BIMCO ENDORSES NEW IMO STOWAWAY REGULATIONS

BIMCO ENDORSES NEW IMO STOWAWAY REGULATIONS    The Baltic and International Maritime Council, one the world’s largest shipowner groups, praised the International Maritime Organization’s adoption of new stowaway regulations.
   “These regulations will compel coastal states to ensure both the adequate security arrangements are in place at ports to prevent stowaways from gaining access to ships, and make it easier to disembark stowaways from ships at the port of boarding or at subsequent ports of repatriation,” said Thomas Timlen of BIMCO.
   “As such, the main concerns of the industry are now addressed — enhanced port security and an end to stowaways remaining with ships for extended periods of time,” he said.
   Timlen added: “It was encouraging to see that under the new regulations persons attempting to stowaway on ships are faced with charges of trespassing, if caught.”
   BIMCO’s members control 61 percent of the world’s merchant fleet.
   The new stowaway regulations are contained in the IMO’s Facilitation Convention and will become effective on May 1, 2003.
   Some countries are already handling stowaway incidents in accordance with the new provisions. “Last month authorities at Cape Town charged three men trying to stowaway on a tanker with trespassing,” Timlen said. “This is much better than situations where such persons are simply set free, allowing them to try again on board a different ship.”