2010
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Training and Certification Requirements
for
Operators and Crew Members
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Inshore Fishing Vessels
(Less than 15 GT)
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For all Fishing Vessels:
· All crew members must have training in Marine Safety (proof with a MED training certificate);
· All crew members must receive familiarization training for safety equipment found on board;
· A minimum of one (1) person on board must hold a valid First Aid certificate (minimum 16 hours of training) and is responsible for administrating first aid when needed;
· The vessel Operator (commonly called Captain or Master) must hold a valid Fishing Vessel Operator Certificate (See information on following page for level of Certificate required and also Page 5 for specific information as to phasing-in of this requirement);
· If a fishing voyage duration is more than 24 hours, there must be a second person on board (commonly called the Watchkeeping Mate) holding a valid operator certificate for that vessel to serve as a relief for the Captain while resting;
· The vessel Captain and the vessel Owner (if not owned by the Captain) must ensure operators of specialized equipment (i.e. radiotelephone, radar, winches and hoists, etc.) are trained and certified in its safe operation;
· The vessel Captain and the vessel Owner (if not owned by the Captain) must ensure each crew member knows how to respond to emergencies on board the vessel (i.e. perform safety drills, operate emergency equipment, etc.);
· The vessel Captain and the vessel Owner (if not owned by the Captain) must ensure all persons on board meet all regulatory requirements for training and certification. (Note: In addition to being a CSA regulatory requirement, this is also a requirement of most fishing vessel insurance policies.)
Specific to Small Fishing Vessels (less than 15 gt) on Near Coastal Voyages:
· Minimum valid Vessel Operator Certificate to be held by the Captain and (if required) the Watchkeeping Mate (see Page 3 for information on each Certificate):
o PCOC if on a voyage of not more than 2 nautical miles from shore (see NOTE below); OR
o SVOP if on a voyage within 25 nautical miles from shore (see Page 4 for information on options for an exemption to the SVOP); OR
o Minimum FM4 on fishing voyages within 200 nautical miles from shore; OR
o In lieu of FM4, a Certificate of Service as Master or as Watchkeeping Mate of a Fishing Vessel with voyage limits indicated on the Certificate.
· Minimum valid Marine Safety training certificate (see Page 4 for information on each Certificate):
o For persons holding a Vessel Operator Certificate, the prerequisite MED training required for that Certificate (MED A1, MED A3, etc.);
o For all other crew members:
§ PCOC if on a voyage of not more than 2 nautical miles from shore; OR
§ MED A3 if on a voyage within 25 nautical miles from shore; OR
§ MED A1 or MED A2 on all other fishing voyages
· All operators of ship board marine VHF Radiotelephones must obtain training and certification to the following levels:
o ROC-M for operating an analog VHF marine radio, or
o ROC-MC for operating a VHF marine radio with the DSC feature.
NOTE: Although under the Canada Shipping Act the PCOC is recognized as a minimum operator certificate and a minimum MED certificate for fishing vessels on a near coastal voyage within two nautical miles from shore, this certificate was originally designed for operating a pleasure craft and in some situations may not provide the training necessary or be appropriate for the operation of a fishing vessel. It is suggested that all operators of fishing vessels on a near coastal voyage should obtain training to the minimum levels of SVOP or FM4 and the minimum marine safety training for all crew members should be to the levels of MED A3 or MED A1.
Fisheries and Marine Training Certificates
The following is a list of fisheries and marine training certificates that form part of the requirements by the CSA as it applies to persons working in the fishing industry. For more information on each of the certificates or any training to obtain the certificate, contact any fisheries or marine training institution.
Fishing Vessel Operator Certificates:
Fishing Master Class 4 (FM4) –
· Certificate holder qualified to serve as
o Captain of a fishing vessel of up to 100 gross tonnage on voyages within 200 nautical miles from shore; or
o Officer in charge of the Watch (OOW) on any size fishing vessel on voyages within 200 nautical miles from shore.
Small Vessel Operator Proficiency (SVOP) –
· Certificate holder qualified to serve as Captain or Watchkeeping Mate of a fishing vessel of up to 15 gross tonnage on voyages within 25 nautical miles from shore.
Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) –
· Certificate holder qualified to serve as Captain or Watchkeeping Mate of a fishing vessel of up to 15 gross tonnage on voyages of not more than two (2) nautical miles from shore. (See NOTE on Page 2)
Other Certificates (with credits for experience):
Certificate of Service as Master of a Fishing Vessel (CoS-MFV) –
· Option for persons with a minimum of one (1) year of sea experience prior to July 1, 2007, as the Operator of a fishing vessel of at least 15 gross tonnage or 12 meters or more in length over all;
· Certificate holder qualified to serve as Captain or Watchkeeping Mate of a fishing vessel up to 60 gross tonnage on voyages in which the sea experience was obtained and is documented on the Certificate.
Certificate of Service as Watchkeeping Mate of a Fishing Vessel (CoS-WKMFV) –
· Option for persons with a minimum of one (1) year of sea experience prior to July 1, 2007, as an Officer in charge of the Watch (OOW) of a fishing vessel of at least 15 gross tonnage or 12 meters or more in length over all;
· Certificate holder qualified to serve as Watchkeeping Mate of a fishing vessel up to 100 gross tonnage on voyages in which the sea experience was obtained and is documented on the Certificate.
Exemption for the SVOP –
· Option for persons with a minimum of seven (7) seasons of fishing experience, with no two of the seasons in the same year, as the Operator of a fishing vessel prior to July 1, 2007;
· Exempted Operator will be qualified to continue to serve as Captain or Watchkeeping Mate of a fishing vessel on which a SVOP certificate is required by the vessel operator.
Marine Safety Training Certificates:
MED A1 (Marine Emergency Duties level A1) –
· Minimum 19.5 hour training program for seafarers employed on fishing vessels and commercial marine operations.
MED A2 (Marine Emergency Duties level A2) –
· Minimum 26 hour training program for seafarers employed on passenger carrying vessels but also valid for fishing vessels and commercial marine operations.
MED A3 (Marine Emergency Duties level A3) –
· Minimum 9 hour training program for seafarers employed on fishing vessels of up to 150 gross tonnage on voyages within 25 nautical miles from shore.
Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) –
· Accepted in lieu of MED training certificate on a fishing vessel up to 15 gross tonnage on voyages within two (2) nautical miles from shore. (See NOTE on Page 2)
Other Training Courses and Certificates:
Marine Advanced First Aid (MAFA) –
· Minimum 31 hour training program for persons seeking a marine certificate of competency (i.e. FM4).
Marine Basic First Aid (MBFA) –
· Minimum 16 hour training program for seafarers employed on fishing vessels and commercial marine operations.
ROC-M (Radiotelephone Operator Certificate – Marine VHF) –
· Approximately 8 -12 hour training program for an operator of a marine VHF analog radiotelephone.
ROC-MC (Radiotelephone Operator Certificate – Maritime Commercial) –
· Minimum 20 hour training program for an operator of a marine VHF radiotelephone with the Digital Selective Calling (DSC) feature.
SEN-L (Simulated Electronic Navigation, Limited) –
· Minimum 32 hour training program for an operator of marine electronic navigation equipment (i.e. Radar, GPS, etc.) (Prerequisite for a FM4 and FM3).
Phasing-In of Requirements:
· The new CSA that came in to force on July 1st, 2007, requires that the Master of all fishing vessels must eventually hold a certificate. The date at which this requirement starts depends on the vessel’s over all length and is as per the following time line:
o Nov. 7, 2009, for fishing vessels of more than 14m (45’11”) in length over all (LOA)
o Nov. 7, 2010, for fishing vessels of more than 13m (42’8”) LOA
o Nov. 7, 2012, for fishing vessels of more than 12m (39’4”) LOA
o Nov. 7, 2015, for fishing vessels of more than 6m (19’8”) LOA
o Nov. 7, 2016, for all fishing vessels
· All other requirements outlined in the previous sections (Marine Safety, Radio Operator, etc.) were made effective prior to July 1, 2007.
Other Information
Renewing a Certificate of Competency:
All Transport Canada issued Certificates of Competency (i.e. FM4, FM3, etc.) and any Certificates of Service are valid for a period of not more than five years from date of issue. To maintain the certification after the validity period or to renew the certificate validity the holder must present Transport Canada Marine Safety with the following documentation:
– Proof of Identification
– Proof of 12 months sea service in the previous 5 years
– Valid Marine Medical certificate (for Certificate of Competency only)
– Original Certificate of Competency or Certificate of Service
– Any Training Certificates used when obtaining the original Certificate
(MED, Radiotelephone Operator Certificate, etc.)
If all documentation is approved, and with payment of a processing fee, a replacement Certificate will be issued which will be valid for the next five (5) years.
2009
Brief on Health & Safety/Transport Canada
October 2009
Activities
- National CMAC
- Regional CMAC
- Transportation Safety Board Consultation
- CCPFH programs - FMIV Distance training/Electronic simulator course
- Help realign ROC-MC course
- Worked at CCPFH conference in July
Issues
- Marine First Aid – Transport Canada was aligning Marine First Aid with international standards even for fleets that don’t have to meet them. Lobbying was strong that this should not happen as they were more costly and more time consuming
- Stability – Stability issues are still looming. TC has advised that they are willing to look at fleet exemptions and that the proposal has to come from industry. TC has provided no goal posts to date and we have asked for the repeatedly so we can start this work. Players in the Southern Gulf have been contacted to participate in a workshop to draft a proposal and are ready to go but TC is holding out. We continue to lobby TC around this.
- ROC-MC Course – Work was done with BC in order to make the ROC-MC course more streamlined and more efficient for fishermen. A number of fishermen (including one that delivers training) were interviewed for feedback
- Pleasure Craft Operator Card (PCOC) – TC has flip flopped a number of times and is saying anyone who is holding any training certification over the PCOC still has to posses the PCOC is using the vessel for pleasure. RCMP and TC not on the same page here.
- Marine Personnel Regulations (MPR) – mostly for the over 15 gross ton fleet - industry has been lobbying changes to watchkeeping issues, fishing masters validity and safe manning procedure
Issues for the MFU
- Marine Personnel Regulations are now in effect – There is no mechanism in place in NB to facilitate our industry meets these requirements – can we move on this?
- We could have our inshore fleet exempted from basic stability requirements if we can get TC to the table and get the working group active – we should keep working on this - it could save our fishermen a lot of money
- FMIV Distance learning - can we continue to work on this in order to be able to offer it to our members?
- Stability E-simulator course-can we continue to work on this and be involved in its design and delivery?
- All fishing vessels must have 1 person with first aid training – can we work on getting some of our members trained to deliver this training?
- Further need to communicate with our members regarding the regulations that affect them. A newsletter went out a while ago but I believe there is a need to reiterate this information. How can this happen?
2008
Sincere condolences for Sealers lost at sea
April 1, 2008 - The members of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU) would like to express our sincere condolences to the families of the 4 fishermen recently lost to the sea and to your whole community. The Maritime Fishermen’s Union is made up of over 1400 fishermen and has members in Cape Breton, NS who are involved in the seal fishery.
As fishermen we realize our communities are built around the sea and we understand the dangers involved as we depend on the sea for our livelihood. When lives are lost at sea it affects the whole community. We want you to know that you are not alone in your shock and disbelief over this tragedy. Fishermen and fishing communities understand and accept the risks that are involved in our way of life but that doesn’t ever take the hurts and disbelief away from losing one of our own. Your loss is immense and we share your grief.
Sincerely,
Members & staff of the Maritime Fishermen’s Union (MFU)
Transportation Safety Board Meeting
05 July 2009 – Dartmouth, NS
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) is conducting Presentations on Safety Issues Investigation into Fishing Vessel Safety.
The role and mandate of the TSB in order to provide a holistic view of fishing vessels within Canada will include:
- Systemic analysis of past occurrences
- Systemic identification of safety deficiencies
- Evaluating remedial actions already taken
- Developing viable risk mitigation options
The following are points raised by the TSB during their presentation:
- TSB is an arms length body from Transport Canada
- TSB in not a regulator – TC does that
- They are studying fishing vessel safety across Canada – there have been 60 deaths over the last 5 years
- TSB never lays blame and never assigns a fix
- They identify safety deficiencies
- There is to be a fishing vessel safety study released by the end of August
- TSB always does an assessment after an incident – perhaps not a full investigation but always an assessment
- Regulations alone will not have an impact on safe operating practices and safety culture
There was a lot of discussion around Safety Culture and the Impact of Resource Management on safety in the fishing industry
Safety Culture - they believe grows from the bottom up and they believe mentoring is the best approach to achieve the safety culture. They want ascertain how harvesters identify risk.
Resource Management – There was a lot of discussion around herring management plans and weekly vs. nightly trip limits. It was suggested that better communication between TSB & DFO would be a start. DFO needs to take safety into consideration rather than deferring to the strongest industry lobby.
The TSB wants communication with the fishing community, industry associations, agencies and regulators on the objective of the Safety Issues Investigation (SII). They will be conducting small focus groups with 5 or 6 fishermen at a time. I have indicated the MFU is willing to facilitate working group(s) so it is up to them to contact us. They are looking for help in both New Brunswick and South West Nova.
Regional CMAC - 15 October 2008 – Charlottetown, PEI
Canadian Coast Guard Update
- They are conducting a needs analysis – 2 year span on how to use the resources across the country – this is posted on web and broken down regionally
- There is a lack of SAR presence around PEI – they are aware of this problem
- Advised the SAR season is outside the fishing seasons?????
Update on Small Fishing Vessel Regulations – Lionel Comeau
- Lionel listed presentations/meetings/consultations he has attended starting in June.
- Due to the sinking and loss of life of the ‘Toys for Big Boys’ TSB investigating. In the course of this investigation there has been concerns raised over portable decks. TC is undertaking meetings with industry stakeholders that utilize portable decks. They are looking for feedback proposals for best practices.
- Victor Santos-Pedro from TC visited LFA 34 to better understand that fishery
- There is still confusion around the personnel regulations and TC is still willing to attend meetings and give presentations
Canadian Hydrographic Services Update
· Atlantic charting and publications has 14new charts
· Bottom mapping of the Northumberland Strait – Mike Chadwick is looking after this and it is a 3-4 year eco-system mapping that they are hoping to be able to continue
Pollution Statistics and Ballast Water Update
- There has been a guilty verdict due to discharge in the Halifax Harbour in 2006.The $$$ goes to the Environmental Damages Fund.
- There are several other investigations underway
- They continue to check ballast in Canadian registered vessels – they conduct regular and targeted inspections – check salinity – of the 300 vessels on the East coast most are complying
- Work with the cruise ship industry needs to continue – Environment Canada is doing spot checks on vessels carrying over 200 people but nothing specific for cruise ships
- Ballast water checks are performed on all targeted vessels with risk factors, not only Canadian vessels, International vessels as well
Ship Safety Bulletins
- There have been 3 issued since last CMAC
- Notice of Marine Security Operation Bulletin
- New Compliance & Enforcement Program under the Canada Shipping Act 2001
- Safe Manning Documents – extension of application date.
Administrative Monetary Policies (AMPS)
- This is a new enforcement and inspection regime
- Administrative enforcement tools will allow marine safety to deal contraventions administratively rather than through the judicial system
- There are audits and spot checks rather than inspections
- They are now in affect and currently being issued across the country
- Sections under Canada shipping act currently have range of penalties assessed and TC is working on the other regulations
- 3 ways that enforcement is taking place - RCMP issue ticket/TC issue AMP/Criminal Court system for indictable offence
As it stands now DFO & TC are not sharing enforcement duties but they communicate
Marine Occupational Safety & Health (MOSH)
- There was a power point presentation but for vessels less that 15GT Occupational health & safety is under provincial jurisdiction
- Most fishing vessels are not covered by the MOSH regulations, even ones over 15 GT.
Safe Manning Documents
- Every vessel over 15 GT must have safe manning documents on board
- There is a sliding scale for compliance but after 2016 all vessels over 15 GT will have to be in compliance.
Fishing Vessels Safety Regulations
- Stability requirements are still under review and not included in SFVS regulation document – construction standards are now included.
- Proposed SFVS regulation package contains both regulatory requirements and guidelines.
- The guidelines will:
1. Indicate a recommended approach for achieving required performance objective
2. Other means that may be used to achieve the same performance objective as long as they provide an equal level of safety, or strength, etc. as applicable
3. If a vessel is built according to the guidelines it will meet the regulatory requirement
Stability Regulations
- There is a preliminary proposed compliance schedule for existing vessels. It is based on - Category of navigation/Lower risk and higher risk vessels and renges from 12 months to 60 months
- There are charts of risk factors available
- We (Industry) have lobbied that some traditional fleets should be exempt from stability testing and the BMT report recommended that ‘several vessel populations be removed from requiring a full stability analysis
- TC is looking into similar treatment for traditional types of vessels operating in low risk environments ie. Some traditional lobster vessels or traditional gill netters when operating in traditional fishery in traditional area of operation
- Basic requirements will still apply such as maximum operating draft, minimum downflooding height, together with particular vessel construction aspects to maintain seaworthiness
Identifying Traditional Very Low Risk Vessels
- An evaluation tool will be developed to identify low risk vessels and operations
- A group of vessels will be evaluated for level of risk with this tool and a score will be assigned
- A request to identify a grouping of very low risk vessels would be initiated by an association for consideration by TC
- A low risk group would be expected to operate in the low risk manner identified in the application
- This will not be applicable to single vessels, applications will be made for a group of vessels only
- Other single vessel owners could take advantage of the identification of a low risk group, by demonstrating their similarity to the group and by agreeing to the operational parameters
- Traditional vessel, gear, season and fishery, etc - the evaluation tool will include these and other factors
There are examples of traditional very low risk fishing vessel definitions. These are to be filled in and it is an example of parameters might look like.
Minimum Freeboard & Maximum Load
· Every fishing vessel will be assigned a maximum load or minimum freeboard to be marked on the side of the vessel
· For vessels with simplified stability assessment the position of the load mark will be the maximum recommended load
· For vessels with full stability analysis the position of the load mark will be the maximum calculation immersion (load) shown on the stability conditions
· Load marks are to be used as an awareness tool so the observance of the mark will be recommended not mandatory
· The load mark is an opportunity for educating skippers and crews to the safe limits of their vessels
Timelines for SFVS Regulations
· Hoping to get to Gazette I in May or June 2010 and it will be 4 – 6 months after that for Gazette II
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