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Local Maritime Training Institutes at sea over new intakes
Govt. in the doldrums as local regulations remain noncompliant with amended International Convention
Sri Lanka’s seafarer schools have stopped taking in new students for courses in safety and survival training until the Government makes local regulations compliant with a crucial international convention, informed sources said. They are also prevented from starting any new courses in the area of safety and survival training. Sri Lanka is a signatory to the International Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) Convention under which all seafarer education must be conducted.
Significant changes to the Convention—called The Manila Amendments—were adopted in June 2010, and came into force in January last year. These brought the Convention in line with recent developments within the maritime industry. Signatories agreed to update local regulations before June 30, 2013.
“It is mandatory to amend national regulations to give full effect to changes to the Convention,” said a maritime practitioner, on condition of anonymity. Training for current students can continue till December 31, 2017. But batches joining after July 1 this year, must follow new syllabi drafted according to revised national regulations.
However, Sri Lanka has still not completed this process. “We heard that the regulations were signed by the Minister before he went abroad,” said a source from a maritime training institute, also requesting anonymity. “We expected them to be approved by Cabinet last Wednesday, but this doesn’t seem to have happened.”
The Ports Minister is President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was on a five-day official visit to Tanzania and Seychelles from June 27 to July 2, and was back in time for the Cabinet meeting on July 3.
There are six maritime training institutes in Sri Lanka, three of them State-run. Last week, some of them were uncertain whether the Minister’s signature was sufficient to give effect to the new regulations. They were unaware if Cabinet approval was compulsory, or whether the regulations needed to be gazetted.
“I think they become effective once the Minister signs it,” said the source quoted above. “Apparently, the document says that the regulations will come into force on July 1, 2013.” Nevertheless, his institute was not taking new students in the relevant area of study or starting any new courses.
The Director General of Shipping A.W. Seneviratne has not officially notified the institutes of the current status. Despite repeated calls over three days, he was not available for comment. It remains unclear why it took so long for the regulations to be drafted and signed by the Minister. It was not possible to clarify whether they were now in force.
Informed sources said that once the regulations come into effect, the training institutes would have to be “audited”. If they pass, they are permitted to specify on the certificates they grant their graduates that their training was STCW compliant. This grants the certified seafarers worldwide recognition and acceptance.
The Manila Amendments require important changes to each chapter of the STCW Convention and Code. This includes adoption of improved measures to prevent fraudulent practices associated with certificates of competency; new certification requirements for able seafarers; new requirements relating to training in modern technology such as electronic charts and information systems; and new requirements for marine environment awareness training, leadership and teamwork.
They also comprise new training and certification requirements for electro-technical officers; updating of competence requirements for personnel serving on board all types of tankers (including new requirements for personnel serving on liquefied gas tankers); introduction of modern training methodology including distance learning and web-based learning; and new training guidance for personnel serving onboard ships operating in polar waters.
It is learnt that the institutes together train between 3,000 and 3,500 seafarers every year. Some of the courses affected by the prevailing status quo are cadet and officer training programmes. There are about 15,000 active seafarers in the country, who annually contribute an estimated US$ 200 million (Rs 26 billion) to the national coffers.
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