West Africa

Watch out in West Africa

Ship-owners trading to West Africa should be aware that the authorities in certain countries appear to be actively inspecting ship and crew documentation and taking a hard line if any deficiencies are found.

In a recent incident, a ship was boarded by Port State Control officials shortly after berthing at Douala in Cameroon . The authorities carried out a thorough investigation of the ship's and crew's documents. Deficiencies were found in some of the crew's medical certificates, while some crew members' employment contracts were found to have expired during the voyage to Douala (it was intended that those crew would leave the vessel at the next port after Douala ).The authorities also alleged that the ship did not have a current potable water analysis certificate.

Although the deficiencies were comparatively minor, Cameroon Port State Control imposed a substantial on-the-spot fine and would not allow the ship to depart before it was paid. Britannia Club's local correspondents were able to negotiate a reduction in the fine and the ship was allowed to leave without significant delay.

In a separate unrelated incident, the authorities in Nigeria recently detained a ship for several months. Amongst other things, this was reportedly on the basis that the crew's documentation was not in order.

Amid the fanfare surrounding the introduction of ISPS there has, perhaps, been a perception that it is only the authorities in more developed countries that are likely to take a strict approach to ensuring that a ship's paperwork is in order. Both these incidents indicate that this is not necessarily the case, and that there are increasingly few countries where the local authorities are unlikely to pay close attention to the documentation of visiting ships.

Ships trading to West Africa need to be aware of the approach being taken by the local authorities in certain countries, and should ensure that the ship and all crew members are in possession of all required and up-to-date documentation.