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Skuld: Emergency response advice for migrants

Over 13,500 people were rescued in the period of 10 - 17 April 2015 The Skuld P&I Club has posted an article on its website to provide an update on the refugee and migrant crisis in the Mediterranean Sea.According to the UN High Commission for Refugees, over 13,500 people were rescued in the period of 10 April to 17 April 2015, and 900 are feared to have perished this.The Club reminds masters to be fully aware of their obligations under international convention and local laws to assist distressed persons at sea. A failure to render assistance may create legal, including criminal, liabilities.If a vessel comes across distressed persons at sea, then it is an obligation with the force of law that assistance must be rendered (subject to the safety of the crew and vessel rendering the assistance).There are many considerations to keep in mind when this situation arises, and masters should take the following steps amongst the other necessary measures to respond to the situation in a safe and responsible manner:identify the likely number of vessels and people being encounteredurgently contact the nearest responsible maritime authority / coast guard of the situationassess how assistance can be safely renderedprovide such assistance ...

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Shipping Industry calls on EU to increase Mediterranean SAR resources

Launch a proper EU SAR operation to prevent the further loss of thousands more lives In advance of the emergency EU Council Summit (Thursday 23 April) to address the migrant crisis in the Mediterranean, the European and global shipping industries insist that the urgent priority is for EU Member States to immediately launch a proper EU Search and Rescue operation with sufficient resources to prevent the further loss of thousands more lives.The shipping industry says that the decision taken by EU Foreign Ministers to bolster the FRONTEX-led Triton mission is a step in the right direction, but potentially falls short of the need for an operation with similar resources and geographical scope as the Italian Mare Nostrum operation which was suspended last year.Following the terrible tragedy last weekend, the shipping industry, the citizens of Europe, and the wider international community, expect the leaders of Europe to act decisively and to maintain the new momentum for something to be done.In Brussels, Patrick Verhoeven, Secretary General of the European Community Shipowners' Associations (ECSA) commented, "The shipping industry recognises that the underlying issues are very complex. But when dealing with the imminent life or death of thousands of people, fast and decisive action ...

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