VANUATU ISPS FLEET UPDATE
With the exception of a few laid-up vessels the Vanuatu fleet is essentially 100% up to date with regard to ISSCs.

FLEET / SAFETY LETTERS
Three Fleet / Safety Letters were issued during the third quarter and another is currently in production. FSL 04070 updates Vanuatu’s positive Port State Control statistics; FSL 04071 addresses enclosed space entry; FSL 04072 provides a MODU licensing and documentation policy; and FSL 04073, currently in production, will discuss EPIRBs and emergency contact issues. Copies of the Fleet / Safety Letters may be found on www.vanuatuships.com.

RECENT NOTABLE HIGHLIGHTS
• The number of ships on the registry topped 600 during the last quarter.
• The number of ships on the registry from one owner, Tidewater, topped 200 in the last few months.
• The Japanese shipping company, INUI, owner of a number of Vanuatu flagged vessels, celebrated its 100th anniversary. Our best wishes to INUI for another 100 years!

MAIIF 13 AND MAIIF 14 AND OTHER MEETINGS
The 13th annual meeting of the Marine Accident Investigators International Forum was held in Capetown, South Africa, October 4 - 9, 2004. Over 30 administrations were represented including several new African members. Don Sheetz represented Vanuatu at this meeting and he remains the only member who has attended every MAIIF meeting since MAIIF’s inception in 1992. The next meeting will be hosted by Vanuatu in Port Vila, August 29 - September 2, 2005, shortly after the 25th anniversary of the country.

Tom Horan will represent Vanuatu Maritime Services Limited at a meeting with all Taiwanese fishing vessel owners in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, October 26 - 27, 2004. The Vanuatu Minister of Fisheries and Agriculture will also participate in discussions on regional fisheries issues, regulatory compliance, casualties and quality management.

Look for Yudy Barba and Tom Horan at the International Work Boat Show in New Orleans, December 1 - 3, 2004. Call Yudy or Tom for a free VIP pass. VMSL will exhibit at CMA’s Shipping 2005 in March 2005 in Connecticut, and at OTC in May 2005 in Houston.

BRIDGE WATCHKEEPING
We salute Admiral Stephen Meyer of the UK’s Marine Accident Investigation Branch for the recent study on bridge watchkeeping. Three far-reaching recommendations were presented to the UK MCA which will, no doubt, be debated at IMO. The recommendations are paraphrased below:
• All merchant vessels over 500 gt to have, as a minimum, a master and two licensed bridge watchkeepers;
• A dedicated lookout to be kept on the bridge at all times day and night (some exceptions being noted);
• STCW to be reviewed to include a bridge lookout as an effective and integral member of the bridge team.
Copies of the study can be obtained directly from the MAIB or from this office.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE UPDATE
The Summer 2004 Quarterly Update is available in Japanese. Contact for a copy. I am sure that Captain Grainger will be happy to send you one.

MARPOL ANNEX VI – ENTRY INTO FORCE
Just in case you were wondering, Annex VI enters into force May 19, 2005.

PARIS MOU TARGETS LIVING CONDITIONS
From the Press: The Paris MOU on Port State Control announced a crackdown on substandard living and working conditions onboard ship. The inspection campaign will continue through 2004 and will focus on accommodations, hospital facilities, galley supplies and storage, hours of rest and working schedules. If the conditions do not comply with the ILO Convention standards, sanctions including the detention of a ship may be imposed. Please take heed!

VANUATU’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
Vanuatu’s presidential election, held every five years, was declared void after it was discovered the winning candidate had not completed a suspended sentence for misappropriation. Only indigenous citizens who do not have uncompleted court sentences are eligible to run for President. Both the Electoral Office and the Police Department (which does background checks on all candidates) failed to realize that the candidate was ineligible. A new election was then held by the Electoral College and, after several ballots over several days, Kalkot Mataskelekele, a retired local solicitor, and former judge, was elected as the new head of state. He brings an outstanding reputation to the position and is expected to be a guiding figure over the next five years.

DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT
Five independent candidates associated with the Green Party and five other MPs in the government “crossed the floor” by signing a motion of no confidence in the Prime Minister. The Council of Ministers responded by resolving to dissolve Parliament and put the request to the Acting President of the Republic who declared Parliament dissolved. A court challenge of the dismissal by the opposition parties was unsuccessful; Parliament was dissolved and national elections were held on 6 July.

The national election resulted in a greater fracturing of the principal political parties. Twenty-three sitting members of Parliament, out of 52, lost their seats. The number of independents grew from 5 to 9, although some have since aligned with one party or another. There are now 13 parties with representation in Parliament. A new government has been formed and already the coalition membership has been realigned. Serge Vohor, a former Prime Minister, was elected Prime Minister, and is taking steps to shore up his electoral position.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIND
Road work near Port Vila uncovered an ancient burial site containing numerous skeletons of “Lapita” people, named after the decorative pottery they made. Lapita pottery has been used to trace migrations across the vast Pacific Ocean. The discovery of the 3,200 year old site changes the estimates of man’s first arrival in Vanuatu by hundreds of years. The Lapita people originally came from what is now eastern Indonesia and the Philippines.

ARCHBISHOP OF CANTERBURY
The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Reverend Dr. Rowan Williams, visited Vanuatu during the last quarter. He made a special trip to Melanesia and visited not only the capital, Port Vila, but also remote islands in the north of the country. He described the visit as a pastoral one which he said was “exciting.” It is the first time in almost 150 years of the Anglican Church in our islands that the Archbishop of Canterbury has paid a visit. He was met with both modern and Melanesian traditional custom dances.

SHANGHAI SISTER CITY
Port Vila’s Lord Mayor recently visited Shanghai to celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the sister city relationship with Shanghai. This is truly a “David and Goliath” relationship, but one which should benefit Vanuatu greatly as China (and, in particular, Shanghai) moves ahead economically. The mayor returned with an undertaking of economic assistance and announced that an economic delegation from Shanghai will be arriving in 2005. Project funding has already started. We look forward to the further development of this arrangement.