BIMCO RESPONDS TO PROPOSED U.S. COAST GUARD SECURITY RULES

BIMCO RESPONDS TO PROPOSED U.S. COAST GUARD SECURITY RULES    The Baltic and International Maritime Council is “generally pleased' that requirements under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 'do not appear to exceed the requirements established by the SOLAS (Safety of Life at Sea) amendments.”
   BIMCO, in comments sent to the U.S. Coast Guard, noted concerns about specific portions of the proposed maritime security rules.
   Providing other lines of communication to transmit reports of security concerns from ships. 'Toll-free numbers do not always function from outside the U.S.,” BIMCO said.
   Offshore, Coast Guard inspections for certain parts of a vessel should be made only “after the ship’s maritime administration has given approval,” BIMCO said.
   For foreign vessels required to comply with SOLAS, an International Maritime Organization convention, BIMCO is pleased the Coast Guard would deem flag-state approval of a vessel security plan that meets the requirements of SOLAS and ISPS (International Ship and Port Facility Security) to be adequate.
   As for identification of seafarers, BIMCO noted, “with the imminent elimination of the visaed crew list for most foreign seafarers, it appears the only accepted form of identification at U.S. ports is a passport including an individual U.S. visa. While we would like to see the acceptance of seaman’s books for the purpose of identification … it is hoped the international seafarers’ ID being developed at the ILO (International Labor Organization) will eventually be accepted by U.S. authorities.”
   In a prior advisory to the U.S. State Department, BIMCO had urged the “introduction (in major ports) of seamen-only centers where visa applications may be fast-tracked,” Truls W. L’orange, BIMCO’s secretary general, told the Coast Guard.