GATI PRIDE - death on board, Chennai

Another death due to sub-standard working conditions. Will the Master be pulled up, or the company, or the surveyors, or the classification society, or the Port State Control?

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/Indian-sailor-falls-to-death-on-vessel/articleshow/12407746.cms

If the Pirates don't get you, the cops will . . .

The real truth on what you can expect at sea in and around India, as a Master Mariner.

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Diary-of-a-Divorced-Delhi-Male/entry/if-the-pirates-don-t-get-you-the-cops-will

Sad, but true, and facts are hard.

As quoted in the Times of India . . .ENRICA LEXIE Italian mercenary murder case

It does seem, from the rest of the report, that the DGS is really really taking a dump on the MMD. And about time too.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Delay-in-probe-helped-Italian-ship-erase-data/articleshow/12226271.cms



""Shipping and marine security expert Veeresh Mallik said the delay by
the MMD, Cochin officials could have helped the culprits destroy
crucial evidence. "However," he said, "the VDR data can still be
retrieved with certain software if the equipment on board is not
damaged or replaced.""
'

Is racism the real reason for differing treatment of seafarers?

Why are our seafarers still getting killed on our coast?
March 10, 2012 08:17 AM |
Veeresh Malik

What is happening on the west coast of India lately with the MV Enrica Lexie, in and around Kerala, defies all logical explanation. Except one big one—the crew in this case happens to be European, not third world

http://www.moneylife.in/article/why-are-our-seafarers-still-getting-killed-on-our-coast/24156.html

A Master Mariner speaks out about fishing on the Indian coast . . .

Identity protected by request. Comments welcome:-

BTW: That article in Moneylife about another incident of loss of fishermen's lives off Kerala - I wish there would be some scathing reportage on the manner in which the fishing boats are allowed to operate. They display lights that are anything but Colreg compliant. They jam VHF frequencies with their ceaseless chatter seriously interfering with watchkeepers concentration and ability to send out/ listen in on safety/distress traffic. They always want/claim right of way - even when they are not engaged in fishing and thus are just power driven vessels. They cut across bows with gay abandon giving heart attacks to young OOW's who may have been given strict CPA's to maintain by Masters in their standing/nigt orders.

There is not a single 'no-fishing' zone established at the entrances by any of the coastal state governments for any of our busy ports. Mumbai port approaches are a nightmare for navigation due to the clutter of fishing boats. The DGS shrugs its shoulders (in reality it has no powers over fishing vessels and near coastal and inland waterways vessels). Coastal admins do not enforce even the basic requirements e.g. radar reflectors, proper nav lights, clear display of registry and name (so that ships can report violations), they do not publicise the means of lodging complaints e.g. contact details and address of office responsible etc - against navigation rule violations.

It's a mess. Those guys getting run over - they asked for it. I have no sympathy for them - having faced inumerable anxious moments myself in my career. All this whine they give about nav lights being costly or radar reflectors or painting their boats brightly (for better visual detection) is bunk. Or claiming that they have the right to impede safe navigation in constrained waters (e.g. port entrance zones) when they clearly know that the freighters too have every right to navigate in safety.

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This is the article referred to:-

http://www.moneylife.in/article/maritime-incidents-involving-fishermenmdasha-deeper-issue-impacting-our-global-economic-status/24024.html

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More of my stuff here:-

http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Diary-of-a-Divorced-Delhi-Male/
http://matescabin.blogspot.com/
http://joyroc.blogspot.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/vm2827/

More fishermen killed off Kerala . . . and the larger impact

Maritime incidents involving fishermen—a deeper issue impacting our global economic status

The impact of this on our economic strength has been discussed in the past also in this journal, and matters have only become worse since then, but at some stage there comes a time when this sort of an approach—that India is content being a soft state—has to stop

http://www.moneylife.in/article/maritime-incidents-involving-fishermenmdasha-deeper-issue-impacting-our-global-economic-status/24024.html

__

The message has to get across. Either that or we can take our economic superpower dreams, and place them aside while more of our second line of defence, our fishermen, fall victims to rogue ships and the people onboard. If the Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard have to be given an independent dispensation to enforce discipline and adherence to laws in Indian waters, in lieu of the civil maritime administration that appears to be incapable of doing anything other than feathering their halcyonic nests, then so be it.