No Formal Tickets Required for Deckhands
Some in industry have raised concerns that the AMSA website is indicating that deckhands require formal qualifications as ‘entry’ to the fishing industry.
This is not the case!
AMSA has responded to WAFIC enquiries on this matter and made it clear that deckhands on a domestic fishing vessel do not require certification.
AMSA will make some changes to several of the pages on their website;
- Domestic seafarer or crew to make it clear which roles require mandatory certification.
- Commercial fisher to delineate the requirements for international and domestic vessels, and clarify which roles require certification.
Skippers and engineers on domestic commercial fishing vessels must be appropriately certified for the length of vessel, propulsion power and area of operation. This includes seafarers performing duties as master, watch officer, engine driver or engineer on fishing vessels.
Crewing must be in accordance with Marine Order 504 (Certificates of operation and operation requirements — national law) 2018 Schedule 1 (formerly the National Standard for Commercial Vessels (NSCV) Part E) which specifies the minimum crewing, including the number of certificated crew, that must be carried on vessels of given lengths.
In regards to exemptions, Exemption 38 – Marine Safety (Low complexity duties) Exemption 2017 (No. 2), Exemption 10 – Marine Safety (Operation of fishing vessels) Exemption 2017 and Exemption 16 – Marine Safety (Traditional fishing) Exemption 2017 may be applicable where specific criteria are met. In particular, seafarers operating in the waters of an aquaculture lease approved by a state or territory authority, or any approved waters for the daily transit to and from an aquaculture lease, may be exempt from holding a certificate of competency under Exemption 38.