As Japan P&I Club informs, dealing with stowaways is a common problem for Clubs in the International Group, so IG’s Personal Injury Committee has developed a questionnaire to assist with their identification and subsequent repatriation.
The questionnaire consists of two pages, the first covering essential information about the stowaway and how access was gained to the vessel, and the second covering supplementary information if identification is still an issue. It can also be found in five languages: English, French, Spanish, Arabic and Swahili.
Furthermore, members are invited to consider using the IG questionnaire in the event of a stowaway incident on one of their vessels. If possible, each stowaway should complete the questionnaire on their own and in their own handwriting, with a witness and date.
Additionally, members are reminded of the importance of cooperation between all the parties involved in a stowaway incident, and the blank questionnaires may be circulated as appropriate to all concerned parties.
To remind, Gard Club has also published an updated Guide on Stowaways to address the issue and inform interested parties of ways to handle stowaway incidents onboard.
