The US Coast Guard has approved Inland Towing Operators Working Together (ITOW) as a third-party organization (TPO) to carry out certain functions in accordance with Subchapter M, the Towing Vessel National Center of Expertise (TVNCOE) announced on 5 August.
The Coast Guard collaborated with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) Office of Law Enforcement in Alaska, advising all fishermen to familiarise with the laws prior to going fishing and be compliant to them.
After investigating a deadly fire aboard a casino vessel, the US Coast Guard’s Inspections and Compliance Directorate issued Marine Safety Alert 08-19 to ensure owners and operators understand federal fuel system requirements, as well as that inspection personnel maintains an acute awareness to these issues.
Department’s of Homeland Security agencies detected and chased a suspected smuggling boat that was illegally transmitting about 1,400 pounds of marijuana, about 40 miles southwest of San Diego. The incident took place on July 25.
The US Coast Guard along with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) detained seven migrants, a suspected smuggler and 67 packages of marijuana on Thursday, August 1, about 7 miles off Government Cut.
The USCG Commandant, Adm. Karl Schultz, launched a marine bulletin reminding all coast guard military personnel that the use, possession, manufacture, or distribution of marijuana is a violation of federal law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The rule goes into effect immediately, and violations are punishable by up to two years of confinement, forfeiture of all pay and dishonorable discharge.
USCG updated its reporting forms for providing a written report of a marine casualty. Owners, operators, managers, and masters for US flag vessels, and for foreign vessels which make port calls should ensure that they have available the latest forms from the USCG.
A new draft policy letter issued by USCG last week, concerning viability testing in BWMS under VIDA, is breaching the VIDA text asking for “best available science” by not accepting the Most Probable Number (MPN) method, argued Jad Mouawad, CEO, Mouawad Consulting.
On July 7, a USCG MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter aircrew evacuated a seven-year-old girl, as she was suffering from abdominal pain, from the cruise ship Celebrity Summit. The helicopter hoisted the girl, which was then transported at the Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk.
Britannia P&I Club informed that it has recently been advised that some operators have been charged USD3,600 for security guards in respect of crew members not holding current US visas, even though they were not disembarking. In order to avoid such charges, all crew should have valid visas before arriving at US ports.
