Skip to main content

MORAL TURPITUDE

Within the last couple of weeks some very disturbing information about seafarers shore-leave came across the NAUTICAL LOG desk.  With vessels spending so little time in Ports these days and the Ports themselves particularly container berths being so remote it is difficult to grant shore-leave.  When one discovers it is actually forbidden to certain ethnic groups of seafarers in certain countries then it becomes a humanitarian issue.  This type of second-class treatment of seafarers is absolutely guaranteed to rattle the NAUTICAL LOG cage!!


So what is the actual problem?  It seems that countries are taking it upon themselves to refuse entry, transfer of crews, shore leave, and exit if the seafarer holds Seaman's Papers issued by certain countries.  The data received by NAUTICAL LOG referred to Philippine Seaman's Papers and Brazil.  Brazilian Immigration Authorities have issued a Directive enforceable in all Brazilian Ports that states seafarers in possession of Seaman's Papers or Passport issued by countries not a party to ILO Maritime Labour Convention are not allowed to:


1. disembark or join
2. go ashore
3. conduct transfer of crews


If this Directive is violated then seafarers involved can be fined up to US$1000 each.  As long as the crew remains on board the fines are not to be levied.   This Directive appears to be in direct violation of other International Laws regarding Seaman's Papers.  As regards Passports it is another issue entirely because they come under quite different International Laws directing the issuance and handling of Passports.


From Brazil, which is not exactly a bastion of moral behaviour or good government, such a Directive is ludicrous.  A minimum research on the Internet about Brazil will reveal the dreadful poverty of the favelas, extremely violent policing methods, rampant crime, every deviant behaviour possible, as seen on its beaches and in its clubs, finally there is the annual Mardis Gras (Fat Tuesday) or Party Gross. 


Perhaps the seafarers are better off not going ashore and certainly a lot safer.

all too typical favela
Meantime of course the Brazilians are quite willing to have these seafarers mann the ships that trade with Brazil handling imports and exports making the chosen persons extremely rich.  As can be seen from the above photo the differences between the 'have' and 'have-nots' are extreme.  This is a prime example of moral turpitude.


Good Watch.

Please remember the seafarers held captive by pirates off Somalia - let us work with maritime interests and other to free them.  SOS Save Our Seafarers - other maritime Blogs please copy or develop your own message.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

PAINT LOCKER FIRES

The photographs above are revealing in several ways, lets have a look. Clearly the Japanese Maritime Self Defence Force (JMSDF) vessel JS "Kurama" impacted the Korean container ship MS "Carina Star" just aft of the turn of the fo'cs'le on the Starboard side. Please note that's the Starboard side, thus it appears JS "Kurama" would have shown "Carina Star" the red port sidelight and "Carina Star" would have shown JS "Kurama" the green starboard sidelight. This impact point would tend to suggest that JS "Kurama" was the 'stand-on' vessel and the MS "Carina Star" is the 'giving-way' vessel. Until there is a complete plot of the tracks made good of both these vessels and the position in the Kanmon Strait of the point of collision no determination can actually be made. As a result of this impact there was severe bow damage to JS "Kurama" and in addition a massive f

HOW TO WEAR A LIFEJACKET

A popular U.S.-based cruise ship style A popular European ferry style Several times during the year NAUTICAL LOG has had visitors searching for lifejacket instructions. With two just over Christmas we decided to publish something for everybody to see and read. Choose a Coast Guard approved life-jacket and make sure it is undamaged. Make sure life-jackets are readily accessible, never locked away. Check the fit, there are adult, child and infant sizes, the correct one MUST be used. Choose bright colour life-jackets so as to be seen easily by Search and Rescue (SAR). Put your life-jacket ON BEFORE you leave the berth. Make sure you have a light and whistle attached AND they BOTH WORK. Good Watch

BOUILLABAISSE

TAAF Service vessel operated by CMA CGM TAAF Regional flag Well now let us see if here at NAUTICAL LOG we have got a grasp on things simmering in the pot. It seems that when the anti-whaling campaign started out some years ago it was between Greenpeace, the Sea Shepherds and the Japanese whaling fleet. The Australians came down to their own Southern Ocean Territory in a chartered civilian vessel one year. Beyond taking photographs and returning some Sea Shepherds to their ship the MS "Steve Irwin" not much was accomplished. The Greenpeace crowd then dropped out and Animal Planet boarded the MS "Steve Irwin" to shoot 'reality TV' and so Whale Wars came into being. This resulted in some deplorable behaviour on all sides and some appalling exhibitions of seamanship - or rather total lack of seamanship by the Sea Shepherds. But now there was money coming in which could be spent on - well nobody really knows what the money is spent on. New Zealand made it q