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PORT STATE CONTROL
Port state control is an inspection program under which countries work
together to verify that foreign vessels entering their waters are in compliance
with strict international safety and anti-pollution standards. Ships that are
found to be in serious violation of standards are detained in port until their
deficiencies have been rectified. The objective of port state control is to
detect and inspect substandard ships and help eliminate the threat that they
pose to life, property and the marine environment.
The key elements of port state control are:
- ensuring compliance with international rules regarding safety, marine
pollution and the working environment;
- detaining substandard vessels when their condition so warrants and until
deficiencies are rectified;
- implementing a mutually agreed upon, annual minimum number of vessels
inspected;
- applying a targeting system when determining the selection of vessels for
inspection;
- harmonizing and strengthening - to the greatest extent possible - port state
control procedures; and
- providing technical assistance and training where the need is identified.
Effective port state control is an integral part of Transport Canada's Marine
Safety Program, which is responsible for all port state control activities in
Canada. Transport Canada's marine safety inspectors play an important role in
enforcing applicable requirements and detaining those vessels found to have a
detainable deficiency.
Under Canada's Port State Control Program, Transport Canada inspects at least 25 per cent
of individual ship activities at Canadian ports. Canada's program,
combined with the port state control programs of its international partners,
targets ships for inspection every six months.
In 2005, Transport Canada inspected 1,277 foreign vessels at Canadian ports, of
which 482 were found to have deficiencies. Of this number, 49 vessels had
deficiencies serious enough for detention.
During 2003 and 2005, Transport Canada conducted the highest number of
inspections in five years, while the number of vessel deficiencies reached its
lowest levels in five years.
Ships |
2005 |
2004 |
2003 |
2002 |
2001 |
Inspections |
1,277 |
1,174 |
1,277 |
1,159 |
1,197 |
With Deficiencies |
482 |
498 |
495 |
525 |
634 |
Detained |
49 |
68 |
59 |
49 |
92 |
Regional Memoranda of Understanding
Canada has signed two Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control: the
Paris memorandum, which consists of 25 European countries and Canada, and the
Tokyo memorandum, which comprises 18 Asia-Pacific countries and Canada. Canada
was a cooperating member of the Paris memoranda in 1988, and became a full
member in May 1994. Canada was a driving force in the creation of the Tokyo
memoranda and has been a member since its inception in December 1993. Canada and
Russia are the only countries that are members of both the Paris and Tokyo
memoranda.
Canada has also enhanced its port state control collaborations with the United States
and Mexico through the signing of a declaration on July 8, 2001.
Port state control inspectors in the Paris and Tokyo memoranda verify the
compliance of vessels with the following seven major international conventions.
The first six, developed within the International Maritime Organization, address
safety and pollution issues. The seventh, developed within the International
Labour Organization, deals with the health and occupational safety of seafarers.
These conventions are under continuous review to ensure they reflect the most
contemporary technological and philosophical developments in the marine
industry. They are:
- the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974;
- the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL),
1973;
- the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978;
- the International Convention on Load Lines, 1966;
- the Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at
Sea (COLREG), 1972;
- the International Tonnage Convention (1969); and
- the International Labour Organization Convention No. 147 Merchant Shipping
(Minimum Standards), 1976 (ILO 147)
In addition to the Paris and Tokyo memoranda, the following regions have now
established similar port state control regimes:
- the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding, which includes 12 Caribbean states;
- the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding, which includes 13 member states;
- the Black Sea Memorandum of Understanding, which includes six member states;
- the Vina Del Mar Agreement, which includes 13 South American states;
- the Mediterranean Memorandum of Understanding, which includes 10 member states;
- the West & Central Africa Memorandum of Understanding, which includes 19 member states; and
- the United States Coast Guard.
For additional information on Transport Canada's Port State Control Program,
including initiatives and statistics, please refer to the
2003 Port State Control Annual
Report.
May 2006
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