With the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue’s (Ice-Sar) training vessel currently not seaworthy, a debate has opened up on the future of training for seafarers in Iceland.
The training ship Sæbjörg, formerly a car ferry that ran between Reykjavík and Akranes, has served its current purpose for twenty years since Ice-Sar took it over and it is used for holding realistic and effective training schedules for all seafarers, both alongside in Reykjavík and at different ports around the country.
Sæbjörg’s certificate of seaworthiness was withdrawn this year after it was found to need extensive repairs, ruling out the annual visit to ports around the country, and opening the question of the ship’s future as a floating safety academy.
Björn Valur Gíslason, himself a former trawler skipper and MP, has publicly challenged Iceland’s vessel owners to ensure that a suitable training vessel remains available to seafarers.
‘There is no educational establishment in Iceland that has returned such clear benefits in minimising injuries at sea as Ice-Sar has,’ he said.
‘It’s not that many years since there were dozens of serious accidents and losses of life every year, as well as hundred or even thousands of minor incidents. Now we have several years behind us with no losses of life at sea and the number of other accidents has fallen substantially,’ he said, commenting that Ice-Sar’s training schedule has been the driving force behind this success.
‘The same applies to vessel owners who have also taken this seriously on their vessels. This co-operation has resulted in real and noticeable success in driving down the rate of accidents at sea.’
‘Now Sæbjörg is no longer seaworthy and not able to fulfil its role. This is not acceptable to fishermen, their families or anyone else. I challenge Icelandic vessel owners to ensure that Ice-Sar has a suitable vessel available, either by repairing Sæbjörg or with a replacement,’ Björn Valur Gíslason said.
‘I will make every effort to ensure that the Icelandic state meets the cost of running this in future. It won’t be a tough job’
