Log book given to Maltese shipping authorities

A delegation from the merchant shipping directorate of the Malta Maritime Authority was in Pakistan as part of the investigation into the Tasman Spirit marine casualty of July 27 in the channel of Karachi harbour.

Resolution A.849(20), adopted on November 27, 1997 by the assembly of the International Maritime Organisation, of which both Malta and Pakistan are member states, not only requested states to conduct investigations into all very serious marine casualties and to supply the organisation with the relevant findings but also adopted a code for the investigation of marine casualties.

This code makes it very clear that any documents that may have relevance to the investigation should be produced and that where possible original documents should be retained.

The MMA said that the Maltese delegation, besides ensuring that the code approved by the IMO assembly for the investigation of marine casualties was followed, also ensured that a certified true copy of any original document handed by the master of the Malta-flagged vessel to the delegation was given to the master.

Moreover the Maltese delegation was informed that the Pakistani authorities carrying their own investigations had already ensured to have copies of all documents, which in their opinion were relevant to the investigation.

The MMA added that it was also important to note that both the master and the owner of a Maltese ship have a legal obligation, imposed on them by the Merchant Shipping Act, to deliver or transmit back to the Malta flag when a ship was lost or abandoned the official log book duly made out to the time of loss or abandonment. This was exactly what the master of the vessel did when he met the Maltese delegation carrying out the investigation in Pakistan, the MMA said.