Paris MoU Meeting Highlights Fire Safety Compliance and Future Inspection Campaigns

The Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) recently concluded its 57th committee meeting in Madrid, assessing the results of a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on fire safety. Overall compliance was deemed satisfactory, although issues with maintaining fire doors and conducting fire drills were highlighted as areas needing improvement. Future CICs will focus on crew wages, ballast water management, and cargo securing, among other topics. Trial Focused Inspection Campaigns (FICs) were also conducted in 2023 on various ship facilities, with plans to continue these targeted inspections moving forward.

During the meeting, the approval of new Port State Control Instructions for inspecting ships carrying industrial personnel was discussed, as well as a revised training policy for Port State Control Officers. The Paris MoU also approved the inclusion of the Hong Kong International Convention for Ship Recycling and addressed concerns regarding fake seaman’s certificates and attempts by some flag states to avoid inspections through bilateral agreements. The Committee emphasized the importance of addressing these issues to ensure safety at sea.

Furthermore, discussions in the meeting also delved into integrating fisheries control into the port state control framework, highlighting the need to separate security aspects from fisheries for effective control. The Committee also addressed the increasing detention rate and the importance of monitoring and addressing this trend. The meeting was attended by various stakeholders from the maritime industry and international organizations, emphasizing the collaborative effort in upholding maritime safety standards.

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