Guest post by U.S. Coast Guard Captain Melissa Bert; Chief of the Office of Maritime and International Law.
Each year over 100,000 ships move 90 percent of global commerce with the help of 1.2 million seafarers. The
United Sates Coast Guard is charged with protecting people on the sea, protecting people from threats delivered by the sea, and protecting the sea itself. We work closely with our sister agencies in government, the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the maritime industry, to ensure passengers and goods move safely and securely on the world's oceans, while respecting the marine environment. As sailors ourselves, we also expect fair treatment of seafarers.
The
Law of the Sea Convention, IMO conventions and International Labour Organziation instruments all make flag states responsible for upholding maritime standards and responding to marine casualties. Incidents resulting in major loss of life or significant pollution have strengthened these processes, along with flag state accountability. However, the seafarers involved in these incidents, the threat of abandonment remains a very real concern.
Between 2001 and 2010, over 130 ships and 1,600 seafarers were abandoned. In 2009, at the height of the global economic crisis, over 50 vessels were abandoned., leaving over 600 seafarers to fend for themselves. While the circumstances vary, an abandoned seafarer is often stranded far from home, and without means for support or transportation to his or her country.
Abandonment can be the result of a ship owner facing bankruptcy or the arrest of the vessel by creditors. Sometimes, vessels are abandoned as unseaworthy after port state control inspectors detain them. The threat of abandonment is also present in marine casualties and environmental crimes cases, when crew members are needed to provide testimony for investigators. The seafarers support the flag states at great personal peril, because once they provide information injurious to an employer, they risk any future employment in the maritime industry. Even with the potential for whistle blower compensation in a small segment of these cases, seafarers must weigh the benefit of providing important information that will enhance maritime safety, and protect world's oceans, against the possibility of being left destitute and without work.
Moreover, a seafarer risks alienation and physical retaliation when they come forward to assist with the investigations. Unlike individuals that assist with investigations of land-based incidents, seafarers are in the difficult position of providing information about their ship or shipmates. For them, it's not just a matter of providing information about their place of employment, it's an issue of addressing problems with the processes and people they live with, work with, and spend nearly every waking hour with to accomplish the work of the ship.
Many countries have their stories of seafarers being abandoned, and America is not immune to the problem. An environmental criminal prosecution in 1998 in Los Angeles, California, resulted in crewmembers spending weeks in homeless shelters and sleeping in the offices of the Seaman's Church Institute. These crewmembers had done nothing illegal, and yet they were effectively punished for supporting the United States in a pollution investigation.
However, not all vessel owners put seafarers in this position, as the overwhelming majority of companies take responsibility for their people. This should be the standard. For the past several years, the Coast Guard has encouraged policy makers to enact laws to prevent the Los Angeles script from unfolding again while not punishing the responsible leaders in the shipping industry.
Domestically, legislation has been introduced in the Senate annually for the past five years. The bills propose the creation of a fund, the corpus derived from the community service moneys awarded in environmental criminal prosecutions. The fund would not be fed by taxpayers or responsible companies and owners; Instead, the bad actors would bear the costs for housing law abiding seafarers, while they await testifying in American courts.
Internationally, the United States joins Canada, Spain, the Netherlands and France at the IMO, in the introduction of guidelines for seafarer treatment in maritime accidents. I look forward to supporting these efforts when I lead the United States delegation at the IMO Legal Committee meetings in London this coming spring.
Photo credit: Fotolia
According to a posting by the Maritime Executive and a release by the International Longshoremen's Association the proposed strike on United States East Coast ports has been averted, at least temporarily, while details of the plan are worked out.
Guest post by U.S. Coast Guard Captain Melissa Bert; Chief of the Office of Maritime and International Law.
Two Canadian sailors are safely aboard the Amver participating ship SMT Bontrup after requiring medical evacuation from their 34 foot sloop 260 miles northwest of Bermuda on Wednesday, December 12, 2012.
A Swedish sailor aboard a 34 foot catamaran can breathe a sigh of relief after being rescued by the Amver participating ship, Hansa Visby, after experiencing a medical emergency 1,475 miles south east of Bermuda on Thursday November 29, 2012.
The Amver staff is headed to the Seatrade Middle East Maritime conference and exhibition next week in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. We are hosting an Amver awards ceremony on Wednesday November 28, 2012 to recognize the commitment to safety at sea by Middle Eastern shipping companies.
Thank you for your patience while we recovered from Hurricane Sandy. The Amver office is back open, we are receiving emails and our phones are operating. Thankfully we didn't suffer any severe damage.
The Amver office in New York City is closed because of damage from Hurricane Sandy. Amver messages are still being received and processed. 
Each week ships enroll in the Amver system. They enroll to help save lives at sea. For many, its a tradition to join the Amver network. Mariners may learn about Amver in a maritime academy, from another crew member, or because someone in the company said the vessel should participate.
A K Line managed Amver ship rescued 45 fishermen after being diverted by Australian Maritime Safety Authority officials on October 13, 2012 approximately 270 miles south east of Sri Lanka. 
The combined efforts of a PACCShip managed Amver ship and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority led to the rescue of 34 people from a disabled vessel north of Cocos Island on October 11, 2012 
32 years ago the Amver system came to the rescue of the stricken cruise ship Prinsendam after the vessel caught fire in the Gulf of Alaska. Four Amver vessels diverted and assisted in the rescue efforts. The tanker Williamsburgh embarked 175 survivors and served as a platform for U.S. Coast Guard helicopters.
What's in a name? What's in a ship's name? An ancient Babylonian text says: "Openings to the water I stopped; I searched for cracks and the wanting parts I fixed: Three sari of bitumen I poured over the outside; To the gods I caused oxen to be sacrificed." Each week we list ships, by name, who's crews have enrolled them in Amver. That is the most unique feature of Amver. We hope you will elect to join as well. If you do, we'll list your ship as well.
20 more vessels have enrolled in the Amver system. We're thankful each week as more and more ships continue to demonstrate a desire to help others at sea. Those that go to sea understand the blanket of protection Amver provides. Those who have been rescued are grateful. Help us welcome the latest members of the Amver system.
The Amver participating cruise ship Volendam assisted in the rescue of 76 passengers from the sightseeing boat Baranof Wind after it struck a rock in Glacier Bay, Alaska and started taking on water on August 19, 2012. The Volendam embarked 70 passengers.
According to a news release from the United States Navy, the Guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) collided with the Amver participating tanker Otowasan in the Straight of Hormuz approximately 1:00 am local time on August 12, 2012. There were no injuries reported.
Amver differs from AIS or LIRT and is used for search and rescue, not anti-collision or security purposes. Want to learn more about Amver? Just check out our Amver 101 story.
