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Prayer Requests:
For our new Pontiff, Pope Francis that he may shepherd Christ's flock, authentically calling each of us to be imitators of Christ.
For our Pope Emeritus Benedict, as he starts his new life devoted to prayer for the Church. May his prayers strengthen & encourage Pope Francis and all of our Church leaders and laity. And may we all remember to send our returned prayers for him.
For the continued healing and quick recovery of our AOS USA Administrative Board member, Will Watson, who underwent heart surgery last week.
For the repose of the Soul of Tom Adams, son of AOS - Diocese of Beaumont Ship Visitor Alvin Adams. May his soul and the soul of all the faithful departed, rest in peace. And May Christ sustain and comfort his family.
For the repose of the soul of Capt. Jim Thomas, friend and supporter of the Port Arthur International Seafarers' Center.
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Join AOS USA Today!
To join AOS USA simply click on the following link:
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Congratulations on AOS USA Board Member Featured in Maritime Professional, 101st Anniversary of the Sinking of the S/S Titanic, & Continued Discussion of US-Flagged Shipping
 | | AOS USA President, Fr. Sinclair Oubre |
A number of very interesting items have been collecting in my inbox, and in this e-newsletter, I wish to share them with you.
First, we are tremendously honored that Will Watson, the Yachtsman & Recreational Boater Representative on AOS USA's Administrative Board was featured in the final 2012 issue of Maritime Professional. I have excerpted the beginning of the article, and have provided the link for you to read the article on line.
Tony Munoz and Denise Krepp have continued to express the concerns of many in the US maritime industry about the Obama Administration's continued neglect of the industry, and its damaging budget proposals.
Finally, on the 101st Anniversary of the sinking of the S/S Titanic, I wish to share with you the home page of the Titanic International Society.
Continued Easter Blessings on all of you,
Fr. Sinclair Oubre, J.C.L.
President - AOS USA
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William Watson: President of Advanfort and Yachtsman & Recreational Boater Representative
 | | William Watson, President of Advanfort |
Excerpted from 2012 VI Maritime Professional edition:
William Hughes (Will) Watson advocates a comprehensive, but transparent international approach -calibrated to avoid risks - in the effort to rein the many emerging global maritime security threats. Those who know him best also know that he doesn't say or take any of that lightly. This former Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs and Special Agent with the Office of the Maritime Administrator of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) also served as that country's delegate to the UN Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS). Along the way, he also coordinated counter piracy and anti-terrorist activities as the maritime security liaison at International Registries, Inc. (IRI). Simply put, maritime security has become Watson's passion. His approach to maritime security is one borne of experience, considerable thought and, at the end of the day; excellence. Even after arriving at AdvanFort, Will continues his responsibilities as vice president of government affairs and as governor with the Maritime Security Council, where he represents the maritime industry on the National Council of ISACs (Information Sharing & Analysis Centers). From his early roots in journalism with considerable time spent at a well known maritime business journal, Watson has now be�come one of the foremost experts on counter-piracy methods and maritime security. His outreach extends into every facet of this industry; from regulatory to commercial, law enforce�ment and all the way down to the mariners his firm protects.
Maritime Roots, Commercially Focused
Watson's path to Advanfort was a logical one. Based largely on his work at the Marshall Islands flag, Advanfort was look�ing for someone to take the firm to the next level. Of particular importance, and beyond Watson's obvious maritime security credentials, was the requirement for a chief executive with maritime industry background who also knew the commercial side of the business. Watson told MarPro in October, "It is important to understand an operator's business model in context with their security needs."
Watson's commercial IRI experience. Maritime Security Council oversight, and contact with many private maritime security companies (PMSC) will collectively serve him well at Advanfort. He adds, "During my time at Marshall Islands Registry, part of my job was to liaise with the various Private Maritime Security Companies (PMSC) that were serving aboard Marshall Islands flag vessels - including, by the way, Advanfort. Through that, I got to review the rules of Force and operating procedures of what are now, many of my competitors. So, arriving here, I'm able to - with the help of our advisors, in-house team and personnel - pick and choose from a variety of strategies. We kept the best and discarded the rest. Also, I spent last three years as the delegate from the Marshall Islands to the contact group on piracy off the coast of Somalia at the United Nations. That's enabled me to meet and work with not only many of the nation states that are involve in these issues, but also most of the NGO's in the industry - everyone from BIMCO, Intertanko, to Oceans Beyond Piracy - and a number of others." Watson's approach is a pragmatic one. He insists, "One of the things I learned at Marshall Is�lands was how important it was for the flag states to interact with the various PMSC's - and visa-versa. So, we at Advanfort not only endeavor to make sure we meet the requirements of regulatory needs but also use 'best practices' at all time. The two go hand in hand and are not mutually exclusive...."
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Continued Jones Act and US Merchant Marine Debate
1. End Jones Act Protectionism?
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
April 04, 2013
Recently, I was stupefied by a couple of editorials in U.S. maritime publications calling for the dismantling of the Jones Act. In "The Economics (sic) Justification for the Jones Act Is Still Not Proven," Martin Rushmere criticizes the American Maritime Partnership's assumption that the recent GAO report on Puerto Rico was supportive of U.S. cabotage laws. In fact, he says any conclusion that there are pro-Jones Act sentiments in the report is simply "wishy-washy."
He also interjects that Einstein was hardly needed to deduce that the only reason rates dropped by 17% from 2006 to 2010 was the Great Recession. And in a final effort to provide a summation to his analysis, the writer points out that the GAO report is a complete failure because it did not provide any rate comparisons with foreign carriers calling the island.
Click Here For Full Article
2. Don Marcus, President, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots comments on the administration's treatment of the maritime industry in this Maritime TV video interview.
3. American Winter: Obama Turns His Back on Mariners and Farmer: The Administration's New Budget Will Put Thousands Out of Work
By Tony Munoz
April 08, 2013
As the 2012 Presidential election wound down, President Obama became increasingly vulnerable due to his lackluster performance in the debates and the fact that unemployment was hovering at 8.2%, an unacceptably high level for an election year. And despite declining membership, labor unions remained a powerful political force with an estimated 14.3 million members, and President Obama needed their support.
So, in conjunction with the AFL-CIO, the Maritime Labor Alliance--consisting of the American Radio Association, the Inlandboatmen's Union, the International Longshoremen's Association, the International Longshore & Warehouse Union, the International Organization of Master, Mates & Pilots, and the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association--endorsed President Obama, and nearly 65% of union members voted for him.
But, since winning the election, the Administration has turned its back on unions and the maritime sector. A few months ago, in a backroom deal, it cut cargo preference for food aid back from 75 to 50 percent, and a lot of jobs were lost in the maritime sector. Now the Administration wants to eliminate American participation in the food aid program entirely and simply send the money overseas to NGOs and foreign governments.
Click Here for Full Article
4. Maritime TV Coverage of Vice Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Mark Ferguson's Address to the Maritime Society of the City of New York
5 Administration's 2014 Budget Proposal Would Gut Maritime: End to food aid shipments means lost jobs and income.
By Denise Krepp
April 11, 2013
"America needs a strong and vibrant U.S.-flag Merchant Marine." I wholeheartedly agree with this statement and wish that I was the first person who said it. I'm not. This very statement was included in a letter to Michael Sacco, President of the Seafarers' International Union, by then-Presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama on August 28, 2008. Now, less than five years later, his Administration is doing everything it can to destroy the U.S. maritime industry.
The White House claims its budget "creates jobs by responsibly paying for investments in education, manufacturing, clean energy, infrastructure, and small business." The Administration's definition of creating jobs does not include mariners and others in the U.S. maritime industry. The budget it is proposing allows the U.S. Agency for International Development, under the guise of "reform(ing) food aid for more cost-effective use of taxpayer resources," to write a check instead of employing U.S. mariners to ship food aid overseas.
The Administration tries to cover over the destruction of the maritime industry by providing funding for incentives to facilitate the retention of mariners. It also provides funding for worker adjustment. Mariners don't need incentives. They need jobs. Like every American, they have families, mortgages, and bills to pay. U.S. mariners and those associated with the maritime industry will lose their jobs when the U.S. government starts writing checks for foreign-grown grain.
Click Here for Full Article
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International Committee for Seafarer Welfare and International Seafarer Assistance Network Murge on April 1.
 It's farewell to the ICSW and ISAN and welcome to ISWAN. On 1 April 2013 the International Committee on Seafarers' Welfare (ICSW) & the International Seafarers' Assistance Network (ISAN) formally merge to become the International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN).
ISWAN emerges as the outcome of two years' of collaboration between the two organisations, our members and our funders. The new organisation will harness the strength of both our parent organisations to provide a stronger, more unified and cohesive voice to speak up on the international stage whenever seafarers' welfare is tabled. ICSW brings to ISWAN the benefits of its membership structure involving employers, unions, and welfare providers while ISAN contributes its first-hand experience of day to day problems faced by seafarers.
ISWAN will provide direct welfare services to seafarers. The 24 hour multilingual helpline, SeafarerHelp, runs every day of the year and is free for seafarers to call from anywhere in the world. In 2012 SeafarerHelp helped over 4000 seafarers and their families. ISWAN also administrates an emergency welfare fund for seafarers in dire need, produces health information for seafarers, and provides information to seafarers on the 450 seafarer centres all over the world.
ISWAN will promote the welfare of seafarers worldwide. It will work in support of organisations and bodies that provide direct welfare services to seafarers. ISWAN will facilitate the maintenance and establishment of welfare facilities and services in ports and on ships. ISWAN will also bring together and support its members to share learning and experiences to improve seafarers' welfare. In particular, ISWAN will work for the implementation of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 in partnership with companies, unions, governments, welfare organisations (secular and faith based), and ports for the benefit of seafarers' welfare.
Roger Harris, Executive Director of ISWAN said, 'The new organisation will be able to serve both seafarers and welfare organisations a lot more effectively. ISWAN brings together practical experience of dealing with seafarers' welfare problems and the strategic issue of developing and sustaining welfare services, facilities, and structures. We aim to grown our influence by recruiting more members from the industry, particularly from shipping companies and ports.'
ISWAN is holding a reception to officially launch the organisation on 17 April in London. The guests of honour at the reception will be Ms Cleopatra Doumbia-Henry, Director of the International Labour Standards Department of the International Labour Organisation, and Mr Jim Fitzpatrick MP, ex-UK Minister for Shipping.
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MARITIME LAWYERS JOIN FORCES WITH SHIPOWNERS TO PROMOTE RATIFICATION OF INTERNATIONAL MARITIME CONVENTIONS
New Brochure highlights importance of FAL Convention, as IMO Facilitation Committee meets in London.
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Comit� Maritime International
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A copy of the new ICS, ISF and CMI Campaign Brochure is attached, and contains additional information about the international Conventions to which this PR refers. It can also be downloaded at www.ics-shipping.org
The Comit� Maritime International (CMI) - the international association for maritime lawyers - has joined forces with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) and the International Shipping Federation (ISF) - which represent the operators of over 80% of the world merchant fleet - to promote those key international maritime Conventions which they believe are vital for governments to ratify and implement as soon as possible.
As part of their joint campaign, ICS, ISF and CMI have
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International Shipping Federation
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today published a new brochure, which their respective member national associations will be distributing to governments worldwide in order to encourage more widespread ratification of a number of instruments adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).
"Shipping is an inherently international industry dependent on a global regulatory system to operate efficiently." explained ICS/ISF Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe. "It is crucial that the same regulations governing matters such as safety, environmental protection and liability apply to all ships in international trade, and that the same laws apply to all parts of a ship's voyage. The alternative would be chaos."
CMI President, Stuart Hetherington, added "I am delighted that CMI is co-operating with ICS and ISF members to assist those countries where there has been limited ratification of some of the more important maritime Conventions. Our hope is that all of the instruments we have identified for promotion will eventually enjoy the same level of universal acceptance amongst governments as Conventions such as SOLAS and MARPOL."
The launch of the brochure has been timed to coincide with a meeting of the IMO Facilitation Committee (8-12 April) given that the brochure now includes the IMO Convention on the Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL) as one of the key international instruments whose wider ratification the industry organisations wish to promote, especially amongst developing countries. The FAL Convention makes life easier for ships and their crews by reducing reporting formalities when ships enter the ports of other nations.
However, the campaign is also seeking to encourage the ratification by governments of a number of other instruments dealing with international liabilities and insurance cover, which are of special interest to CMI, as well as to ICS. These include: the 1996 Protocol to the International Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims (LLMC), whose limits were increased by IMO last year; the 2002 Protocol to the Athens Convention on passenger liability (PAL); the 2010 Protocol to the HNS Convention; and the (UNCITRAL) Rotterdam Rules on cargo liability.
Following discussion between ICS and CMI, the brochure also includes the IMO Convention governing liabilities for wreck removal which was adopted in 2007. The Nairobi Convention has now been ratified by six countries, only two of which have so far elected to apply it into their territorial sea. In order to encourage international uniformity, this Convention is now being promoted actively by industry, although only on the basis that ratifications should always include governments opting to apply the Convention's provisions into their territorial sea.
The new brochure also refers to the IMO Ballast Water Management Convention. However, while it is explained that ICS supports the eventual entry into force of the BWM Convention, it is not currently being actively promoted for additional ratification by governments, pending the resolution of important questions about implementation prior to its entry into force.
The other maritime instruments highlighted by the brochure include: MARPOL Annex VI, which governs atmospheric pollution and CO2 emissions; the IMO (Hong Kong) Ship Recycling Convention, which is in danger of being undermined by a proposed EU regulation currently being debated by the European Parliament; the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, governing employment conditions for seafarers and which enters into force this August; and ILO Convention 185, which concerns access to shore leave and crew visas (which will also be a topic of discussion at the IMO Facilitation Committee, this week, as it considers changing references in the FAL Convention to the theoretical prohibition on Parties requiring crew to have visas).
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A Note from Kaija: 
The International Maritime Bureau (IMB), Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), and the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP) are developing the third annual report on the human cost of piracy. They seek to identify the many ways in which piracy affects seafarers and their families in order to better understand the support needed to address these challenges. Previous reports concentrated on the physical and psychological abuse suffered by the seafarers. However, piracy has broader impacts and the next step is therefore to take into account seafarers' and families' combined fears, concerns, and emotions about piracy. The IMB, OBP, and MPHRP are asking seafarers to share their thoughts on these topics on a secured website: http://www.icc-ccs.org/seafarer-survey. This information can then be used to provide more comprehensive and relevant resources to seafarers and their families. Names and identifying information is not required.
The impact of piracy cannot be known unless seafarers share their thoughts and stories about how piracy affects their lives and work. Port chaplains provide an important link between the seafarer and the work of the IMB, OBP, and MPHRP. Port chaplains deliver a range of resources to seafarers at centers in ports across the globe (United States?). Their work, which includes efforts to ensure safe working environments, just contracts, and spiritual renewal for seafarers, places them in a unique position to also help address the impact of piracy on seafarers' lives and working environment. This can be a difficult topic, but Port Chaplains are well-placed to help seafarers facing these challenges and provide seafarers with a secure place to fill out the IMB's seafarer survey. Port chaplains are therefore an essential element in collecting the data when seafarers visit the centers.
Go to Survey by CLICKING HERE
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A Note From Dwayne Boudreaux
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Dwayne Boudreaux, ITF Inspector Regional Coordinator
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Dear Brothers and Sisters,
I need your help - CLICK HERE to download a Survey from the ITF, on Manning Agents. Could you please print them and have crew members fill them out for me - I have been trying on the ships, to get the crew to fill them out-their scared -If they come to your Center -please ask them to help us, and fill them out - Were only trying to help them and they don't have to put their name on it - Were trying to go after the bad Agents that cheat the seafarers - I'm in Tampa now and will be back Friday night. Stay in touch, and thanks, Dwayne
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Important Upcoming Events for
AOS USA Members
AOS-USA Annual Conference
April 23 - 26, 2013
Jacksonville, FL
Hotel: Hampton Inn Jacksonville
Conference Venue: Assumption Catholic Church
For more information or to Register Click Here:
National Maritime Day
May 22, 2013
National Day Prayer and Remembrance
Sponsored by the Apostleship of the Sea
Saturday May 18, 2013
12:10 p.m.
Basilica of the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception
Main Celebrant: Most Rev. J. Kevin Boland
Bishop Promoter of the Apostleship of the Sea
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