Proceedings Of The Marine

SPR 2014

Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.

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32 Proceedings Spring 2014 www.uscg.mil/proceedings to maintain security, and the profle of the person(s) who are the focus of that policy. Too often, however, seafarers are subject to unfortunate stereotypes. The bottom line, though, is that business leaders would not entrust a ship and its cargo, worth many millions of dollars, to anyone who doesn't hold internationally recognized training certifcates and credentials. Seafarers spend a signifcant amount of time, money, and effort training to maintain their credentials. In fact, the lifestyle of a mariner closely mirrors any member of an airline crew. Seafarers are well trained in their profession, entrusted with expensive vessels and valuable cargoes, and they perform essential services to maintain quality. Too often maritime security plans focus on restricting mari- ners, rather than partnering with them to promote security. The Ship Owner's Perspective Mr. Joseph Keefe Editor Maritime Professional and Marine News Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this perspective are those of the author and do not necessarily refect the offcial policy or position of any agency of the U.S. government. The Hidden Costs of Denied Shore Leave The ultimate cost of shore leave denied to the thousands of foreign mariners goes far beyond their inconvenience and frustration. While the impact is diffcult to measure, it is real and that invoice will come due soon enough. In the mean- time, ship owners are footing the tab in more ways than one. Retention/Recruitment If denied shore leave is one of the hottest issues facing the shipping world today, then right behind it (and related to it) comes seafarer retention and recruitment. GAO estimates as many as 5 million seafarers arrive at U.S. ports annually, and about 20 percent of them work on cargo ships. Virtually all of them are noncitizens who are routinely denied shore leave under the guise of national security concerns. Foreign-fagged vessels, unlike their U.S. counterparts, typ- ically sign on seamen for six month to one year periods, meaning that a seaman traveling regularly back and forth to the U.S. might not ever get ashore during that stretch. Faced with this reality, on top of piracy threats and the ever-growing regulatory burden, many seamen choose not to come back. So, countless mariners are lost from the work pool — leaving employers to scramble for replace- ments — most of whom are lesser-qualifed candidates. The cost of this revolving-door employment ultimately affects the entire supply and logistics chain. The Facts Father Sinclair Oubre Diocesan Director Apostleship of the Sea • Seafarers are well-trained professionals, entrusted with assets worth tens of millions of dollars. • They are invited by the local maritime facility to deliver or load cargoes. • Seafarers consistently meet challenges, such as inclement weather, and still deliver their cargoes on time and in good condition to the fnal destination. • U.S. mariners have TWICs and therefore have been subjected to extensive background checks. • All foreign mariners are screened 92 hours before U.S. arrival. • For a foreign mariner to go ashore, he or she must obtain a D-1 visa from the Department of State. As part of the issuing process, the mariner undergoes an extensive background check. • A foreign seafarer who possesses a D-1 visa can only go ashore after he or she has been searched by a Customs and Border Protection ofcer and receives a shore pass. • The Government Accountability Ofce stated in its 2011 report: " … to date there have been no terrorist attacks involving seafarers on vessels transiting to U.S. ports and no defnitive information to indicate that extremists have entered the United States as seafarer non-immigrant visa holders." 1 • Seafarer centers' surveys concluded that 91.3 percent of all detentions are related to a lack of D-1 visa, 4.6 percent are related to ship or shipping company restrictions, and only 4 percent are related to Customs and Border Protection action. 2 Endnotes: 1. Maritime Security: Federal Agencies Have Taken Actions to Address Risks Posed by Seafarers, but Eforts Can be Strengthened. Washington, DC: U.S. Govern- ment Accountability Ofce, GAO -11-195, January 2011. 2. Center for Seafarers' Rights. 2013 Shore Leave Survey. New York/New Jersey: The Seamen's Church Institute. Available at www.seamenschurch.org/sites/ default/fles/sci-shore-leave-survey-2013-web.pdf. Hessbeck / iStock / Thinkstock Spring2014_26.indd 32 3/26/14 2:07 PM

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