The Federal Government has approved ratification of six maritime conventions and protocols that promote cleaner marine environment, ship-breaking criteria, global standard for fishing crew and response to oil pollution casualties.
Director-General of the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA), Bashir Jamoh, made this known in an issued statement by Osagie Edward, Assistant Director, Public Relations of the agency yesterday in Lagos.
The approved instruments for ratification are: Hong Kong International Convention for Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships 2009; International Convention on Standards of Training Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F) 1995.
Others are: Protocol Relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties (intervention protocol) 1973 and the Protocol on Limitation of Liabilities for Maritime Claims 1996.
Also included is Protocol to the 1974 Athens Convention Relating to the Carriage of Passengers and their Luggage by Sea 2002; the protocol of 2005 to the 1988 protocol to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Fixed Platforms Located on the Continental Shelf (SUA PROT 2005)
Jamoh said that the approval, conveyed through the Federal Ministry of Transportation to NIMASA, had kick started Nigeria’s preparation to align with the global maritime community in respect to the protocols and conventions.
He thanked the Federal Government for the approval and reassured industry players of the agency’s effort as designated authority to draw the gains of the various instruments closer to indigenous investors, professionals and all stakeholders.
He pointed out that the Hong Kong Convention was aimed at ensuring that ships, when being recycled after reaching the end of their operational lives, did not pose risk to human health, safety or to the environment.
The NIMASA boss noted that the Convention of Limitation of Liability of Maritime Claims would provide for an unbreakable system of limiting liability where shipowners and sailors may limit their liability.
He called for the cooperation of all stakeholders, while hoping to engage with them at various stages of implementation in the nearest future.
