BIMCO、護衛船舶の標準契約書式を発表

ギニア湾の海賊は依然として大きな問題ですが、現地の法律と慣行により、武装した外国の警備員が乗船している船舶が、その地域に寄港することは困難となっています。一部の国では、現地の武装警備員が外国の商用船に乗船することを禁止しています。BIMCO（ボルチック国際海運協議会）は、現地で護衛船舶と契約するための新しい標準契約書式を発表しました。来年1月より利用が可能です。

Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea remains a big problem, however local laws and enforcement practices make it difficult for vessels to call at ports in the region with foreign armed guards onboard, and some countries prohibit local armed guards from boarding foreign commercial vessels.

As such, a practice has developed for foreign vessels calling at these ports to arrange, through the agency of private maritime security companies (PMSC), for SEVs with local naval armed guards and the PMSC’s liaison officer onboard, to accompany the vessels during the vessels’ calls to this region.

In the absence of a standard contract for the hiring of the SEVs’ services, BIMCO announced in February this year that it would be developing such a standard form. The Club is pleased to inform Members that Bimco’s Documentary Committee has now finalised the standard form contract which will be available for use from January.

For further information on this announcement, Members should get in touch with their usual Club contact.