Flags of convenience leave some mariners stranded

Patrick Burnson, Executive Editor -- Logistics Management, 11/21/2007

SAN FRANCISCO—When the Cosco Busan struck the San Francisco Bay Bridge earlier this month, scores of community and environmental groups rushed to respond to the emergency. Local shippers, meanwhile, were checking on the condition of their cargo, and contacting insurance companies. State and federal law enforcement agencies banded together to determine culpability and who will be brought to justice. But scant attention was paid to the one “human factor” in this episode: the immediate fate of the ship’s crew.

“It seems to take an extraordinary event to bring even the slightest attention on the ordinary seaman,” said Dr. Jim Lindgren, executive director of the The International Maritime Center (IMC) at the Port of Oakland. “Most people don’t realize the incredible hardship these men face day-in and day-out.”

The Busan, like so many other vessels coming through the Golden Gate, was sailing under a “flag of convenience,” which permits the owners to hire crews from developing countries with low wages. Shipping industry analysts estimate that two-thirds of today’s commercial fleets are manned by seamen coming from these nations. According to Lindgren, what little money they manage to save is mostly sent home to help support their families.

“This means that the bulk of our work is taking care of the basic needs of seafarers,” said Lindgren. “When they arrive at our center, they are free to use our phones and internet to communicate with their loved ones. We also provide a non-threatening place for them to socialize and relax between voyages.”

And given the fast pace of today’s vessel deployments, that can mean only a day…or less.

“If there’s more time, we can provide transportation for them to reach local shopping areas,” said Lindgren. “It’s costly, but a very important part of what we do. Thanks to donations, we also have clothes here for them to take back on board when they leave.”

These are the lucky ones, however. Owing to the heightened state of today’s security, those seamen without visas are not even permitted to leave their vessels. That’s when Lindgren and his team go out to the berths at the ports of Oakland and Richmond to bring seamen cell phones for calls to home.

Another part of the IMC’s work is advocacy. They work together with other chaplains and the Center for Seafarers Rights to lobby for changes, which affect seafarers coming into the U.S. All of the four IMC agencies are members of the North American Maritime Ministry Association, which in turn is a member of the International Christian Maritime Association. (ICMA). ICMA is an advisory to the United Nations International Maritime Organization and the International Labor Organizations of the UN.

“This grass roots intelligence is very helpful to the ILO and IMO in addressing human rights needs,” says Lindgren.

The IMC also provides spiritual help to seafarers regardless of race, creed or national origin.

“We are not about the business of proselytizing but of providing hospitality and advocacy,” says Lindgren.

There are four agencies comprisng the IMC, which share monetrary donations. They are:

*Apostleship of the Sea, which has a full time Catholic Chaplain, Father Joseph Phan – who speaks Vietnamese and Tagalog -- and several active volunteers.

*Bay Area Seafarers Service, which is connected with the Episcopal Church and manages the Center as well as provide volunteers.

The Seafarers Mission of the San Francisco Bay, which is connected with the Korean Presbyterian Church. Captain Yang is the Chaplain and is a retired Korean Navy Officer and merchant sea captain as well as being an ordained minister. He speaks Korean, Chinese and Japanese.

The Seafarers Ministry of the Golden Gate is sponsored by the American Baptist Church and employs Lindgren as a full time chaplain, and has many volunteers as well.

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