Merchant Shipping Act 1995 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 4 · Crew Matters
70. Provisions and water
Feedback & supportLast amended by an amending law of 2014.
The Authority may, with the approval of the Minister, make regulations —
requiring provisions and drinking water to be provided for crew members employed on ships;
providing for the quality, nutritional value and quantity of provisions and drinking water to be provided;
regulating the storage and handling of provisions and drinking water; and
regulating the organisation and equipment of the catering department.
The owner and master of a ship must ensure that provisions and drinking water provided in accordance with subsection (1) are provided free of charge to all crew members while they are on board.
owner
“owner”, in relation to goods, means every person who is for the time being entitled, either as owner or agent for the owner, to the possession of the goods, subject in the case of a lien (if any) to that lien;
Regulations made under this section may require a ship to carry any weighing and measuring equipment that may be necessary to ensure that the quantities of provisions and water supplied to crew members employed on the ship are in accordance with the regulations.
ship
“ship” means any kind of vessel used in navigation by water, however propelled or moved and includes —(a)a barge, lighter or other floating vessel;(b)an air-cushion vehicle, or other similar craft, used wholly or primarily in navigation by water; and(c)an off-shore industry mobile unit;
If any regulation made under this section is not complied with, the master or the person employing the crew members of the ship (each called a defendant) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000 unless the defendant proves that the failure to comply was not due to the defendant’s neglect or default.
master
“master” includes every person, except a pilot, having command or charge of any ship;
If a person empowered under this Act to inspect the provisions and water to be supplied to the crew members employed on a ship is not satisfied that the provisions and water are in accordance with regulations made under this section, the ship may be detained.
crew
“crew” means the following:(a)if the ship is a ship to which the Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act 2014 applies, all the seafarers employed on board that ship;(b)if the ship is not a ship mentioned in paragraph (a), the master and all the seamen employed on board that ship;