en secretaris-generaal Jef Cuyt niet nodig om de tussenkomst van het KBZ bij deze in de verf te zetten. Piraterij blijft hot item Een ander agendapunt betrof het seminarie over de nieuwe Belgische wet op de privé-milities; eveneens een initiatief van het KBZ, voorzien op dinsdag 25 juni om 17.30u in de HZS en waarvoor grote belangstelling bestaat want verscheidene maritieme verenigingen hebben hun steun en medewerking toegezegd: Belgische Vereniging voor Zeerecht (BvZ), Koninklijke Belgische Redersvereniging (KBRV), Belgische Zeevaartbond (BZB) en Koninklijke Belgische Marine Academie (KBMA). De Secretaris-generaal van de BZB suggereerde om bij de personeelsdiensten van de Belgische rederijen te vragen dat ze al hun varende officieren die op dat ogenblik aan land zijn, zouden wijzen op het evenement omdat de problematiek in de eerste plaats de varenden aanbelangt. Rederijen deden dit trouwens al op eigen initiatief. Het seminarie-idee lokte op de maandelijkse vergadering een golf van reacties los. Zo werd in de eerste plaats betreurd dat van de wet nog steeds geen uitvoeringsbesluiten in het Staatsblad werden gepubliceerd zodat deze ook niet kan worden toegepast op Belgische vlag-schepen. Weliswaar zouden overgangsmaatregelen worden gehanteerd met hetzelfde effect maar als correct werd dit niet ervaren. Verscheidene leden verhaalden ook hun ervaringen met piraterij. Een recent gepensioneerde kapitein die een rederijfunctie had in de Cariben en dus ook met het fenomeen werd geconfronteerd, getuigde in een brief dat schepen met gewapende guards aan boord niet worden aangevallen. Volgens hem lijkt bewapening hét antwoord te zijn op het fenomeen-piraterij. Positief over armed guards Een ander medelid, met ervaring met armed guards aan boord, getuigde over de grote professionaliteit en correct gedrag van deze manschappen aan boord; doorgaans oud-commando s of marines. Zij vatten hun opdracht aan boord aan met verschillende briefings; met de scheepsstaf afzonderlijk, met alle officieren en ten slotte met de gehele bemanning. Daarbij worden alle mogelijke scenario s besproken en tegenmaatregelen voorgesteld. Zij gedragen zich ook zeer discreet aan boord en laten zich niet verleiden door een glaasje alcohol. De algemene indruk op de vergadering was dan ook dat de dreiging van piraterij was afgenomen sinds koopvaardijschepen bewapend zijn en mede dankzij uitstekende communicatie met de navy s (ondermeer Atalante, van de EU-landen) die in de bedreigde gebieden opereren. Er werden ook enkele vuistregels in herinnering gebracht: bij nadering van verdachte vaartuigen zo mogelijk de snelheid opvoeren tot min. 18 kn., brandslangen en sterke schijnwerpers in de aanslag. Fatigue Het probleem van de fatigue aan boord laat de varenden evenmin onberoerd en op de vergadering wijdde secretarisgeneraal Cuyt uit over het Horizon-project van de Southampton Solent University, waarin onder meer ECSA, de Europese Redersvereniging participeert; waarmee is aangetoond dat het probleem de reders evenmin onberoerd laat. Daarin is sprake van het systeem-martha, waarbij een aantal parameters worden gehanteerd waarmee de graad van fatigue bij bemanningen kan worden gemeten en ook kan worden voorspeld wanneer de vermoeidheid problematisch wordt om nog veilig aan boord te kunnen functioneren. Nautilus, juli-augustus

8 Members of the DEME Group Dredging International nv Haven Scheldedijk 30 B-2070 Zwijndrecht, België T F info@deme.be NV Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon Slijkensesteenweg 2 B-8400 Oostende, Belgium T F infodecloedt@deme.be DEME brengt innovatieve en op maat gesneden oplossingen voor een leefwereld in constante beweging. Onze wereld kent heel wat landschappen: het economische, het sociale, het fysische landschap. DEME laat overal zijn sporen na. Door onze unieke ervaring, gedreven specialisten en vernieuwingsdrang voelen wij ons steeds weer pioniers op onverkend terrein, waar ook ter wereld. We leggen steeds weer de basis voor nieuw duurzame ontwikkelingen op het land, op het water of in de zone daartussen. DEME is steeds op zoek naar nieuwe krachten om de bemanning van haar vloot uit te breiden. Gedreven vakmensen, stuurlieden en werktuigkundigen kunnen een kijkje nemen op DEME: creating land for the future 224 Nautilus, juli-augustus november

9 Ook hier volgden enkele reacties uit het leven gegrepen vooral uit de shortsea-sector waar s nachts wordt geladen/ gelost om dan onmiddellijk te vertrekken naar een volgende bestemming, in drukke vaarwaters bovendien zonder dat de officieren (beperkt in aantal) de nodige rust wordt gegund. Kapitein betaalt loods Vooral de kustvaart zou berucht zijn wat unsafe manning en overdreven fatigue betreft. Op sommige coasters lopen twee officieren zes op/zes af, wat voor het Zeemanscollege als onaanvaardbaar wordt bestempeld. Er werd nog een straffer staaltje uit het leven aangehaald: de kapitein die de loods uit eigen zak moet betalen! Safe manning kwam ook ter sprake op de Jaarlijkse Algemene Vergaderingen van IFSMA te Melbourne, en van CESMA in Nantes, die door secretaris-generaal Cuyt werden bijgewoond. Criminalisatie Daar stond ook de criminalisatie van de zeevarenden op de agenda. In Panama zit een Bulgaarse kapitein in erbarmelijke omstandigheden al twee jaar gevangen op verdenking van drugsmokkel maar zonder ooit in staat van beschuldiging te zijn gesteld. En de Amerikaanse Coast Guard weigerde een schip te laten aanmeren omdat de officier een minuscuul blaadje sla naast de afvalcontainer had gevonden. Belgica wordt stationaire replica Terloops werd ook vermeld dat het SIRMA-project door de directie van de HZS op hold werd gezet na een technisch incident aan boord van het zeiljacht. Nieuws over de bouw van de Belgica (replica van de historische Belgische Zuidpoolvaarder), zette een domper op het oorspronkelijke enthousiasme over dit project. Als het ooit wordt afgebouwd zal het een stilliggend replica in het Willemdok zijn; niet langer bedoeld of geschikt voor trainingstochten op zee. En verder werden vragen gesteld over de schipbreuk van de Charlesville tijdens de sleepreis van Rostock naar Klapeida, waar het schip nooit is toegekomen. Inmiddels is het technisch rapport over een ander rampschip, de Costa Concordia, te raadplegen op internet. Een jonge stuurman op de vergadering, die op cruiseschepen vaart, maakt gewag van veel strengere veiligheidsvoorschriften sinds het vergaan van de Costa-boot. En een ander lid meldt dat de ecologische maatregelen voor zeeschepen werden aangescherpt. Binnen de 200 mijls zone mag geen spoelwater uit de ruimen van een bulkcarrier nog overboord worden gepompt. Opslaan in een ballasttank en afgeven in de eerstvolgende haven aub. JG De Gerlache Brabo 20 l Nieuw: Schooltjalk de Gerlache l Gezelschappen tot 30 personen l Zowel korte vaarten als lange reizen al dan niet met catering l Kan op motor als onder zeil varen l Geschikt voor rondvaarten met groepen tot 18 personen l Ideaal kader om op een exclusieve manier de haven te ontdekken l Andere vaargebieden / bestemmingen zijn uiteraard ook mogelijk l Volledig uitgeruste keuken Verdere inlichtingen: cvba BRABO - Stieven Rottier - tel. 03/ info@brabo.com - Nautilus, juli-augustus

10 OPEN OPEN FORUM FORUM Wat te denken van? FORUM FORUM OUVERT OUVERT Que penser de? As ships continue to get bigger and bigger, and crews smaller and smaller, Michael Grey asks: what can seafarers really do when things go wrong on board? ARE SHIPS TOO BIG TO SAVE? The year is years ago for ease of memory and your 6,000 ton cargo liner has become disabled, mid-ocean, with the rudder having rather unexpectedly fallen off. You are, however, not unduly dismayed. You all turn to, lash a couple of hatch-slabs to a derrick, which is slung over the poop, with a wire to each capstan, to effect a very serviceable juryrudder, and you're on your way again. Until 30 years ago, oral examinations for master's and mate's certificates would ask questions which would test your ability to respond to all sorts of terrible accidents at sea. The answers would invariably begin with the phrase "take three stout spars..." and while the scenarios they asked about might have appeared unlikely, the fact was that somebody sailed a 10,000 ton cargoship half way across an ocean after its engine had broken down by spreading out hatch tarpaulins as sails. Someone else had carried out stream anchors slung between two lifeboats, while another crew fashioned an effective sea anchor out of canvas and...wait for it...three stout spars. Their crafty interventions made an impact. Fast-forward 60 years and just imagine what you might do when an alarm rings on your 15,000 teu containership and somebody bounds into the wheelhouse to tell you the rudder has fallen off. Or if there is a horrible crash from the engine room of your 400,000 dwt bulk carrier in the middle of the ocean and it turns out the crankshaft has sheared. Where is your ability to intervene in the same way that your energetic forebears had rushed around with ropes and canvas and winches and derricks? Sorry, not a chance. MOL Comfort with fractured hull - Indian Ocean, June * Of course, there is no comparison between then and now. Back then, your 6,000 ton cargo liner probably had a crew of 60 tough hands aboard and the ship would be well-found with derricks and tackles, ropes and canvas, and plenty of stout spars. Well-trained seafarers were still able to intervene in maritime accidents, and prevent them from becoming maritime emergencies. Human beings were not dwarfed by the ships they sailed in, and could successfully make a difference. Today, the scale of modern ships, along with the amazingly small numbers of seafarers aboard them makes any sort of intervention like that next to impossible. In circumstances where a ship is disabled, the master can really only call for salvage tugs, or in particularly dire circumstances, scream for a helicopter or lifeboat. But even expert salvors have started to become concerned at their ability to provide meaningful assistance as ships continue to grow in size and crews shrink. At a recent meeting in London, Andreas Tsavliris, president of the International Salvage Union, suggested that while professional salvors don't wall away from any sort of problem, some of the "mega-ships' now entering service were so huge that they were "beyond problem-solving" should they become casualties. 226 Nautilus, juli-augustus 2013

11 In practical terms, what can you really do if an 18,000 teu containership, with laden boxes eight high on the hatches, runs disastrously aground, miles from any help? Or if it catches fire, with dangerous cargo in the deck stow? What steps can you take if a 400,000 dwt VLOC fully laden with ore is taking on water, or there is a giant cruise ship in trouble, with 7,000 souls on board. These examples aren't just fiction, but worries that keep competent, capable salvors awake at night. Are ships simply too big? Are their crews far, far, too small, rattling around in these giant floating objects, scarcely seeing each other as they rotate from work, to mealtimes, to some sort of leisure, to sleep. Years ago, when the writer Noel Mostert took a trip on one of the "first generation" very large crude carriers, he wrote in his famous book Supership about feeling an "unpleasant loneliness growing from this apprehension of the ship's gloomy distances", being aboard a "mechanical desert" which made the people on board feel like they were inconsequential. Since then ships have got a lot bigger, crews very much smaller, but this trend is the reality of 21 st century sea life. This is news we re all familiar with, and there are many welfare services available to seafarers to help them come to terms with the psychological side of these issues. But it is really quite worrying if the experts who spend their lives salvaging wrecked or disabled ships are questioning their ability to intervene, with all their powerful tugs and salvage pumps and specialist plant. We have already had containerships of relatively modest size giving salvors no end of trouble as they have tried to extricate them from groundings, fires, structural problems and the like. More than a year after she grounded, the wreck of the Costa Concordia still lies off the Italian coast as salvors struggle to cope with one of the biggest wreck removal operations ever attempted. It is not really enough to suggest that these giant ships are run by operators who move heaven and earth to keep them safe. Both history and even a small sense of reality tells us that sooner or later one of the world's biggest ships will be in trouble, and somebody will have to sort it out. At that stage, seamanship and stout spars will be of little help. The Sea May/June 2013 *Picture inserted by the Nautilus Editor De redactie aanvaardt met dank alle commentaar op de artikels onder de rubriek Open Forum La rédaction accepte avec reconnaissance tous commentaires concernant les articles sous la rubrique «Forum Ouvert» Tel : Fax : brokers.chr@cobelfret.com Nautilus, juli-augustus

12 DE START van een BOEIENDE CARRIERE De vraag naar hoogopgeleide koopvaardijofficieren is groot. Ook de vraag van de maritieme industrie naar ex-zeevarenden overtreft ruimschoots het aanbod. Goedbetaalde tewerkstelling is dus zowel tijdens als na de vaartijd verzekerd! De Hogere Zeevaartschool is de enige hogeschool in België die hiervoor de gepaste opleidingen (in het Nederlands en in het Frans) aanbiedt: Bachelor & Master in de Nautische Wetenschappen Bachelor in de Scheepswerktuigkunde Geïnteresseerd in een boeiende maritieme carrière? Bezoek onze website voor meer informatie. 228 Nautilus, Nautilus, juli-augustus februari 2013

13 SHIP MANAGEMENT SHIP MANAGEMENT IMO SEEKS TO CUT SHIP PAPERWORK The International Maritime Organisation announced a plan last month to reduce unnecessary paperwork in the shipping industry. The first step is a six-month consultation for seafarers and other industry personnel to have their say via an online questionnaire. The global maritime regulator then intends to review the administrative requirements contained in IMO instruments and purge those that have become 'unnecessary disproportionate or even obsolete'. The IMO believes that this overhaul would not only be beneficial in its own right, but would also help to release resources that could then be channelled towards improving safety and security in shipping and reducing its negative impact on the environment. IMO secretary-general Koji Sekimizu said: 'There has long been a feeling in the industry that there is too much wasted paperwork. This is the start of our efforts to tackle that problem. I would urge as many people as possible to take part in this consultation as only with a strong set of data can we meaningfully identify where changes may be necessary.' The IMO's facilitation committee recently heard from a serving shipmaster how unnecessary paperwork is wasting time, undermining safety and costing the industry millions. Captain Christian Rørbeck, who has served as a master on Danish containerships for the past nine years, told the IMO's facilitation committee that action is needed to cut the administrative burden - including simplified and uniform forms, and electronic pre-arrival reporting. The presentation was made in support of Danish moves to reduce the red tape requirements for shipping. Speaking on behalf of the International Federation of Ship Masters' Associations, Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson supported the initiative - highlighting one case in which a total of 142 multiple copies of paper forms were required to clear in and out of a single port. 'We need to take this industry from the 18th to the 21 st century' he told the meeting. 'The burden must be lifted from shipmasters.' Captain Rørbeck - who has made more than 450 port calls in 28 different countries as a master - highlighted the varied requirements for pre-arrival documents, with ports often having different deadlines for submitting ahead of arrival. He also described the huge variations in the documents required by ports around the world, with some countries asking for special versions of crew arrival and departure lists, stores declarations, crew effects declarations, health documents, and waste and ISPS forms. Some ports have special requirements for the format of crew lists, he pointed out, and details are normally given as surname, given name - but some ports insist on the reverse order, some don't allow commas between the names, some want 'Mr' and some don't. 'The issue here is of course that all these changes have to be made manually, as the standard format is standard,' said Capt Rørbeck. 'This is rather time-consuming and can cause delays.' He told the meeting how the workload was increased by additional reporting requirements even for port calls in the same country. 'To travel six Schengen countries, I have to prepare 80 documents and send 42 documents in advance,' he pointed out. In some ports, cargo operations cannot start before the paperwork is done - and with 52 calls a year to one such port, he estimated the resulting delays would total at least US$ 91,000. The workload also diverts masters and officers from other important ship-related duties, Capt Rørbeck stressed. The IMO consultation on administrative burdens will run until 31 October. To take part, go to: Reduction of Administrative Burdens Through resolution A.1043(27), the 27th Assembly in November 2011 adopted a process of periodic review of administrative requirements in mandatory instruments, and acknowledged that releasing resources from administrative tasks for Administrations and industry alike, contributes to the Organization's goals of efficient regulation of safety and security of shipping and the prevention and control of pollution by ships. A public consultation will take place until 31 October 2013 in order to receive input from all stakeholders on which administrative requirements are considered to be burdens. The Ad Hoc Steering Group for Reducing Administrative Requirements (SG-RAR), established by the Council at its 108th session in 2012, will evaluate the responses received in the public consultation and develop recommendations on how to alleviate administrative burdens that have become unnecessary, disproportionate or even obsolete. The recommendations will be presented to the Council in due course. Telegraph June 2013 (and the IMO website) Nautilus, juli-augustus

14 CRIMINALISATION CRIMINALISATION CAREER PLAN: 1. BECOME MASTER 2. GET ARRESTED According to new research, the criminalisation of seafarers is now such a serious problem that junior officers are actually deterred from seeking promotion in case being a higher rank puts them in the line of fire More than 85% of seafarers are concerned about the threat of facing criminal charges arising from their work, a worldwide study has found. And the fear of being scapegoated or unfairly treated means almost half feel reluctant to cooperate with authorities investigating accidents or incidents, the research reveals. The findings from a questionnaire completed by almost 3,500 seafarers from 18 countries were presented at the landmark 100 th session of the International Maritime Organisation's (lmo) legal committee in London. The 12-month research project was carried out by Seafarers' Rights International (SRI) to highlight seafarers' experiences of facing criminal charges, their perceptions of the risks and the consequences of facing court proceedings. It found that just over 8% of seafarers had faced criminal charges, almost 4% had been witnesses in criminal prosecutions and almost onethird knew colleagues who had ended up in court. Worryingly, nine in every 10 seafarers who had faced criminal charges had not had legal representation and more than 90% were not given interpretation services when they were needed. Fewer than 12% of those who had faced criminal charges had their legal rights explained to them, and fewer than one in five considered that they had received fair treatment. One seafarer told researchers: 'l have saved the lives of my entire crew and there wasn't any casualty, neither leaking. But I was treated like an enemy of the nation.' Some 80% of the seafarers who had faced criminal charges said they had felt intimidated or threatened. One commented: 'They put guns to our heads - I thought they were going to kill us.' Feedback gathered in the research underlined concerns about the frequent lack of due process for seafarers accused of crimes following incidents at sea - especially as a result of an increase in the number of regulations covering shipping operations. 'We have become soft targets for countries who just wish to put the blame on us,' one seafarer complained. 'This is the only industry in which a person is fined for criminal prosecution when in his whole life he has been a totally law-abiding citizen and for something that probably was no mistake of his,' another added. Just over46% said they would be reluctant to cooperate fully and openly with casualty inquiries and accident investigators because of concerns they could be implicated in a crime, because they do not trust the authorities, and because they are concerned that cooperation would have a prejudicial effect upon their employment. The survey also showed the scale of ship searches by the authorities - with more than 63% of seafarers who had faced charges reporting that their cabins had been searched without warrants and almost 44% saying that they had been bodily searched. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the survey showed that masters experienced the highest rate of criminal charges accounting for 23.3% of the total, against 1.6% for oilers, the rank least exposed to court proceedings. The report warns that 'otherwise ambitious and well-qualified officers are declining promotion to senior ranks 'because of the fear that this would increase their chances of ending up in court. 'There are documented cases of senior officers electing to terminate their careers because of a brush with the law or deciding to seek alternative employment that would leave them less vulnerable to criminal prosecution,' it adds. The most common reasons for being prosecuted were : pollution collision fatal accident breaching port rules drug abuse violating customs rules One positive finding was that more than two-thirds of the seafarers who had faced charges had them dropped, while just under one-third were convicted of the actual charge or a lesser charge. 230 Nautilus, februari 2013

15 The IMO legal committee was presented with suggestions from seafarers on how to improve the situation. The meeting heard that many seafarers want more information, education, training and guidance on the risks they face as a result of exposure to different foreign laws. Feedback from the seafarers taking part in the survey also emphasised the need for them to be given better advice on their rights if they are defendants, complainants or witnesses. They also called for good and free legal representation when facing criminal charges, fair processes and fair treatment, a greater network of support from all the various stakeholders in the maritime industry if they do face criminal charges, and more uniform laws and procedures given the wide range of different crimes to which they are exposed. '...At present a seafarer is a world traveller treated by the authorities as a second-class citizen,' one respondent complained. No civilian, businessman or tourist would have experienced such treatment without a scandal.' The IMO meeting which was attended by 38 member government delegations and 20 non-governmental organisations - agreed that the issue of fair treatment of seafarers in the event of a maritime accident should remain on its agenda and be discussed again in The delegates were warned that the survey results 'strongly suggest 'that the rights of seafarers set out in the IMO/ILO international Guidelines on Fair Treatment of Seafarers in the event of a Maritime Accident are often violated. 'The message from seafarers is loud and clear,' said SRI [Seafarers Rights International] executive director Deirdre Fitzpatrick. 'seafarers are saying that their rights are theoretical and illusory; they need them to be practical and effective. 'Since criminal laws are largely tailored to nationals, they are an uneasy fit for foreign and temporary transnational workers,' she pointed out.' It is clear that seafarers are more exposed to criminal proceedings than many other workers and therefore need special assistance. 'The seafarers' suggestions for what is needed to improve their situation, or their perception of their situation, offer a challenge to the maritime industry and to prosecuting authorities generally, if seafaring is to remain a viable option for young people,' Ms Fitzpatrick warned. 'It seems that much remains to be done to protect this body of essential workers from unfairness and injustice but the effort is essential not only for the protection of serving seafarers, but also to improve the image of the profession for new recruits to come.' Telegraph Volume 46 Nr. 06 June 2013 ZEEBRUGGE EEN NETWERK VOOR EUROPA 2 miljoen TEU 1,7 miljoen nieuwe wagens 12,5 miljoen ton roro-ladingen 20 dagelijkse verbindingen met het V.K., Scandinavië en Zuid-Europa uitstekende distributiemogelijkheden in de Maritieme Logistieke Zone Rush hour at the Panama Canal Havenbestuur Zeebrugge Isabellalaan 1 - B Zeebrugge Tel. +32/50/ Fax +32/50/ mbz@zeebruggeport.be nautilus_2013.indd 1 24/01/ :26:09 Nautilus, juli-augustus

16 Mensen en schepen Dat is de kracht achter Jan De Nul Group. Dankzij de gedreven werknemers, vakkennis en de hypermoderne vloot staat de groep vandaag aan de top van de internationale baggerindustrie en is de firma een van de grootste aannemersbedrijven op vlak van civiele bouwkunde en milieuwerken. Dankzij de ondersteunende diensten rond de bagger divisie, civiele bouwkunde en de milieudivisie, kan Jan De Nul Group de meest grootschalige projecten tot in de puntjes verzorgen. Of het nu gaat om een Palm Island in Dubai, een afvalverwerkings installatie in Roemenië of om de bouw van het nieuwe sluizencomplex in het Panamakanaal. JAN DE NUL GROUP 34-36, Parc d Activités Capellen I Luxembourg T F I info@jandenulgroup.com 232 Nautilus, juli-augustus 2013

17 ELECTRONICS ELECTRONICS GOVERNMENTS CONFRONT RISING THREAT TO SHIPS FROM SIGNAL JAMMING Ships on the world's busiest waterways face growing threats to their satellite navigation systems, including jamming attacks, prompting Britain and South Korea to deploy back-up devices to avert potential disasters at sea. South Korea has already experienced waves of signal jamming since 2010 on ships and aircraft, its officials said. Vessels increasingly rely on systems that employ satellite signals to find a location or keep exact time, including the Global Positioning System (GPS). Experts say GPS is vulnerable to signal loss from solar weather effects or radio and satellite interference and can also be affected by intentional jamming by criminal gangs, nation states or potentially from militant groups. "When a ship loses GPS, multiple systems go down altogether and there is nothing which tells the captain this is due to jamming. The danger of a grounding or a collision is then ever present," said David Last, strategic advisor to the General Lighthouse Authorities of the UK and Ireland (GLA). "GPS failure on a dark night with low visibility is simply terrifying for a crew," Last said. Earlier this year the GLA launched a radio-based back-up system called eloran in the Dover Strait, one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. It plans a prototype roll-out of eloran at another six locations along Britain's east coast by mid The eloran system works on earth-based radio systems to provide alternative position and timing signals for navigation. Ships need to install receiver equipment. The GLA said vessels also had to contend with increasing numbers of obstacles such as oil rigs and wind farms. "Ships are larger these days and pass through hub routes with multiple choke points. They may be in oceans but there are still queues of ships moving through them," Last said. "Unless we have e-navigation supported by a resilient back-up system, the risks will grow." Jamming attacks GPS systems are vulnerable to jamming as disabling devices can be bought cheaply. Criminal gangs have been active on land around the English port of Dover, for instance, disabling trackers on high-value stolen cars. Signal jamming can also be used by countries. NATO defence ministers will hold a first-ever session on cyber security at talks in Brussels next week. While its focus has been on protecting its own communication systems, the Western alliance has been looking at expanding its role in protecting vital infrastructure such as ports, electricity grids and pipelines, fearing they are vulnerable to attacks from militants or hackers. Captain Tim Gallaudet of the U.S. Naval Observatory, citing a U.S. navy sailor recently returned from a deployment in the Middle East Gulf, pointed to signal disruptions close to Iran. "When transiting near the Iranian territorial sea limit in the northern Arabian Gulf, his ship consistently experienced interference with the vessel's GPS receivers, almost certainly due to intentional jamming," Gallaudet told a forum last month. He did not say who was responsible for the jamming. "I have navigated in that region on three different U.S. navy ships, and there are numerous oil platforms, areas of shoal water, and of course the Iranian territorial sea limit. So, the importance of assured PNT (positioning, navigation, and timing) capability in the region should be readily apparent." Following jamming attacks by North Korea, which South Korean officials say began about three years ago, Seoul saw the need for a back-up system and it is working to deploy eloran. During 2012 alone, 1,016 airplanes and 254 ships experienced GPS disruptions during 16 days of jamming by North Korea, Seoul officials said. Jiwon Seo at South Korea's Yonsei University, who is working with the government on its eloran programme, said Seoul expected an initial prototype system in "eloran is a very high-power terrestrial navigation system and it is virtually impossible to jam it," he said. "Once the Korean eloran system is operational, any neighbour countries receiving enough signal strength can use the signals for navigation. If Russia, China, and Japan also deploy eloran in the future, the eloran service coverage can be expanded to the entire northeast Asia." Source: Reuters From Maritime Press Clippings Nautilus, juli-augustus

18 PIRATERIJ PIRATERIJ PIRATERIE PIRATERIE G8 RANSOM BAN - PIRATES vs TERRORISTS It is perhaps embarrassing when your guests begin to disagree on matters, so it s always easier to try and steer the talk into safer, more agreeable territory. As the leaders at the G8 summit have been resolutely failing to agree on Syria, it seems their host UK Prime Minister David Cameron has decided to rally them all to the flag of agreeing to stamp out ransom payments to terrorist groups. Cameron has announced that up to $70m ( 45m) is estimated to have been paid to free Western hostages in the last three years an average of $2.5m ( 1.9m) for each captive and that a very strong declaration was expected. Mr Cameron called on private firms to follow the G8 s example and refuse to pay ransoms to kidnappers. Much of the money handed over is thought to go to terror groups including al-qaeda and its affiliates, and the Taliban. The Prime Minister, hosting the two-day G8 summit at Lough Erne, County Fermanagh, tweeted: Another #G8UK result: leaders agree to stamp out ransom payments to terrorists, calling on companies to follow lead. Inevitably when the word ransom is raised, attentions turn to Somalia and the kidnap epidemic which has exploded in the region. Thankfully things have calmed down, but at least 78 people are still being held captive by Somali pirates and their lives are in real danger. While the G8 focus, we are sure, was aimed at actions on land, the discussions have worryingly turned to piracy at sea. The upshot of the stamping out of ransoms is that it will be nigh on impossible to free seafarers if the Somali piracy plague emerges once again. Sadly it seems that lives will be put at risk based on the flimsy pretext that piracy supposedly funds terrorism. A claim which has repeatedly never stood up to scrutiny. It is positive that there is united determination within government to break the financial chain potentially funding terrorist groups, but it is simply not right to makes decisions driven by the mistaken acceptance that there is a link between the activities of the pirates and of terrorists. It has been confirmed in several authoritative reports and by EUNAVFOR that no direct link exists between pirates and terrorists and researchers almost always alight on the fact that piracy is a business model based on criminal activity, not terrorism. There is no shortage of research on the matter a 2010 paper from Karine Hamilton of Edith Cowan University entitled The Piracy and Terrorism Nexus: Real or Imagined? clearly states, the nature of terrorism and piracy in Somalia all point toward the conclusion that the two phenomenon are distinct from each other both in terms of geography and practice. While Lord Jopling the author of the NATO report The Growing Threat of Piracy, stated: There is so far no evidence of collusion between Somali pirates and Al-Shabaab Pirates activities are incompatible with the principles of Islam, and On the risk that the proceeds of piracy are used to finance terrorist organisations. here again, evidence of a direct link is so far lacking. a 2012, paper entitled Maritime Terrorism and Piracy: Existing and Potential Threats, by Eric Shea Nelson of Norwich University, VT stated that maritime terrorism and piracy are two distinct phenomena that are capable of being separated from one another. Nelson added that from his research It is clear that the perpetrators of these acts have different motivations and choose targets based upon separate objectives. He criticised the suggestion of a piracy-terrorism nexus and expressed concern that such misperception has profound implications and complicates policy development and implementation. The paper concluded that Policymakers need a clear understanding of maritime terrorism and piracy in order to overcome the inherent challenges of mitigating them. Simply banning piracy ransom payment based on the wrong assumption that they fund terrorists serves no positive purpose. With such bold and flawed pronouncements there are real concerns that individuals or companies will be prohibited from paying a ransom. Currently when crews are hijacked, shipowners have no option but secure the release of crews by the payment of ransoms, without this recourse shipowners would be effectively forced to abandon their crews to appalling treatment and an uncertain fate. A ban could also have a devastating effect on global trade and industry, if the capability to free hostages is removed, the risk of capture and almost certain death may well be too much for seafarers to bear, or indeed shipping companies to accept. They may simply have to vacate large swathes of ocean the pirates will have won a victory which no-one wants. 234 Nautilus, februari 2013

19 The announcement by Cameron seemingly ignores the UK Foreign Affairs Committee which just last year (January 2012) stated: the Government should not pay or assist in the payment of ransoms but nor should it make it more difficult for companies to secure the safe release of their crew by criminalising the payment of ransoms. Even Judges seem to recognise that payment of ransoms is currently the only guaranteed way to secure seafarers lives. As noted in a UK Commercial Court judgment on piracy ransoms in the UK (Masefield v Amlin [2010]) and which was subsequently confirmed by the UK Court of Appeal, Mr Justice David Steel) stated: He was unpersuaded that payment was contrary to public policy Payment of ransom is not illegal as a matter of English law Accepted that payments of ransom encourage a repetition, BUT If crews are to be taken out of harm s way, the only option is to pay the ransom. In short the only realistic and effective manner of obtaining the release of a vessel is the negotiation and payment of a ransom. There are some who even see that a ban on ransoms could violate the European Convention on Human Rights Article 2 the right to life and Article 3 the right to freedom from torture, inhumane and degrading treatment. Also a ban would likely lead to ransom payments being driven underground. We would lose the ability to track them and thus to capture and prosecute the pirates who kidnap seafarers. All in all, the basic premise of stopping terrorists receiving cash is a fair one but the minute there is a suggestion that piracy are lumped into the equation, then it is dangerous, inflammatory and plain wrong. We can only hope that someone in the decision chain knows the difference between terror and piracy. Shiptalk - June 18th, 2013 ANTI-PIRACY SUPPORT GROUP BACKS NEW FILM A HIJACKING Photo: Nordisk Film The Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) is backing the anti-piracy film, A Hijacking, which it describes as "brutally accurate in its depiction of the horror inflicted on the victims of pirate attacks". The film has been released in Europe for showing in cinemas. Directed by Danish director Tobias Lindholm, the film was shot on a ship that had previously been hijacked by Somali pirates and with expert help from those with knowledge of the realities of such attacks. The film also features extras who have been held hostage by pirates during their lives at sea. The film is partly based on the 2008 hijacking of the Danish-owned CEC Future, which was released after a ransom was paid following two months of captivity. A Hijacking tells the story of cargo vessel MV Rozen which is heading for harbour when it is boarded in the Indian Ocean by pirates who demand millions of dollars in ransom to free the crew. The film explores several sides of piracy, including the ordeal faced by the crew and the effects it has on their families, as well as looking at the negotiation process and the shipowner's response. MPHRP chair Dr Peter Swift, said: "A Hijacking may well be the first genuinely realistic portrayal of the sheer horror and brutality of modem piracy." Dr Swift went on to say that "despite the world's reliance on goods shipped by sea the plight of seafarers running the daily risk of pirate attack and capture is not widely recognised. We hope that A Hijacking will help the public understand the horror that they face." The film is due to be released in Europe in May The Sea May/June 2013 Nautilus, juli-augustus

20 PRIVATE MARITIME SECURITY COMPANIES AND CONCERNS FOR THE NEAR FUTURE The international maritime security community celebrates one year without successful hijackings in the West Indian Ocean. This 'victory' is ascribed to the multinational flotilla's anti-piracy operations, but - from the author's perspective - the tactical advantage is stemming from the deployment of private armed escorts onboard merchant vessels. Albeit the current decline of the phenomenon in the region, all strategy planners recommend awareness and caution, since they realise that the root causes and causal factors still exist in the Somali coast and there is still a long way ahead before removing the East coast of Africa from the 'high risk' areas. In this framework, a UK initiative urged the international community to allocate funds in the ambitious potential to rebuilt security forces in Somalia, including a robust Coast Guard. The situation though is quite different in the other side of the continent, where the West coast of Africa makes the headlines as the epicentre and hot spot of modern piracy. According to the IMB Live Piracy and Armed Robbery Reports, 15 incidents were recorded in the first quarter of 2013 and another four occurred in just five days in April. Almost all of them occurred in international waters, contradicting the hitherto international bodies' 'excuse' for inaction, claiming that incidents in the Gulf of Guinea are mostly 'armed robbery' cases, falling under the coastal states' jurisdiction. As if this was not enough, referencing Mark Lowe's article 'Game Changer', Nigeria's recently implemented legislation resulted on the suspension of number of Private Maritime Security Companies' (PMSCs) operations in the country. In an effort to strictly regulate the maritime security industry, the state issues licences only to local operators, while foreign companies can operate legally only with the status of partnership. It becomes obvious that the region doesn't wish to follow the hitherto established structural business model and is reluctant to abolish the share of the pie and the lucrative perspective that maritime insecurity raises in the Gulf of Guinea. Hence, at the operational level, the status which PMSCs are going to obtain in order to provide legally their services in this high risk area and emerging/ promising market remains under question. Furthermore, given that Nigeria doesn't allow weapons to be carried within its territorial waters, PMSCs will perhaps seek controversial solutions, such as the floating armouries since the OSV's practice will not be applicable for obvious reasons, including the vital need for replenishment, which will not be feasible in Nigerian ports due to the above contractual restrictions. If that will be the case, a bigger concern emerges, considering the scenario of a floating armoury being hijacked by already heavily armed local pirate groups. There is another broad debate at international level, focused on the certification of PMSCs according to internationally recognised and endorsed standards. On the one hand ASIS International issued the PSC 1 to 4 series and ISO issued the PAS 28007, respectively. And here is another dilemma that both PMSCs and shipping companies have to overcome. The former have to choose between the two; the auditing process is time, money and effort consuming, so very few companies will consider the potential of going for both of them. And even if the final criterion for their choice might be geographical, the globalised maritime security provision does not offer solutions to the latter, in terms of choosing the PMSC with the proper credentials and relevant certification. So, what certification should the shipping companies ask from the PMSCs, in order to ensure that they will contract the most suitable and reliable one to provide security on board their ships? And if a PMSC has already been certified with Standard A but not with B, and/or vice versa, does this mean that it is not reliable or capable of accomplishing successfully its mission? The body which was supposed to provide answers and guidelines in this case, including the development of auditable standards and ethical inspirations, should have been the Swiss-based International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (ICoC), which currently counts 630 signatory companies (as of May 1st) and enjoys (high) membership fees from every single one of them. On the contrary, the Association remains in apathy and its primary concern is currently focused on its budget development and the establishment of a Board of Directors, which will increase the membership fees to such an extent that small-sized companies will not be able to afford. The struggle against maritime security in general and modern piracy in particular is definitely multi-dimensional. A shortterm success at local or regional level should not distract international actors or companies from the fundamental institutional, operational and ethical issues that have to be addressed, aiming at drawing future routes that will safely navigate the companies in the global market and operational field, in order to protect seafarers' lives and enhance vessels' security. Ioannis Chapsos Captain (ret.) Ioannis Chapsos of the Hellenic Navy is a Research Fellow in Maritime Security at Coventry University (UK) and Vice President of the International Association of Maritime Security Professionals (IAMSP). He is also a former Lecturer for International Security at the Hellenic Supreme Joint War College / Security & Strategy Department. The Maritime Executive Nautilus, juli-augustus 2013