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           Shipping Stevedoring Port Services Hydrocarbons Diving  Jul-Aug 2008        |
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Foreign ships pose terrorism risk24 June 2008By MUA media release -
Foreign ships working in Australian waters may increase terrorism risk Revelations that foreign 'Flag of Convenience' ships have inadequate terrorism alert systems highlight concerns around the accreditation of seafarers working the Australian coast, the Maritime Union of Australia said today. A study released by Singapore's Rajaratnam School of International Studies found the system used by foreign ships laughable in stopping the use of merchant ships for acts of terrorism. "These ships have terrorism alert systems akin to a game of Chinese whispers," said Paddy Crumlin, National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia. "If there is an incident on a foreign ship sailing down the Great Barrier Reef for example, the Captain presses a button that firstly alerts the owner - who could be anywhere, then the warning travels to the country where the ship's flag is registered- which also could be anywhere, and finally to the Australian Authorities." "That the warning has to pass between three different authorities renders it useless," he said. "One positive step Governments can take is to legislate for clarity of a linkage between the owner and the national flag the ship flies which would by definition reduce our reliance on Flag of Convenience ships." Flag of Convenience (FOC) ships are registered in tax havens like Panama and Liberia with minimal employment or environmental standards. They are registered there in an active bid to be regulated by the weakest possible regulations. In 2005, there were 3,593 unique foreign-flag ships in Australian waters that made 20,265 port visits. The MUA has been warning for years the policy allowing 'Flag of Convenience' ships would lead to the undermining of the Australian Shipping Industry. "It's time for all governments to stop gambling with Australia's safety and to work in international forums like the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to start properly regulating shipping to address the security threat. "In an era of heightened terror threats, Australians are demanding standards of maritime security that only greater reliance on national flagged fleets can provide." For further information contact: Paddy Crumlin (MUA) tel. 0418 379 660 or Alana Mew (EMC) on 0423 377 567
For further information
Public News: You can view MUA's publicly available news in a variety of ways. Please select one of our public news indexes. |
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