Harbor Masters in charge of ports

The 6th Congress of International Harbour Masters’ Association takes place in St. Petersburg. It is the first time in the history of the organization consisting of 250 members from 43 countries when Russia hosts its congress. The event takes place at a time when the reforms of Russian ports’ management system nears completion and when the role of harbor masters grows according to the new Law on Seaports in the Russian Federation.

Harbour Masters meet every two years in different countries. The 1st IHMA Congress, Heading for the 21st Century, was hosted by the Port Management of Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and took place between 24-30 May 1998. In 2008, the Congress Ports of the Future - Meeting the Challenge takes place in Russia on invitation of the Administration of Big Port of St. Petersburg. Peotr Parinov, Chairman of the Congress, Harbour Master of Big Port of St. Petersburg, noted in his opening speech that St. Petersburg is not a random place to host the event as it is one of the greatest maritime powers. Today there are 62 seaports in Russia. Half of them handle foreign trade and transit cargo with the rest specializing in regional and local transportation.

According to Aleksei Klyavin, Director of the Department for the State Policy of Sea and River Transport of the RF Transportation Ministry, the subject of the Congress is especially urgent today considering the growing importance of maritime transport in international transportation. As of today, the world’s total volume of cargo transportation makes some 7 billion tonnes per year. “Shipping is a global industry accounting for transportation of the majority of cargo in the world,” Klyavin noted. “However, shipping industry may not exist without ports to ensure cargo transshipment with Harbor Masters responsible for their safety.” He also emphasized that even hi-tech ports may not work without Harbor Masters ensuring safety, navigation and protection of environment. Today Harbor Masters head the ports’ administrations, which empowers them with additional authorities and rights,” Klyavin reminded.

The new Law on Seaports in the Russian Federation has a provision on the status of Harbor Masters according to which “Harbor Master heads seaport administration being an official exercising functions on registration of vessels and release of vessel documents, registration of vessel ownership and mortgage, ensuring safe navigation and order in a seaport according to federal legislation of the Russian Federation.” Harbor Master should have higher education in navigation and a diploma confirming his right to be a master of a ship with a gross tonnage of 3,000 tonnes and higher.

According to Aleksandr Davydenko, head of Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport, it is difficult to overestimate the role of Harbor Masters in maritime industry. “There is a joke saying the number of real Harbor Masters is less than that of cosmonauts,” Davydenko said. According to him, 60 Harbor Master’s offices administer 62 seaports, 10 estuary river ports and 16 fishing ports. Davydenko also reminded that the work on forming seaport administrations and integration of fishing and specialized ports under Harbor Master’s management nears completion. This reorganization is being carried out according to the RF Decree No 773 dated December 16, 2006 on improvement of sea fishing port’s management systems aimed at integrated servicing of the fishing fleet.

However, the reforms may continue to further integration of seaport administrations. As Igor Rusu, deputy head of RosMorRechFlot (Russia’s Federal Agency of Marine and River Transport) told at a meeting of the Committee for National Maritime Policy and the Committee for Natural Monopolies (under the Council of Federations) , there is a long-felt need for further reformation of port authority system. “We see the necessity to create basin administrations of seaports with branches in seaports headed by Harbor Masters,” Igor Rusu said. “Creation of seaport basin administrations will make it possible to ensure safe navigation within the water area of the Russian Federation and to optimize, or simply stated, not to swell the staff of administrations in order to avoid the increase of expenses.”