CHAPTER 511: CHAPTER 358: CAN’T BE TOO HUMANIZED

At 3:27 p.m., Director Tang hurried back to the bureau without taking the elevator, going straight to the reception room on the first floor to the left.

Han Yu was discussing the documentation provided by the Ship Agency with Captain Xu from the Security Inspection Group and Director Yang from the Ship Inspection Department, while Sister Zhu stood by the window calling the Port Authority.

Director Tang put down his bag and sat down to ask, "Salted Fish is here too? What’s the matter?"

After hanging up the phone, Sister Zhu reported, "Director Tang, Salted Fish suspects that several Filipino crew members on the Bahamian freighter Da Fei, which entered the port yesterday, might have boarded with fake certificates."

Han Xiangning had just broken up a gang involved in the production, sale, and use of fake Seaman’s Certificates, and now Salted Fish suspects that foreign crew members on foreign vessels are using fake certificates.

It looks like this couple has taken on the issue of fake certifications.

Director Tang couldn’t help but smile and ask, "Salted Fish, do you have evidence?"

Han Yu looked up and said, "As crew members, they don’t even know how many lifeboats there are on the ship or how many people a lifeboat can hold. I don’t just suspect the certificates of those ordinary crew members have issues, but I also question whether senior crew members like the Captain and the Chief Officer have the proper qualifications."

The first thing for a new crew member boarding a ship or an old crew member boarding an unfamiliar ship is to get familiar with the vessel.

The Captain must arrange for the Chief Officer and Chief Engineer to organize all crew members to become familiar with their work, inspect their respective areas in order to be ready for inspections by port officials. They must also use their free time to organize firefighting, escape, and other drills.

The fact that the crew members don’t even know how many lifeboats there are shows how lax and chaotic the management on the ship is, and one can imagine how incompetent the Captain must be.

Director Tang roughly understood and turned to ask, "Old Xu, which country does the shipowner come from?"

"Hong Kong, these are the documents provided by the Ship Agency."

"How many times has this ship been to Binjiang?"

"This is the first time."

"Have you boarded and inspected the ship?"

"Yes, inspected it briefly, it seemed to have everything that’s required."

Chinese freighters going to foreign ports must undergo their strict inspections.

The inspection carried out by the Port Supervision Bureau on foreign freighters coming to Binjiang Port, however, is more "humane", mainly checking whether the relevant certificates and procedures are complete, and whether there are any major defects in the freighter that could endanger navigation safety. Our inspections are not as stringent as the ones they conduct on our vessels.

And in case of difficulties, they would even offer assistance to the extent possible.

Aside from those vessels that enter the Yangtze River without permission, over the years there have been almost no foreign vessels detained due to vessel defects based on international conventions and domestic laws and regulations, and few are fined.

Being so accommodating is not because of a fondness for things foreign or subservience, but rather due to several considerations.

First of all, our own freighters are comparatively old and are trying to catch up with international management practices. China has a grace period after joining the WTO, so we shouldn’t be too strict in this regard, or else it would become selective law enforcement.

Secondly, the current focus is on economic development. If the inspections are too strict and penalties too heavy, foreign vessels wouldn’t want to come to Binjiang Port. If they are scared away, how can the port economy develop and how can we increase exports and foreign exchange earnings?

Last year, the country’s foreign exchange reserves were just over 500 billion US dollars, and there are so many areas where foreign exchange is needed. Considering import and export, law enforcement must be measured.

Thirdly, conducting PSC (Port State Control) inspections requires not only a thorough knowledge of domestic laws but also of the various international conventions on maritime affairs that China has joined in recent years.

This thorough understanding is not just about getting acquainted with it, but about really mastering it.

For example, if you detain a foreign vessel, and they dispute the grounds for detention, they will report to their ship classification society which will contact the Chinese ship classification society. The shipowners may even fly a marine surveyor over immediately to verify your grounds for detaining the vessel.

You must be rational and convincing in your arguments.

And because of educational and other reasons, not many of our security inspectors truly master the international conventions.

In summary, this is law enforcement involving foreign parties, and we must be extremely cautious.

This is the first time Director Tang has encountered the possibility of foreign crew members carrying fake certificates, and he stroked his chin to ask, "Salted Fish, have you seen those crew members?"

"I have, otherwise, I wouldn’t suspect they’re fake."

"Can we verify it?"

"To verify the authenticity of their certificates, the most authoritative way is through our Chinese ship classification society to contact the issuing organization."

Thinking about verifying with a foreign issuing organization, one knows it’s not going to be easy.

Director Tang stroked the corner of his mouth, and asked in a low voice, "Director Yang, when is that ship leaving?"

Director Yang raised his arm to check his watch, "They are currently loading cargo, and according to the schedule reported by the Ship Agency and the Port Authority, they plan to depart tonight at eleven."

"Setting aside the difficulty of contacting the foreign issuing organization immediately, even if we could contact them, waiting for a response will take too long." Director Tang took out a cigarette and looked up at Sister Zhu.

Zhu Chunmiao was well aware that the Director wanted her opinion and could not help but look at Han Yu.

Han Yu knew that this was a challenge for the Port Supervision Bureau and stated candidly, "If the crew members on the freighter are working with fake certificates, without formal training, their practical abilities can’t guarantee the ship’s safety requirements for navigation. An accident could pose a threat to the safety of navigation in the Yangtze River and even to coastal traffic safety and marine environmental protection."

Captain Xu from the Security Inspection Group, like Salted Fish, had visited the ship and before that had been a Captain of an ocean-going freighter for six years.

When he used to be a Captain entering foreign ports, he was always on edge, having been penalized or even detained more than once by foreign PSC inspectors. He believed in reciprocity and thought that foreign freighters should also be treated strictly.