IFSMA Newsletter Nr.38

As your Secretary General I work hard with other Agencies and NGOs, but in particular the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), to try and make this happen, but it is extremely difficult when the nations’ governments are so busy looking at their own individual issues. Notwithstanding, I want you to know how much we appreciate your resilience and tolerance with the difficult situation in which you find yourselves as it has once again become more difficult to achieve regular crew changes.

In the middle of February we once again started contributing to IMO meetings with the Human Resource Training and Watchkeeping Sub-Committee, but being conducted remotely via video conferencing. This is far from ideal as we try and accommodate delegates around
the world in different time zones, we are only able to meet for 3.5 hours a day for 4 days in a week’s programme. With this much reduced timescale we were only able to cover some of the issues that were related to the current pandemic. Little was decided, but we were able to understand better what needs to be done in future meetings and clear the backlog of work. I hope that the important Maritime Safety Committee will be held at the beginning of May and I aim to report on better progress.

I am sure you enjoy the very interesting articles that Paul Owen and Paul Ridgway have put together for you again and I reiterate that we always welcome hearing from you with your articles and news, so please keep them coming. I send all my very best wishes to you, your families and crews. Stay safe.

Jim Scorer

Please click here to read complete Newsletter:IFSMA NL 38