Marina drafting rules for phaseout of 30-year-old vessels

The Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) is drafting regulations to implement a phaseout of sea vessels that are more than 30 years old to ensure safety in sea travel and modernize the shipping industry.

Lawyer Vicente Suazo Jr., Marina administrator, said the compulsory retirement of sea vessels aged 30 and beyond is provided for in the Domestic Shipping Development Act of 2004.

In the draft regulations, Marina would give owners of 30-year-old seacraft five years to upgrade and put in safety equipment or the vessels face compulsory retirement.

Suazo said the move would hopefully revive the local shipbuilding industry, which has suffered a slump with several shipbuilders turning their operations into mere ship repair.

With the upgrading of old vessels, these facilities would get more business, he said.

The Shipping Act of 2004 requires Marina to “prepare and implement a mandatory vessel-retirement program for all un-classed vessels that fail to meet the classification standards of a government-recognized classification society.”

“All vessels which have attained the maximum vessel age as stipulated by Marina’s mandatory vessel retirement program and which do not carry a class certificate issued by a government-recognized classification society shall not be allowed to operate in the domestic trade and shall be automatically delisted from the Philippine Registry,” the law provides.

Suazo said Marina is now in the final stages of drafting the guidelines. 

However, Suazo gave assurance that they will give a transition period of about five years before the vintage vessels are retired.

He said the regulations will also offer “incentives” to shipowners to upgrade their vessels or to buy new ones to ensure the convenience and safety of both cargo and passengers. 

The Philippines has experienced a significant number of sea disasters involving aging ships, especially during the typhoon season.

Congress passed the 2004 Shipping Act after noting that many vessels were already antiquated and ought to be retired for the safety of passengers and cargo. Most of the vessels are said to be between 10 and 30 years old.

Earlier, Marina warned that it would cancel the licenses of oil tankers or even remove them from the Philippine Registry if they fail to use double-hulled vessels by April 30.

Eight tankers that carry black oil are already double-hulled, according to Marina.

Suazo said he expects similar vessels to be double-hulled when the deadline nears.

However, tankers carrying “white oil” will be allowed to continue operating, but by 2010 they will also be required to become double-hulled.

Marina imposed the requirement as part of the Philippines’ commitment under the International Maritime Organization’s International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution and also to prevent further oil spills.