Posted on 12/29/2022 9:55:34 AM PST by DFG
The European Commission is considering banning ships registered in European Union countries from using crews of sailors from the Philippines. The prohibition could drastically impact global shipping: Currently, one in four crew members on merchant vessels around the world hails from the Philippines. And the European Union is second only to Panama in gross merchant tonnage. If this ban goes through, it’s poised to rock an industry that’s been struggling for years.
Deutsche Welle reports the ban is being considered after an audit by the European Maritime Safety Agency. European regulators found that maritime education institutions in the Philippines didn’t meet standards set by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers. If the European Commission decides to take action, the European Union will no longer recognize competency certifications issued in the Philippines. Current certificates would be recognized until they expire, which could be at most five years from now.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
That’s racist!
Seems like this sort of thing should be handled by the insurers. If the crew isn’t up to snuff, they aren’t insured. And that takes the politics out of it.
So 100,000 merchant sailors who have been working on ships for decades are suddenly no longer qualified. Despite no evidence that any of this has lead to accidents or unsafe practices aboard ships. Further evidence the EU is run by idiots.
The first thing I would say in the media too. Dish it back to the race baiters.
Sounds like somebody was bought by China to get rid of everybody else. China already tried this with India and blocked ships with Indian crews from docking at Chinese ports.
It’s probably just that the Filipino school doesn’t have the LGBTXYZ study curriculum.
Dang!There goes my ulam!
THAT, just might be the true reason.
I remember looking into working the industry when I first got out of the Navy as a certified Surface Warfare Officer having stood watch as an Officer of the Deck, CIC watch officer, and engineering watch officer.
Merchant shipping industry didn’t consider any of this or schooling at USNA to be applicable to the commercial industry for certification or licensing. Made no sense to me then or now.
The EU is bound and determined to return to a medieval standard of living.
FWIW back in 1998 my wife and I took a Holland American cruise to Alaska. Our regular waiter was Filipino and really good.
Turns out he was actually a doctor in the Philipines and worked on cruises about 6 months a year so he could fund his free clinics back home. He alternated with another doctor who did the same thing, so the clinic always had a doctor on site.
Not all knuckleheads are in DC
I think they are giving credit to USCG now.
And that may be the clue why they wouldn’t give Navy credit. The CG runs the licensing & documentation.
There were a lot of WWII navy vets, both licensed and unlicensed when I started sailing in the 60’s
Yeah, I can understand why well educated, cosmopolitan, refined, knowledgeable, compassionate, Elite Europeans wouldn't want Filipino crewmen to slide down the anchor chain and invade their Nazi Empire.
“European regulators found that maritime education institutions in the Philippines didn’t meet standards”
I wonder how many Philippine Nurse (a lot of them in the UK) and IT degrees meet standards.
The same could be said for India.
For Filipina nurses to work in the USA they have to pass the USA Registered Nurse certification. The PH one is good for PH, but not in the USA.
A lot of them come here and start out lower on the nursing food chain (caregiver) until they get the RN certs here.
It would be interesting to learn how many of them desert their ships in Western and developed nations’ ports. The PI has historically been one of the most consistent countries whose citizens commit immigration fraud of one kind or another.
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