Inspection of non-Belize ships

(1) An authorized person may inspect any ship which is not a Belize ship for the purposes of– (a) verifying that all seamen serving on board who are required to be certified hold a valid appropriate certificate; and (b) assessing the ability of the seamen in the ship to maintain the watchkeeping standards required by these Regulations where there are grounds for believing that such standards are not being maintained because, while in Belize Merchant Ships (Registration) 229 or in the approaches to that part, any of the following have occurred– (i) the ship has been involved in a collision, grounding or stranding; (ii) there has been an unlawful discharge of substance from the ship when underway, at anchor or at berth; (iii) the ship has been manoeuvred in an erratic or unsafe manner; or (iv) the ship has otherwise been operated in such a manner as to pose a danger to persons, property or the environment. (2) If an authorized person finds on inspecting any deficiency of a kind specified in subregulation (3) he shall notify in writing the master of the ship and in the case of a ship registered outside Belize, the nearest maritime, consular or diplomatic representative of the flag State. (3) Deficiencies referred to in subregulation (2) are– (a) a failure of any seaman required to hold an appropriate certificate, to have a valid certificate or a valid exemption from the requirement; (b) a failure to comply with the safe manning (c) a failure of navigational or engineering watch arrangements to conform to the requirements specified for the ship by the competent authority of the country in which the ship is registered; Merchant Ships (Registration) 230 (d) an absence on a watch of a person qualified to operate equipment essential to safe navigation, safety radio communications or the prevention of marine pollution; (e) an inability of the master to provide adequately rested persons for the first watch at the commencement of a voyage and for subsequent relieving watches.