Refers to: Ship Owners / Managers / Operators of Panamanian flagged vessels, PHRS Surveyors / Representatives     

Action Date: 01 Mar. 2021

The purpose of subject newsletter is to inform all interested parties about the Focused Inspection Campaign (FIC) on livestock ships which will run from March 1, 2021 to August 31, 2021; initiated by AMSA and specific to Australia.

The FIC will only be carried out on vessels that Australia has approved to carry livestock under Marine Order 43.

The MMN-05/2021 can be found here, in full detail.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information you may need on the above.

February 26th, 2021 - PHRS Head Office

Refers to: Ship Owners / Managers / Operators of CI flagged vessels, PHRS Surveyors / Representatives     

Action Date: Immediate

To simplify the correct application of the MLC Regulation 2.3 – Hours of work and hours of rest – and to prevent non-conformities raised by external auditors or Port State Control, it is strongly recommended to employ the attached MLC Work Rest Tool which will allow you to monitor MLC hours of work and rest.

The Maritime Cook Islands highlight that in the application of the MLC standards, each vessel shall take into account the danger posed by the fatigued seafarers, especially those whose duties involve navigational safety and the safe and secure operation of the ship.

It is, therefore, in the common interest of all the parties involved, to ensure the limits fixed by the Regulation 2.3 of the MLC that are complied with.

The attached tool gives you the possibility to monitor the hours worked on board and will help to identify immediately any inability to comply with the MLC Regulation 2.3.

Guidelines for the use of the MLC Work Rest Tool

The file is password protected– ensuring the formulas and the layout of the tool that remain intact.

In the first sheet, you can fill the vessel and seaman details that automatically will be reported on all pages.

You have also a sheet “sample” as the guideline for filling.

The hours shall be indicated with the following letters:

“w” means working hours

“r” means rest hours

“n” means neutral hours (this letter shall be used in case of more than two rest periods in one day, in the application of the rule 2.3.6 “hours of rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which shall be at least six hours in length, and the interval between consecutive periods of rest shall not exceed 14 hours”).

The Work Rest Tool has been updated to reflect the year 2020 but you can start to use it from December 2021, to give continuity with the upcoming year.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information you may need on the above.

February 19th, 2021 - PHRS Head Office

Refers to: Owners/Managers/Operators, PHRS Surveyors/Representatives

Action Date: Immediate

The purpose of subject newsletter is to inform all interested parties about PMA’s recommendations for Panama Flagged vessels on maintaining the utmost vigilance and increased security conditions aboard when necessary, in order to protect the vessel and crew during transiting from some high risk areas such as:

• the Gulf of Oman, Straits of Hormuz, and those near Fujairah, UAE (MMN-01/2021)
• the Gulf of Guinea (transiting from Lagos to the creek of the Niger Delta) (MMN-02/2021)

• the Gulf Of Mexico - Bay Of Campeche – Tabasco (MMN-12/2020)

The Best Management Practices (BMP5) to deter piracy and enhance maritime security in the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea can be found here, in full detail.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information you may need on the above.

February 3^rd, 2021 - PHRS Head Office

Refers to: Owners/Managers/Operators, PHRS Surveyors/ Representatives

Action Date: 01 Jan. 2021

From 1 January 2021, the United Kingdom (UK) has finished its transition period to withdraw from the European Union (EU), commonly known as Brexit. According to the relevant information made available from the UK Government, the requirements of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation 1257/2013 (EU SRR) have been retained in UK domestic legislation, and now referred to as the UK Ship Recycling Regulation (UK SRR).

Consequently, the requirements for the Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) for compliance as from January 1, 2021 for ships of 500GT and over calling at a port or anchorage of the UK are formed as follows:

The EU SRR applies in the European Economic Area (EEA), EU countries plus Iceland and Norway.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information you may need on the above.

January 18th, 2021 - PHRS Head Office

Refers to: Ship Owners / Managers / Operators of Comoros flagged vessels, PHRS Surveyors / Representatives     

Action Date: 01 Jan. 2021

The purpose of subject newsletter is to inform all interested parties for the implementation of Regulation (EU) No.1257/2013 on Ship Recycling (EU SRR) to ships calling at a port or anchorage of any country of the European Union (EU), on or after 1 January 2021, and provide relevant instructions on issuing a Statement of Compliance (SoC) for an Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM).

The Circular can be found here, in full detail.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information you may need on the above.

January 8th, 2021 - PHRS Head Office

Refers to: Ship Owners / Managers / Operators of CI flagged vessels, PHRS Surveyors / Representatives     

Action Date: 01 Jan. 2021

The transition period following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom (UK) from the European Union (EU) ends on 31 December 2020.

The purpose of subject newsletter is to inform all interested parties that from 1 January 2021, the UK will be treated by EU law as a third country (i.e. not an EU Member State). This means Regulation (EU) 2015/757 on the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from Maritime Transport will no longer apply to the UK.

Regulation (EU) 2015/757 requires shipowners to record CO2 emissions of all ships over 5,000 GT during their voyages from their last port of call to an EU port and from an EU port to their next port of call, as well as within EU ports.

Consequences of UK withdrawal

Based on the European Commission (EC) notice to stakeholders on the withdrawal of the UK and EU rules on the monitoring and verification of CO2 emissions from maritime transport, attached, shipowners should be aware that the following will no longer fall under the monitoring and reporting requirements of Regulation (EU) 2015/757:

•           CO2 emissions of ships within ports under the jurisdiction of the UK; or

•           CO2 emissions from voyages from a port of the UK to the port of another third country, and vice-versa.

CO2 emissions records verification

Shipowners should note that CO2 emissions records collected during 2020 will continue to be verified as they have been previously, with emissions within UK ports and emissions from voyages between the UK and other third countries included in the 2020 record-keeping requirements.

UK MRV Scheme

Likely UK will be moving to its own Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) scheme under domestic legislation following the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, and will be putting in place transitional arrangements for vessels calling at the UK in 2021. This UK transitional approach is currently being finalised.

Maritime Cook Islands will notify in due course all interested parties of any further development on the matter.

The Maritime Circular 244/2020 can be found here, in full detail.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information you may need on the above.

January 7th, 2021 - PHRS Head Office

Refers to: Ship Owners / Managers / Operators of CI flagged vessels, PHRS Surveyors / Representatives     

Action Date: 30 Dec. 2020

Maritime Cook Islands would like to give the widest circulation possible to the referenced IMO Resolution and Circulars that are aimed at providing guidance and best practices to facilitate crew change during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In particular, managers and operators are invited to take note of the Protocols contained in MSC Circular 1636, and to comply with them so far as practicable when performing crew change.

Furthermore, Maritime Cook Islands would draw the attention of all interested parties to the list of National Focal Points on crew change and repatriation of seafarers contained in IMO MSC.7 Circular 1 / Rev.19.

The Maritime Circular 243/2020 can be found here, in full detail.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information you may need on the above.

January 5th, 2021 - PHRS Head Office

Refers to: Ship Owners / Managers / Operators of CI flagged vessels, PHRS Surveyors / Representatives     

Action Date: 01 Jan. 2021

The International Maritime Organization has approved Resolution MSC.428 (98) regarding the Maritime Cyber Risk Management to be included in Companies’ Safety Management Systems within the first annual verification of the DOC after 1st January 2021.

The Resolution recalls the MSC-FAL.1/Circ.3 on the Guideline on maritime cyber risk management, which provides high-level recommendations for maritime cyber risk management that can be incorporated into existing risk management processes and are complementary to the safety and security management practices established by the IMO.

Maritime Cook Islands recommends all DOC holders to revise their SMS taking into account the IMO Guidelines assessing their SMS’s effectiveness for handling cyber security and develop appropriate measures.

The Maritime Circular 242/2020 can be found here, in full detail.

Do not hesitate to contact us for more information you may need on the above.

December 28th, 2020 - PHRS Head Office