IMO confirms master can be ship security officer

IMO confirms master can be ship security officer    The International Maritime Organization’s Flag State Implementation Subcommittee confirmed Wednesday that the master of a ship can be designated as ship security officer under the mandatory International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) code.
   The subcommittee, which meets this week at IMO’s London headquarters, considered the issue following concerns raised by governments and the shipping industry as to whether the ISPS code, as drafted, would prevent the master of the ship being designated as the ship security officer.
   According to the ISPS code, which becomes mandatory July 1, it is the responsibility of the company and its security officer to appoint the ship security officer. “This has to be endorsed by the administration of the flag state and/or the recognized security organization through the approval of the ship security plan and issuing of the international security shipping certificate and/or the relevant training certificate by the administration as appropriate,” the IMO said in a statement.