On 27 Aug 2010, the Indian Government, Mercantile Marine Department has issued Merchant Shipping Notice No. 9 on the subject of:” Safe loading, stowage, carriage and discharging of iron ore fines on ships from Indian Ports in fair and foul season.”
The important points of the M Notice (please refer to the attachment for details):
- Sets out the applicable international conventions & the enabling legislations to incorporate those conventions into Indian Law
- As an advisory only if the conventions and law referred to is binding upon those involved in the export of iron ore fines
- Specially refers to the applicability of IMSBC Code, removing the uncertainty & debate on whether BC Code is advisory or mandatory
- Does not reflect Indian government Directives on making it become Master’s obligation to verify the moisture content of the iron ore fines
- There’re obligations on the shippers & the port authorities to ensure safe loading & shipment of the cargo
- A requirement on port authorities to provide assistance to prevent shipping casualty after shipment, to provide a safe & sheltered place to enable ships to take corrective measures
有关铁矿石资料的进一步更新 – 印度
印度政府海商部於8月27日頒佈了《2010年第9號商船公告》，主題為”任何時候都必須安全裝載、積載、運輸和卸載來自印度港口的船舶上的鐵礦粉。”
《商船公告》的重點內容:
《商船公告》列舉了適用之國際慣例及授權法律，使之併入印度法律。《商船公告》的性質只是一般的指導性規則，而其中所涉及的國際慣例和法律則對從事鐵礦粉出口的當事方有一定的約束力。不管是作為指導性的還是強制性的規則，此《商船報告》明確提到適用的《國際海運固體散貨安全操作規則》，去除了《散貨安全操作規則》中不確定和有爭議的內容。該《商船公告》反映了印度政府發佈公告的意圖是希望將核對鐵礦粉中水分含量的工作變成船長的責任，更進一步規定了托運人和港口當局有責任確保安全裝載和運輸此類貨物。同時還要求港口當局提供協助以防止在運輸此類貨物的過程中發生事故，還須為相關船舶提供安全和受保護的區域以便實施補救性的措施。
附件為前述《商船公告》，應全面參考其含義。
