MAR: approved the embarkation of spanish speaking crew aboard vessels owned by spanish shipowners

Funchal, 31st of January 2007 – The Portuguese Government, through an authorization granted by the Secretary of State for Transportation, has approved the embarkation of spanish speaking crew aboard vessels registered in the International Shipping Register of Madeira - MAR and owned by spanish shipowners.

This authorization will allow spanish shipowners to hire crew members, duly certified, from countries such as Argentina, Chile, Cuba, Mexico and Peru, which may represent a substancial reduction in the operational costs involved in the management of their ships. The authorization will be granted on a case-by-case basis, based on the shipowner’s request for each vessel. The present legislation stipulates that the Captain and 50% of the safe manning aboard vessels registered in MAR are European citizens or of Portuguese speaking countries. With this approval, Spanish shipowners will benefit from a wider choice regarding the nationality of the crew members for their vessels, which adds to the competitiveness of MAR in Spain.

For further information on MAR, please visit our shipping section.