Turkey's Maritime Authority seeks to modernize STCW tonnage limits to enhance seafarer opportunities and adapt to technological advancements.
The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs has officially submitted a proposal to the IMO to raise the traditional competency limits in the STCW Convention in order to adapt to technological developments in the maritime sector and the growing ship tonnages.
ANKARA – A revolutionary step is being taken for the Turkish maritime sector. The General Directorate of Maritime Affairs under the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure has initiated action to relax the limits of 500-3000 GT and 750-3000 kW, which block the career paths of seafarers and have become outdated.
Why Should the Limits Change?
The current STCW (Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) regulations were established based on the ship technologies of the 1970s and 90s. However, today:
Ship Sizes Have Increased: Many types of vessels that used to fall below 3000 GT have now surpassed this limit with modern designs.
Engine Power Has Increased: With technological efficiency, even small-tonnage ships are now equipped with engines that have higher kW values.
Employment is Shrinking: Due to the existing limits, thousands of officers and captains are unable to serve on modern ships simply because of a small tonnage difference.
What Does Turkey’s IMO Proposal Include?
The details of the proposal prepared by the General Directorate of Maritime Affairs, which is expected to be discussed at the HTW 11 (Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping) subcommittee meeting to be held in London, are as follows:
Updating Tonnage Limits: The deck competency limits of 500 GT and 3000 GT will be raised to align with today’s ship types.
Increasing Engine Power Limits: The barriers of 750 kW and 3000 kW applicable to chief engineers and engine officers will be relaxed, taking into account modern propulsion systems.
Training and Certification Alignment: While the limits are raised, the training curricula will be standardized according to these new capacities without compromising safety.
The maritime community emphasizes that thousands of seafarers working below '3000 GT/kW' will gain the opportunity to work on 'ocean-going and large-tonnage' vessels with this regulation. Experts highlight that this step will enhance the competitiveness of Turkish seafarers in the global market.
'As ship tonnages and engine powers increase rapidly, operating under limits set 30 years ago was hindering the sector's progress. This proposal will be a lifeline for Turkish maritime.'
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
