Page 15 - INTERCARGO - Annual Report 2022

ANNUAL REVIEW

Ukraine crisis Cargoes

The Russian invasion of Ukraine The safe carriage of cargoes
continues to dominate the is the cornerstone of the bulk
headlines. Six months on the carrier industry and yet not all
situation seems no closer stakeholders are fulfilling their
to a resolution although the obligations to ensure that Masters

establishment of safe corridors and crews are provided with the
for shipping has gone some way necessary information to enable
to alleviate the crisis surrounding cargoes to be shipped safely.

grain shipments.
The International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code,
Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, IN- Welcoming the agreement at international level to resume stipulating the carriage requirements for cargoes, clearly lays
TERCARGO has actively participated in an industry task force grain shipments from Ukraine, INTERCARGO warned that out the responsibilities of the various stakeholders in the distri-
formed to gather information and share experiences and valua- such shipments should only take place if the safety and se- bution chain, including the specific information about the car-
ble data with ship operators. This has supported INTERCARGO curity of vessels, their crews and cargoes, could be guaran- go that should be provided to the Master. It is INTERCARGO’s
members in making informed decisions regarding operations in teed. This means that there need to be concrete assuranc- firm belief that some shippers/receivers continue to, either de-
and around the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. es in place at berths and anchorages in Ukrainian ports to liberately or due to lack of competence, mis-declare cargoes
ensure that the safety and security of vessels, crew and car- with tragic consequences
On July 27th, a briefing was conducted by the IMO Secretar-
go can be preserved, and that shipping in the area is free
iat advising on a high-level diplomatic agreement to estab- INTERCARGO is particularly concerned with Group A car-
from attack.
lish safe corridors for the export of key commodities from the goes, these being cargoes that may undergo a moisture re-
Ukraine ports of Odessa, Chernomorsk, and Yuzhny. In or- The safety of our seafarers is crucial, and it is essential that lated cargo failure mechanism such as liquefaction and dy-
der to oversee the export operations, a Joint Co-operations bulk carrier crews are be afforded every respect under in- namic separation. Our recent Bulk Carrier Casualty Report
Centre (JCC) has been established in Turkey comprising per- ternational conventions when being questioned by authori- highlights the impact that liquefaction has on bulk carrier
sonnel from Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, and the United Nations. ties. All efforts should be made for safe crew changes, med- losses and seafarer deaths.
This agreement is under the auspices of the ISM and ISPS ical assistance as and when required by the crew as well as
A general cargo vessel, loaded with ball clay from Lamut, Ma-
Codes and has been brokered by the United Nations. the smooth and efficient co-operation by Ukraine Port State
laysia, was lost in December 2021 when its cargo liquified
Control/environmental/cargo hold inspection authorities. As
• The agreement covers only the ports of Odessa, Cher- while on passage. Additionally, there have been cases of ves-
shipowners and their crews are willing to assist this global
nomorsk, and Yuzhny and is solely for the export of sels loaded in SE Asia with cargoes declared as “ball clay” or
food crisis, they should not be hindered in any way by local
grain and ammonia products. “clay” where the cargo has undergone liquefaction, or anoth-
authority practices.
er moisture related failure mechanism such as dynamic sep-
• Operating procedures have been developed by the
Please also refer to INTERCARGO’s relevant public commu- aration.
JCC and include:
nications over the last 12 months (https://www.intercargo.
Within the IMSBC Code clay is designated a Group C cargo
o Inspection protocols for inbound vessels to en- org/news/category/media-releases/) :
(cargoes that don’t liquefy). However as the incidents above
sure they are empty and bona fide.
• March 2, 2022: Statement from INTERCARGO on the illustrate, the importance of providing the Master correct in-
o Inspection protocols for outgoing vessels to en-
Ukrainian crisis formation cannot be over-stressed.
sure they are not carrying unauthorised cargoes.
o A registration process for vessels. • April 6, 2022: “Time for Reflection at INTERCARGO’s INTERCARGO takes an active role at the IMO and other fo-
o Escorts from a nominated position to a pilot station. Spring Semi-Annual Meetings” ra to highlight the dangers of liquefaction and to promote the
o Pilotage. safe carriage of cargoes. To assist the Association’s work,
• June 23, 2022: “2022 Day of the Seafarer: Share your
o De-mining operations (responsibility of Ukraine) INTERCARGO’s Cargo Panel considers various cargo relat-
journey”
to ensure the safe passage of vessels. ed matters including liquefaction and advises the Technical
Committee accordingly. Members who wish to participate
in this group should contact the Secretariat
For more information on this topic please visit: For more information on this topic please visit:
www.intercargo.org/ukraine-crisis-updates/ https://www.intercargo.org/topics/cargoes-liquefaction/

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