Close cooperation between the parties is required to resolve stowaway cases. Above all, it is important to prevent such situations from occurring. A stowaway situation on a ship can be risky and dangerous for both the stowaways and the crew on board.

The Norwegian Maritime Authority would like to stress the importance of actively using risk assessments to ensure that the procedures in the Ship Security Plan become a valuable tool adapted to the conditions in the regions in which the ship operates. In ports where there is a significant risk of stowaway embarkation, the following safety measures should be observed:

• All doors, hatches and means of access to storerooms that are not in use during the stay at port should be locked;
• All access points to the ship should be kept to a minimum and be adequately secured;
• Areas seaward of the ship should be secured;
• Adequate bridge and deck watch should be kept;
• Boardings and disembarkations should be monitored;
• Adequate means of communication should be maintained;
• At dusk and night, additional lighting should be maintained both inside the ship and along the hull.

Please be reminded that all incidents concerning safety, including stowaway incidents, must be reported to the flag State at earliest convenience.  For further information regarding such reporting, please contact the NMA per telephone (+47 52 74 50 00) or e-mail (beredskap@sdir.no).

DANGEROUS: Four stowaways were discovered on the Norwegian ship Champion Pula’s steering gear in Las Palmas in october this year. They had entered the steering gear trunk in NIgeria 10 days earlier. PHOTO: PRIVATE

Source: Norwegian Maritime Authority By Kari Stautland