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Merchant Shipping Act, 1951 (Act No. 57 of 1951)

Regulations

Merchant Shipping (Safe Manning, Training and Certification) Regulations, 2013

Annexes

Annex 2 : Watchkeeping Principles and Arrangements for Fishing Vessels

Part 2 : Watchkeeping at sea

Division 1 - Principles applying to watchkeeping generally

 

1 General

 

(1) The following principles shall be observed to ensure that safe watches are maintained at all times.

 

(2) The Master of every fishing vessel shall ensure that watchkeeping arrangements are adequate for maintaining a safe navigational watch. Under the Master's general direction, the officers of the watch are responsible for navigating the vessel safely during their periods of duty, when they will be particularly concerned with avoiding collision and stranding.

 

(3) The chief engineer officer of every fishing vessel shall, in consultation with the Master, ensure that watchkeeping arrangements are adequate to maintain a safe engineering watch.

 

(4) The watch system shall be such that the efficiency of watchkeeping personnel is not impaired by fatigue. Duties shall be so organized that the first watch at the commencement of a voyage and the subsequent relieving watches are sufficiently rested and otherwise fit for duty.

 

2 Protection of marine environment

 

The Master, officers and ratings shall be aware of the serious effects of operational and accidental pollution of the marine environment and shall take all possible precautions to prevent such pollution, particularly within the framework of relevant international and national regulations.