- 5
ATTAIN A SENIOR OFFICER POSITION WITHOUT A BRITISH PASSPORT ·
AND SOME OF YOU MAY KNOW HOW LONG IT CAN TAKE TO ACQUIRE ONE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THERE SIMPLY ARE NOT A SUFFICIENT NUMBER
OF BRITISH NATIONALS AROUND TO MEET THE EXISTING DEMAND FOR
THEIR SERVICES, I'MUST ADD THAT THE HONG KONG DIRECTOR OF
MARINE HAS EXEMPTION POWERS, BUT THEY ARE DESIGNED FOR A
CASE BY CASE EMERGENCY BASIS FOR SHIPS LEAVING HONG KONG
AND THUS PROVIDE NO SUITABLE REMEDY. LIBERIA AND PANAMA,
WHICH ARE GENERALLY REFERRED TO AS "FLAG-OF-CONVENIENCE
COUNTRIES" ALTHOUGH TO MANY INTERNATIONAL SHIPOWNERS
—
A MORE APPROPRIATE DESIGNATION MAY WELL BE "FLAG OF NECES-
SITY" - HAVE NO SUCH RESTRICTIONS AS TO NATIONALITY.
THE SECOND PROBLEM IS THAT ON BRITISH -REGISTERED VESSELS
SOME ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT HAS TO BE BRITISH-CERTIFIED, AND
THE ACCOMMODATIONS AND CERTAIN OTHER PARTS OF A VESSEL HAVE
TO BE BUILT TO ERITISH STANDARDS AS LAID DOWN BY THE DEPARTMENT
OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY. THESE STANDARDS ARE DESIGNED PRIMARILY
WITH THE COMFORT AND CONVENIENCE OF EUROPEAN CREWS IN MIND,
AND DO NOT NECESSARILY ALWAYS PROVIDE AN OPTIMUM ARRANGE-
MENT FOR ASIAN CREWS. INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION OF
EQUIPMENT, ESPECIALLY OF SAFETY EQUIPMENT, IS OF COURSE
ESSENTIAL FOR EVERY SHIP BUT CERTIFICATION SHOULD NOT
NECESSARILY EMPHASIZE BRITISH-MANUFACTURED EQUIPMENT,
BUT SHOULD INCLUDE EQUIPMENT PRODUCED ELSEWHERE WHICH
HAS PROVEN TO BE OF EQUAL, IF NOT OF SUPERIOR QUALITY AND
RELIABILITY. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT CONSCIOUS EFFORTS ARE
ОF АСС BEING MADE TO LENGTHEN THE LIST OF ACCEPTED ITEMS FOR
BRITISH-REGISTERED VESSELS WHICH ARE PRODUCED IN OTHER