MPA
Unlicensed Bunker Supplier Charged in Singapore
JL Petroleum Pte Ltd pleaded guilty in court on 18 August 2015 for supplying bunkers in the Port of Singapore without a valid bunker supplier licence issued by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), as required under regulation 64(b) of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Port) Regulations. The company was fined under regulation 78(b) of the Port Regulations.
MPA had brought charges against JL Petroleum for supplying bunkers on 14 occasions between 2 and 25 June 2013. In addition, JL Petroleum had also used the Bunker Delivery Notes belonging to Excel Petroleum Enterprise Pte Ltd for the deliveries.
MPA had cancelled Excel Petroleum Enterprise’s bunker supplier licence on 15 January 2014 for the company’s involvement in this case, as its actions had breached the terms and conditions of the licence.
The bunkering industry is an important and integral part of the Port of Singapore. All bunker suppliers operating in the Port of Singapore must be licensed by MPA, and all licensees must adhere strictly to the terms and conditions of the licence. Any licensee found to have contravened any terms and conditions will have his licence suspended or cancelled. MPA adopts a zero tolerance approach towards bunkering malpractices and will not hesitate to take action against any unlicensed entity operating in the Port of Singapore.
All licensed bunker craft operators are advised to refrain from delivering bunkers on behalf of any person, firm or company that is not a bunker supplier licensed by MPA.
To report any instance of malpractice in the bunkering industry, please contact MPA’s Bunker Services Department at bsd@mpa.gov.sg.
Source: MPA
Singapore MPA Issued Revised Guidance for SSAS Test and Transmission
Singapore Flag administration, MPA has issued shipping circular 15/2015 dealing with email id and other requirement for SSAS. In this circular MPA advised new email id for SSAS test and transmission and also reminds on requirement of annual test with administration.
All Singapore registered vessels are required to programme the new email address Shipalert@mpa.gov.sg in the SSAS of the ships by their next annual radio survey or by 1 July 2016, whichever is earlier. Please note that the difference in the old and new email address is that the text “_MPA” has been deleted after the text “Shipalert”.
The old dedicated email address that has been in used –Shipalert_MPA@mpa.gov.sg would continue to be in use for receiving and responding to SSAS alerts and would co-exist with the new email address – Shipalert@mpa.gov.sg until 30 June 2016. With effect from 1 July 2016, the email Shipalert_MPA@mpa.gov.sg would cease to be in use.
MPA has also attahed the relevant IMO guidance with this circular.
READ CIRCULAR
Source: MPA
Singapore MPA’s Compulsory Maritime Health Declaration- Liberia features in the List as EBOLA Affected Country
On 1 July 2015, the World Health Organisation confirmed a fatal case of EVD in Liberia, seven weeks after the country was declared EVD-free.
As part of the measures to prevent the introduction of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) into Singapore, MPA makes reference to the updated requirement of the National Environment Agency (Port Health Section / Central Regional Office) for all arriving vessels that have been to the Ebola affected countries (i.e. Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone) in the past 21 days to submit the Maritime Declaration of Health Form to the Port Health Office.
The procedure, as advised by Port Health Section / Central Regional Office, is attached in as “Appendix A” in the circular and the Maritime Declaration of Health Form is attached as “Appendix B”.
Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Designated Proposed as Marine Protected Area
The Department of Fisheries and Oceans of Canada have introduced the proposed Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound Glass Sponge Reefs Marine Protected Areas Regulations under the Oceans Act. The Regulations propose to designate four sponge reefs collectively as a Marine Protected Area (MPA) covering a discontinuous area of approximately 2,410 km2 and set out general prohibitions to protect the reefs while allowing exceptions for specific activities that do not compromise the MPA conservation objective.
The hexactinellid (glass) sponge reefs, located between Haida Gwaii and the mainland of British Columbia in the Hecate Strait and Queen Charlotte Sound, are considered to be the only living example of the large glass sponge reefs that were abundant in the Jurassic Period. The reefs are made up of large colonies of glass sponges and are estimated to be 9 000 years old. They discontinuously cover an area of about 1 000 km2. The slow growth and fragility of these sponges make the reefs particularly vulnerable to damage and disturbance since recovery may take tens to several hundreds of years. Due to the highly sensitive nature and structure of the reefs, human activities in and around the reefs could pose a risk to the structural habitat, biological diversity and ecosystem function of the reefs
The MPA would comprise three spatially distinct components to encompass the northern reef, the two central reefs, and the southern reef. Each component would have three management zones: a core protection zone (CPZ), an adaptive management zone (AMZ) and a vertical adaptive management zone (VAMZ). Together, the establishment of these zones, and the associated prohibitions, would provide for the conservation and protection of the biological diversity, structural habitat and ecosystem function of the glass sponge reefs through the management of human activities.
Singapore MPA Revises Gas Free Inspection Charges
Pursuant to Regulation 11 of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Dangerous Goods, Petroleum and Explosives) Regulations, 2005, any vessel which has carried Class “A” petroleum or Class “B” petroleum is not allowed to proceed
to any place within the port or into shipyards unless the vessel has been certified free from flammable vapour by an Inspector of Petroleum.
The Gas Free Inspection charges have remained unchanged since MPA’s formation in 1996. Following MPA’s recent scheduled review and industry consultation, the revisions to the charges are as follows:
(a) Standardise Gas Free Inspection Charge:
For vessels with tonnage of less than 1,000 GT, a charge of $250 applies; for every additional 5,000 GT thereafter or part thereof, an additional charge of $70 applies.
(b) Delay/Waiting Charge:
Delay/Waiting charges are at $150 per hour or part thereof.
(c) Cancellation Charge :
(i) Cancellation charges are at $150 per occurrence.
(ii) The cut off timing for the application of cancellation charge has been aligned to that of Gas Free Inspection Booking.
Source: MPA
Revision of Anchorages, Fairways and Channels in Singapore Port
MPA Singapore issued Port marine circular advising that the anchorages, fairways and channels listed in the Second and Third Schedules to the MPA (Port) Regulations will be revised. These revisions will come into effect on 1 June 2015.
A vessel which uses any anchorage, fairway or channel for a purpose other than that specified by the Authority or in a manner contrary to the Port Master’s directions shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 and, in the case of a continuing offence, to a further fine not exceeding $1,000 for every day or part of the day during which the offence continues after conviction.
The key revisions are:
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The existing West Jurong Anchorage (Abbreviated Code AWJ) will be discontinued;
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The boundaries of the Temasek Fairway will be revised; and
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Additional types of vessels that can anchor in:
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Selat Pauh Anchorage (Abbreviated Code ASPLU)
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Raffles Reserved Anchorage (Abbreviated Code ARAFR)
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LNG/LPG/Chemical Gas Vessel Anchorage (Abbreviated Code ALGAS) T.
The revised list of designated anchorages, fairways and channels that will be incorporated in the Second and Third Schedules to the MPA (Port) Regulations, as amended by the MPA (Port) (Amendment) Regulations 2012 is published in the Gazette.
REFER MPA CIRCULAR FOR FULL DETAILS
Source: MPA
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