STCW-F certificates for seafarers on fishing vessels, coast guard vessels or other vessels

The definition of small vessels was changed to be those ships that are now considered to be ships with a registration length of 15 metres or shorter instead of 12 metres.

• Until 1 January 2021, a certificate of competence holder as skipper on vessels of less than 12 metres in registered length operating on near-coastal voyages shall be entitled to be issued with a certificate of competency as skipper on vessels of 15 metres or less in length, provided that at the time of submission of the application he/she has been legally registered as skipper for at least 12 months. Otherwise he/she shall fulfil the requirements of laws and regulations relating to age, education and health and completed a training in basic safety and an approved first aid course. The longer (5 days) safety training course will cover both, but those who have only completed the small-vessel safety training (1 day) will have to demonstrate that they have completed an approved first aid course.

  • A holder of a skipper's certificate (<12 metres) who has been registered as skipper for a period of at least 12 months prior to 1 January 2021, but has not submitted an application to the Icelandic Transport Authority before 1 January 2021 for enhanced skipper's certificate will retain his/her skipper's certificate of 12 metres on coastal voyages, but must renew his/her licence after expiry or pursue additional training for enhanced skippers certificate (<15 metres).

  • Persons holding a skipper's certificate (<12 metres) who have not been registered as skipper for 12 months before 1 January 2021, retain their skipper's certificate (<12 metres) as the case may be, but must renew their certificate after the expiry date or attend additional training for the enhanced skipper's certificate (<15 metres).

  • Persons who have completed the small-vessel training for 12 metres skipper's certificate before 1 September 2020 but have not achieved the required seagoing service may be issued a skipper's certificate (<12 metres) when the required seagoing service is achieved, but not beyond 31 December 2022. Otherwise, the person in question must attend additional training for enhanced skipper's certificate (<15 metres).

The so-called 30 GRT certificates will no longer be issued, mainly on the ground that vessels are no longer measured in GRT. A person who legitimately holds a 30 GRT certificate as skipper shall be entitled to be issued with a certificate as skipper of vessels of 15 metres or less in registered length engaged on near-coastal voyages. If the person concerned has served on vessels of less than 30 GRT and with a registered length of over 15 metres, he/she shall be entitled to be issued with a certificate to serve in the same capacity on board that vessel as well as other vessels of the same size. The legal registration system for seamen will be updated in order to give holders of these certificates can be legally registered on fishing vessels and other vessels of <15 metres and less in registered length. It is not necessary to apply for new certificates of competency in this respect, but the endorsement on new certificates will be amended when they are renewed by the Icelandic Transportation Authority.

Certificates for small-vessel engine attendant (<12 metres and <750 kW) for fishing vessels and other vessels are now <15 metres and <750 kW respectively. The legal registration system for seamen will be modified to enable holders of these certificates to be legally registered on fishing vessels and other vessels <15 metres and <750 kW. No new certificates of competency need be applied for in this respect, but the endorsement on new certificates will be amended when they are renewed by the Icelandic Transportation Authority. When renewing the certificates, the applicant must demonstrate that he/she has completed a small-vessel safety training programme at the Maritime Safety and Survival Training Centre, or another recognised training provider, and an approved first aid course, cf. Article 12 of the Regulation.

The Regulation provides for a combination of certification VVY with the next higher level of certification, so that holders of an engineer officer certificate to serve as chief engineer on a vessel with an engine power of 375 kW and less (VVY) are entitled to be issued a certificate of competency to be chief engineer on a vessel of 24 metres in length or less at which the engine is registered and with an engine power of 750 kW and less (VVY1), subject to other conditions. This concerns in particular individuals who completed level 1 of the marine engineer education according to the older education system. The endorsement on new certificates for these individuals will be changed when they are renewed by the Icelandic Transportation Authority.

Special certificates of competency will no longer be issued for service on board aquaculture workboats. These types of vessels will be subject to the same rules as other ships. Those who hold special skipper's or marine engineering certificates on aquaculture workboats shall have the right to have similar certificates issued.

After 1 September 2020, only small-vessel training for vessels of 15 metres in length is offered on the basis of a new curriculum and the diplomas for this training will be the basis of the certificate of competency for skipper's (<15 metres), in addition to other requirements of the Regulation. The same applies to the training of small-vessel engine attendant (<15 metres and <750 kW). New curricula are being prepared for small-vessel training and it can be expected that the training period will be extended, as the level of certification have been extended.

The main changes concern the rules on minimum manning of vessels between 12-15 meters of registered length and with a main engine of 250-750 kW. Their minimum manning levels shall now be:

• Skipper holding a certificate <15 metres and small-vessel engine attendant

  • A small-vessel engine attendant shall not be required to be registered on board if a service contract for the maintenance of the engine has been concluded and this contract has been verified by the Icelandic Transport Authority.

  • The master may hold both capacities, if he holds certificates for serving in both and the vessel's voyage duration is 14 hours or less.

  • If the vessel's voyage duration is more than 14 hours, the vessel must be manned in such a way that the provisions of the Seafarers Act and regulations issued thereunder on the working and rest periods of seamen are complied with.

  • Similar rules apply if a vessel is <12 metres, except that the skipper must as a minimum hold a certificate for serving on board vessels of <12 metres.
    

Under the earlier regulation, the small-vessel engine attendant was not required to be a crew member of a vessel <12 metres and 250-750 kW if a service contract had been concluded with a service provider for maintenance of the ship's machinery and this contract had been verified by the Icelandic Transportation Authority. Act No. 166/2019 provides that this applies to vessels of <15 metres in length and 250-750 kW engine power. In view of the experience gained and the broader scope of the provision, the Regulation provides that the Icelandic Transport Authority will lay down further provisions on service contracts, such as on their conditions, duration and expiry, e.g. if a vessel is sold, a service provider discontinues operations or transfers its operations to a different location than a service contract stipulates.