Liberia issues notices for enhancing compliance and maintenance for Liberian-flagged ships

Liberia Maritime Authority issued two notices regarding measures to improve compliance and minimize risk of Port State Control detentions and measures to maintain the quality of the Liberian Registry fleet.

These notices were published on 4 March 2024.

Notice 1: Measures to Improve Compliance and Minimize Risk of Port State Control Detentions

Purpose:
This Notice establishes measures to monitor the rectification of deficiencies and improve compliance with national and international regulations of Liberian-flagged vessels inspected by Port State Control Authorities.

Applicability:
This Notice applies to Owners, Operators, Masters, Ship Officers, and Recognized Organizations (ROs) of Liberian-flagged vessels.

Requirements:

1.0 Measures

1.1 All Liberian Flagged vessels must adhere to the following requirements.

1.2 Masters, Owners, Operators, Designated Persons Ashore (DPAs), and ROs must promptly send all PSC inspection reports, with or without deficiencies, to the Port State Control Section at PSCfollowup@liscr.com within 48 hours after the PSC inspection.

1.3 For vessels detained by Port State Control (PSC), immediate notification of the detention and a copy of the PSC inspection report must be sent to the Administration's Duty Officer at DutyOfficer@liscr.com and the Fleet Performance Department at Prevention@liscr.com.

1.4 If deficiencies are found during the inspection, a Corrective Action Report (CAR) must be submitted no later than 7 days from the date of the PSC Inspection. Vessel operators should send CARs and objective evidence of rectification to PSCfollowup@liscr.com. CARs can be submitted using Form RLM-031 or the company's safety management system format.

2.0 Safety Management System (SMS)

2.1 Requirements 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 must be integrated into the company’s Safety Management System (SMS) for all vessels.

3.0 Verification

3.1 Liberian Nautical Inspectors and Auditors will verify compliance with the requirements during the Annual Safety Inspections (ASI).

A finding may be issued if a vessel is found to be non-compliant.

Notice 2: Measures to Maintain the Quality of the Liberian Registry Fleet

Purpose:
This Notice establishes measures to maintain the high performance of the Liberian Registry's fleet in Port State Control regimes worldwide.

Applicability:
This Notice applies to Owners, Operators, Masters, Ship Officers, and Recognized Organizations (ROs) of Liberian-flagged vessels.

Requirements:

1.0 Measures

1.1 The Administration has increased inspections to ensure ships comply with regulations. Through regular inspections, additional audits, and AI risk software, parties involved are informed about potential non-compliance areas that may lead to detentions or vessel control actions.

1.2 Due to an increase in non-compliance areas leading to detentions, the Administration has established additional measures, including requirements for vessels calling US ports and case-by-case analysis of ISM Code implementation failures.

2.0 Port State and/or Flag State Detention Analysis

2.1 If a vessel is detained, the case will be analyzed to determine the conditions that led to it. If the Administration finds the vessel wasn’t properly maintained or didn’t rectify deficiencies from previous inspections, it may face cancellation or reclassification, leading to more inspections and costs for owners or operators.

2.2 Vessels with repetitive deficiencies during inspections may be considered for deletion from the Registry.

3.0 Pre-Arrival Deficiency Checklist for Vessels arriving to Australia, China, Europe, and USA

3.1 Every vessel calling US ports must fill and send a pre-arrival checklist to the Administration at least 96 hours before arrival. For vessels calling ports in China, Europe, or Australia, the checklist must be submitted as soon as the next port of arrival is identified.

3.2 Preemptive inspections may be required based on the vessel’s risk factors, including past inspections and class history.

Recognized Organization Involvement:
If a Liberian inspector isn't available for an inspection, the Recognized Organization responsible for issuing certificates on behalf of Liberia must conduct a survey to verify compliance.

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):

Measures to Improve Compliance and Minimize Risk of Port State Control Detentions

Measures to Maintain the Quality of the Liberian Registry Fleet