Technical Notices

Belize Flag Administration (IMMARBE) has issued subject circular related to New TOKYO MoU Policy, which replaces and revokes the existing Paris MoU Policy “Circular Letter No. TD/IMM/GOB001-19″.

The new policy shall take immediate effect and shall consider the following:

1. New Registration of vessels intending to operate in the Tokyo MoU.
2. Letter or Warning.
3. Occasional Survey Program for vessels detained in the Tokyo MoU.
4. RO and Owner/Operator Responsibilities.
5. Noncompliance
6. Vessels operating in the Tokyo MoU not subjected to the Occasional Survey Program.

 
Major items of concern are the following:

Letter of Warning

Every Belize-flagged vessel upon her first detention in the Tokyo MoU will be issued a Notice of Warning and should the vessel be detained a second time within 12 months, the vessel will be included in the Occasional Survey Program and the operators shall be subject to a fine.

Occasional Survey Program

Any vessel detained twice in the Tokyo MoU within 12 months will immediately enter the occasional survey program for a cumulative period of 24 months starting from the date of the detention.

The scope of the occasional survey shall be equivalent to an Annual Mandatory Survey in compliance with International and National requirements.

RO Responsibilities

After completion of each occasional survey and the issuance of the Statement of Compliance (SOC) which together with the Survey Report, supported with photo report(s), shall be submitted directly to IMMARBE’s Technical Department.

ROs are obliged to establish appropriate mechanisms to notify owners/IMMARBE the due dates of each occasional survey to inform, at least 30 days before the date.

Noncompliance

Owners Noncompliance

Any vessel which fails to complete the occasional survey program or is detained whilst being included in the program will be subjected to disciplinary actions in accordance with Statutory Instrument 56 of 1999 (Disciplinary Regulations, 1999) as seen below.

i. Failure to comply: A Fine and/or Cancellation.
ii. First detention: A Fine and/or Cancellation.
iii. Second detention: A Fine and Immediate cancellation.

RO Noncompliance

If the RO fails to complete the required occasional survey, or if the vessel is detained 90 days after RO attendance, the detention will be attributed to the responsible RO as per our MSN-0012 “Attribution of Detentions & Targeting of ROs”.

Vessels operating in the Tokyo MoU not subjected to the Occasional Survey Program.

All Belize registered vessels operating within Tokyo MoU Area or intending to call any Tokyo MoU Port shall comply with all requirements of

• MMN-19-006– Port State Control Analysis and Self-Inspection Program
• MMN-23-001– Reporting on Port State Control Inspections and Detentions
• MMN-23-006– Belize requirements relating to Tokyo MoU inspection regime

and submit relevant PSC Checklist, Crew List and/or PSC Inspection Report to IMMARBE prior to proceeding to any Tokyo MoU Port.

For further details please see attached circular.