30 June 2010

PRESS RELEASE

THE ASF CONDEMNS PIRACY AND SHIP HIJACKS

On 28 June 2010, the Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) has sent a same letter to both the UN Secretary General Mr Ban Ki – Moon and the IMO Secretary General Mr Efthimios Mitropoulos highlighting the serious concerns and continuing problem of piracy and ship hijacks in the Gulf of Aden, the Somali Basin and in the Indian Ocean. The letter expressedly condemns the criminal acts and dangers of Somali pirates on maritime security and the safety of international shipping and trade, The ASF strongly urges the UN and IMO, both in their individual and collective capacities, to act within their supreme power immediately to counter the state of lawlessness and to restore the safety of maritime navigation in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia and in the Indian Ocean.

Mr Johnson W. Sutjipto, the Chairman of the ASF said, “The situation has gotten out of hand – the lack of action on the part of the international community has resulted in an almost 500% increase in the number of attacks over the past 3 years. As such, the ASF views this as a matter of extreme urgency, and strongly urges the adoption of an united and dynamic approach to deal with the root of the piracy problem in the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. ”

Mr S S Teo, the Chairman of the ASF Ship Navigation and Environment Committee, remarked, “Many ships and crews have been kidnapped in these 2 years by those Somali pirates for extorting heavy ransom from shipowners to secure their release. In addition to the massive ransoms paid by the shipping community, the financial burdens associated with maritime piracy include, among other things, excess fuel costs and higher insurance premiums. This is an utterly unreasonable burden and cost to the shipping industry - more decisive action must be taken immediately! ”

Mr Yasumi Kudo, Chairman of the ASF Shipping Economics Review Committee, added, “Given the inherent volatility of some commodity markets, high profile incidents of maritime piracy can have serious economic impacts far beyond their immediate target. The Gulf of Aden is an important stretch of waters where many fully laden ultra large crude oil carriers (ULCC) transit from the Middle East to Asia. These pirate attacks, if allowed to persist, can result in serious environmental consequences and also cause further fluctuations in the global price of crude oil.”

Mr Li Shanmin, the Chairman of the ASF Seafarers Committee also commented, “We must also consider the immeasurable human cost. We must protect the innocent lives of our seafarers and to give their families a peace of mind when their close-kin sail the sea. We need the UN and IMO to take immediate steps to counter this problem as it has also aggravated the shortage of seafarers’ supply with such a situation. Many potential seafarers are now afraid to go to sea!”

Mr Yuichi Sonoda, the ASF Secretary General, echoed, “The Asian shipping industry as well as the global shipping industry is extremely concerned about the situation. The current lawlessness and the lack of a credible deterrent appears to have encouraged the spread of pirate attacks to other areas of Africa and elsewhere. The ASF wants the UN and IMO to take urgent and effective action to remove the intolerable threats on international shipping and their effects on the smooth flow of global trade.”

For further information, please contact Mr Yuichi Sonoda, Secretary General of the Asian Shipowners’ Forum, at the contact address shown in the header. Please also visit ASF’s website www.asianshipowners.org.

* * * * *

Notes

The Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) is a voluntary organisation of shipowner associations and its aim is to promote the interests of the Asian shipping industry. It is estimated that the ASF represents about 50% of the world’s cargo carrying fleet.

The ASF consists of the following 8 members:
Australian Shipowners Association (ASA)
China Shipowners’ Association (CSA)
Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations* (FASA)
Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA)
Indian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA)
Japanese Shipowners’ Association (JSA)
Korea Shipowners’ Association (KSA)
National Association of Chinese Shipowners (NACS)

*FASA is composed of:
Filipino Shipowners’ Association (FASA-FSA)
Indonesian National Shipowners’ Association (FASA-INSA)
Malaysian Shipowners’ Association (FASA-MASA)
Myanmar Five Star Line (FASA-MFSL)
Singapore Shipping Association (FASA-SSA)
Thai Shipowners’ Association (FASA-TSA)
Vietnam Shipowners’ Association (FASA-VSA)

Between the ASF AGMs, the ongoing work is carried out by the five Standing Committees;
Seafarers Committee (SC)
Shipping Economics Review Committee (SERC)
Ship Insurance and Liability Committee (SILC)
Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC)
Ship Recycling Committee (SRC)

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23 June 2010

PRESS RELEASE

THE ASF JOINS WORLD TO END PIRACY

The Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) joins forces with a coalition of organisations, ranging from trade unions to shipowners’ associations and insurers, to back a global e-petition, www.endpiracypetition.org, demanding concrete actions to end maritime piracy that is placing seafarers’ lives at risk and threatening the international shipping and the world trade.

Mr Johnson W. Sutjipto, the Chairman of the ASF said, “The ASF supports this coalition. This is an important step that we, as Asian shipowners, have to take in order to protect our seafarers. We have also informed the organisers of this move to include the ASF in the future in such meaningful campaigns.”

Mr S S Teo, the Chairman of the ASF Ship Navigation and Environment Committee, added, “The situation has become uncontrollable and we have to put a quick stop to these criminal activities. The ASF member shipowners’ associations have all urged their staff and families, their member shipping lines including their national and overseas affiliated companies, etc etc to participate in this e-petition.”

Mr Li Shanmin, the Chairman of the ASF Seafarers Committee, said, “We hope that with this joint effort, the Governments of all nations will heed this urgent request, and we can be sure that the livelihood of the seafarers and their families can be safeguarded.”

The Secretary General of ASF, Mr Yuichi Sonoda, also echoed the same sentiments. He added, “As 90% of the world trade is carried by sea, all shippers and cargo owners are also encouraged to join in the e-petition as the cost of piracy could ultimately be passed on to the consumers. Therefore it is paramount for each and every one of us to be actively involved. This e-petition is intended to deliver at least half a million signatures to governments by IMO World Maritime Day on 23 September 2010.”

For further information, please contact Mr Yuichi Sonoda, Secretary General of the Asian Shipowners’ Forum, at the contact address shown in the header. Please also visit ASF’s website www.asianshipowners.org.

* * * * *

Notes
The Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) is a voluntary organisation of shipowner associations and its aim is to promote the interests of the Asian shipping industry. It is estimated that the ASF represents about 50% of the world’s cargo carrying fleet.

The ASF consists of the following 8 members:
Australian Shipowners Association (ASA)
China Shipowners’ Association (CSA)
Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations* (FASA)
Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA)
Indian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA)
anmar Five Star Line (FASA-MFSL)
Japanese Shipowners’ Association (JSA)
Korea Shipowners’ Association (KSA)
National Association of Chinese Shipowners (NACS)

*FASA is composed of:
Filipino Shipowners’ Association (FASA-FSA)
Indonesian National Shipowners’ Association (FASA-INSA)
Malaysian Shipowners’ Association (FASA-MASA)
My
Singapore Shipping Association (FASA-SSA)
Thai Shipowners’ Association (FASA-TSA)
Vietnam Shipowners’ Association (FASA-VSA)

Between the ASF AGMs, the ongoing work is carried out by the five Standing Committees;
Seafarers Committee (SC)
Shipping Economics Review Committee (SERC)
Ship Insurance and Liability Committee (SILC)
Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC)
Ship Recycling Committee (SRC)

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PRESS RELEASE

The ASF calls for a stop to piracy attacks on merchant ships

The Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF), at its 19th annual meeting held today in Hong Kong, expressed its strong concern at the continuing attacks on merchant ships and urges the world’s navies to increase their protection of ships passing through the Gulf of Aden and the Western Indian Ocean. “The situation has become a serious crisis, one that deeply affects seafarers and their families and the carriage of world trade, and while we are grateful for their protection, it would seem that the rules of engagement are not effective to stop and punish the attackers”, said Mr SS Teo, the SNEC Chairman.

Mr George Chao, the SILC Chairman added “And the deliberately vague Executive Order issued by the President of the United States is only adding to the confusion, by apparently seeking to restrict the ability of shipowners to free their seafarers from kidnap while not offering anything in return that would ensure the protection of our seafarers.”

Mr Kenneth Koo, the Chairman of the 19th ASF, said “We call upon the world’s governments to seek a realistic and final solution to this crisis. It is clear that any lasting solution will only be found on land, not at sea, but yet there seems to be very little that is being done on land in Somalia by the world’s governments to stop the activities of these pirates.”

The ASF noted that despite recent indications of a gradual recovery of the world economy, it is clear that this might not yet be sustainable. Mr Yasumi Kudo, Chairman of the SERC said, “The situation remains difficult, and we call upon the Panama Canal Authority to reassess the apparent need to increase Panama Canal tolls at this particular time.”

The ASF expressed its deep concern over the proposals being made on Seafarer rest hours in the draft revisions to STCW that will be discussed at the diplomatic conference in Manila in June. Mr Li Shan Min, the SC Chairman said “The proposals made so far do not reflect the reality of the shipping industry. There are times during short term peak workloads when seafarers must be able to continue to work for safety and exceptional operational reasons or to comply with port authority requirements”. The ASF agreed that it is essential that the final text of the STCW revision contains the ability for administrations to grant exceptions to stipulated daily rest hours while retaining the stipulated weekly limits in order to ensure the ship’s crew is adequately rested.

The members of the ASF once again gave their full commitment towards the protection of the environment, recognizing in particular the importance of the reduction of GHG emissions. Mr. Kenneth Koo, the 19th ASF Chairman, said, “The protection of the environment is the most important issue that our industry must handle in order to build a sustainable future. It is essential that we give our utmost towards developing new concepts and ideas, as well as to work towards continuous improvement of our existing practices.”

The members of the ASF confirmed their support for the Hong Kong Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, 2009, and calls upon all States to consider early ratification of the Convention. Mr Bronson Hsieh, the SRC Chairman said “While we await the entry into force of the Convention, we urge all owners to consider early production of the inventory of hazardous materials and compliance with the Ship Recycling Guidelines issued by the International Organisations.”

For further information, please contact Mr Yuichi Sonoda, Secretary-General of the Asian Shipowners’ Forum, at the contact address shown in the header. Please also visit ASF’s website www.asianshipowners.org.

* * * * *

Notes
The Asian Shipowners’ Forum (ASF) is a voluntary organisation of shipowner associations and its aim is to promote the interests of the Asian shipping industry. It is estimated that the ASF represents about 50% of the world’s cargo carrying fleet.

The ASF consists of the following 8 members:
Australian Shipowners Association (ASA)
China Shipowners’ Association (CSA)
Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations* (FASA)
Hong Kong Shipowners Association (HKSOA)
Indian National Shipowners’ Association (INSA)
Japanese Shipowners’ Association (JSA)
Korea Shipowners’ Association (KSA)
National Association of Chinese Shipowners (NACS)

*FASA is composed of:
Filipino Shipowners’ Association (FASA-FSA)
Indonesian National Shipowners’ Association (FASA-INSA)
Malaysian Shipowners’ Association (FASA-MASA)
Myanma Five Star Line (FASA-MFSL)
Singapore Shipping Association (FASA-SSA)
Thai Shipowners’ Association (FASA-TSA)
Vietnam Shipowners’ Association (FASA-VSA)

Between the ASF AGMs, the ongoing work is carried out by the five Standing Committees;
Seafarers Committee (SC)
Shipping Economics Review Committee (SERC)
Ship Insurance and Liability Committee (SILC)
Safe Navigation and Environment Committee (SNEC)
Ship Recycling Committee (SRC)

The 19th ASF AGM Outline of Activities

JOINT STATEMENT
(Adopted)
The ASF Seafarers Committee held its 15th interim meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam on Thursday,
19th November 2009. The meeting was hosted by the Vietnam Shipowners Association (VSA)
and was presided by Mr. Li Shanmin (CSA), chairman of Seafarers Committee.
Delegates from ASF member associations of China (CSA), Hong Kong (HKSOA), Japan
(JSA), Chinese Taipei (NACS) and the Federation of ASEAN Shipowners’ Associations
(FASA), as represented by the shipowner associations of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines,
Singapore and Vietnam, attended the meeting together with the Secretary-General of the ASF.
Written submissions were received from India (INSA), which was not able to attend the
meeting.
The Committee noted with strong concern the continuing attacks on ships in the Gulf of Aden
and the Indian Ocean, which represent a severe threat to the safety of ships trading through
these areas. The Committee expressed its particular concern over the effect on seafarers
during the transit of areas where there is a threat of piracy or attack, the potential
psychological effect on seafarers and their families during hostage situation and the potential
effect on seafarers’ psychological health after being held hostage. The Committee urged
companies not to underestimate these effects, and encouraged the development of suitable
guidelines within the industry to assist companies and seafarers to better handle such
situations.
The Committee discussed the current status of the work of the IMO’s STW Committee in its
comprehensive review of the STCW Convention and Code. In particular, Members support
the work to consolidate the two instruments of ILO C180 and STCW provisions on the hours
of work and/or rest for better record keeping and compliance purposes.
15th interim meeting of the ASF Seafarers Committee (Hanoi, 18-20 November 2009) 2
The Committee noted that an inter-industry shore leave access working group has been
formed in order to better address the instances where seafarers are not permitted full shore
leave in accordance with the various international instruments. The Committee encouraged all
Asian owners and managers to report all instances where shore leave is impossible or difficult
to obtain. The Committee welcomed the development of new guidance by some
Administrations for the coordination of crew access, which is seen as a positive step forward
for seafarers to be able to gain shore leave access.
The Committee is pleased to note the progress towards the entry into force of the Maritime
Labour Convention, 2006 and encourages all ASF members to continue to work with their
individual countries or regions to achieve early ratification of the Convention.
The Committee noted with concern the increasing number of incidents where seafarers are not
treated fairly or in accordance with their human rights. It is a well accepted principle that
seafarers should be considered to be a special category of worker, because they have to work
globally and could be subject to many different jurisdictions. The Committee urges all
Administrations to closely follow the ILO/IMO Guidelines on the Fair Treatment of Seafarers
Following a Maritime Accident, particularly in instances where a maritime accident affects
the local coastline.
The Committee took note of the review of IMO Resolution A.890(21) ‘Principles of Safe
Manning’, as amended by Resolution A.955(23), and the development of a preliminary draft
revised Assembly Resolution. The Committee noted that the STW Sub-committee will
consider whether to make the Resolution mandatory, and expressed concern about the
potential difficulties that shipowners might have to provide task-based information when
applying for safe manning documents from their Administration.
The Committee noted the results/progress of the ILO minimum wage negotiations in the JMC
earlier this year as well as the outcome of the IBF negotiations. The Committee considered
that in the current global economic climate, which is causing heavy losses to many
shipowners including Asian shipowners, this is not the appropriate time to consider any rise in
the ILO minimum wage or any other labour conditions in order to protect employment as
much as possible. The Committee reiterates its position that the employment conditions of
seafarers should be consistent with the current market, economic and living situation of each
country/region where the seafarers are domiciled.
The Committee noted with concern the imminent enactment by the Philippine Congress of the
proposed amendments to the Migrant Workers Act (RA8042). These amendments did not
pass the usual consultation within the manning industry which is an affected stakeholder.
15th interim meeting of the ASF Seafarers Committee (Hanoi, 18-20 November 2009) 3
Some provisions of the amendments will have a substantial negative impact on the
deployment of Filipino seafarers and therefore affect the supply of Filipino seafarers to the
world fleet. The Committee urges the Philippine Congress to review its decision, particularly
how it adversely affects Filipino seafarers.
The Committee was encouraged by the active cooperation between the governments, the
training institutions and shipowners in the region in the employment and training of seafarers.
The Committee was also pleased to note that governmental incentive schemes to attract more
young people to join the sea-going career had been put in place in many member countries,
and considered that this essential support would assist in the continued promotion of the
supply and employment of Asian seafarers. The Committee urges ASF members to maintain
recruitment and training initiatives despite the present economic downturn.
The Committee accepted the offer from China Shipowners Association to host the 16th interim
meeting of the Committee in Qingdao in the autumn of 2010. The Committee expressed its
gratitude to the Vietnam Shipowners Association (VSA) for its kindness and generosity in
hosting the 15th interim meeting in Hanoi.
19th November 2009
Editor’s note:
The Asian Shipowners Forum is a voluntary organization of the shipowner associations of
Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, and the Federation of
ASEAN Shipowner Associations, comprising the Shipowner Associations of the ASEAN
countries. The aims of the ASF are to promote the interests of the Asian shipowning industries.
Between annual ASF meetings, the ongoing work is carried out by five Standing Committees;
the Shipping Economics Review Committee, the Seafarers Committee, the Ship Recycling
Committee, the Safe Navigation and Environment Committee, and the Ship Insurance and
Liability Committee. The main objectives of the Seafarers Committee are to ensure and
maintain common standards of training, to promote the stability of employment, the
acceptance and well-being of Asian seafarers, and to monitor, consider and comment upon
any new international maritime legislation and convention on manning and training. It has
been estimated that ASF owners and managers control and operate around 50% of the
world’s cargo carrying fleet.
For more information about this press release, please contact Gilbert Feng, Secretary of the
Committee, at the above contact details.
- Ends -