Merchant Shipping (Maritime Labour Convention) Act 2014 · 2020 Revised Edition · Part 5 · Catering
25. Requirement to carry qualified ship’s cook
Feedback & supportSubject to subsections (2) and (3), the shipowner and the master of a Singapore ship which ordinarily operates with 10 or more seafarers on board must ensure that the ship does not proceed to sea unless a qualified ship’s cook is on board.
shipowner
“shipowner”, in relation to a ship, means the owner of the ship, and includes —(a)the registered owner; or(b)in the absence of registration —(i)the person owning the ship; or(ii)any other person (such as the ship manager, agent or bareboat charterer) who has assumed responsibility for the operation of the ship from the owner and who, on assuming such responsibility, has agreed to take over the duties and responsibilities imposed on shipowners in accordance with the Convention, whether or not any other organisation or person fulfils certain of the duties or responsibilities on the shipowner’s behalf;
In circumstances of exceptional necessity, the Director may grant an exemption from subsection (1) —
Director
“Director” means the Director of Marine appointed under section 4 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995 and includes the Deputy Director of Marine appointed under that Act;
until the next port of call; or
for a period not exceeding one month,but only if there is a person on board the ship who is trained or instructed in areas such as food and personal hygiene and handling and storage of food in accordance with this Act.
The shipowner and the master may, instead of complying with the requirement in subsection (1) to have a qualified ship’s cook on board, comply with any other requirement that the Director may approve in respect of a particular ship, or ships of a particular description, being a requirement that the Director considers substantially equivalent to the requirement in subsection (1) when considered together with the conditions and limitations to which the approval may be subject.
ship
“ship” has the meaning given by the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, but does not include —(a)any vessel which navigates exclusively in inland waters or waters within, or closely adjacent to, sheltered waters or areas where the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (Port) Regulations apply;(b)any warship or naval auxiliary;(c)any ship engaged in fishing or in similar pursuits;(d)any ship of traditional build such as dhows and junks;(e)any ship that is intended to be operated without any seafarer on board; and(f)any ship specified in an Order made by the Authority, with the approval of the Minister, declaring the categories of ships to be excluded from the application of this Act;
An exemption or approval given by the Director under this section must be in writing, may be subject to such conditions and limitations as the Director may specify, and may be altered or cancelled.
Any shipowner or master who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.
master
“master” includes every person, except a pilot, having command or charge of a ship;