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Tribune News Network
Doha
A marine vessel cannot be allowed to sail unless registered and a sea captain cannot command it without acquiring necessary licence, according to a new decree issued by the Emir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani regulating marine surveying on Tuesday.
However, vessels belonging to the government are exempted from the purview of this law.
Besides, the Minister of Transport and Communication can issue a decision to exempt scientific research ships from these regulations.
For a vessel to be registered, it must be equipped with navigation and communication devices, in addition to lights, flares, distress signals and all tools necessary to comply with the safety and security requirements as decreed by the Minister.
The vessel must then pass the technical inspection. The owner needs to submit insurance documents issued by one of the national insurance companies for third-party insurance coverage.
In case the owner is not a Qatari, a valid residence permit is required.
According to the decree, the Minister can add or drop some of those requirements, on a temporary or even permanent basis. Registered vessels are assigned unique number plates from the authorised department that denote their names and registration numbers, without which the vessel is not allowed to sail. Registration certificates are valid for one year. They can be renewed as long as the requirements are met and renewal fees paid in full.
The certificate needs to be aboard the vessel and must be presented to the authorities upon request. The Emiri Decree stipulates that the Minister, in coordination with authorities concerned, issues a decree that determines the terms and conditions for sailing the marine vessel including its load capacity and the number of seamen allowed on board as per the vessel category.
The relevant authority at the Ministry of Interior, in coordination with the concerned authorities, will determine the entry and exit locations of marine vessels, as well as the registration points that vessels must pass through for registration and passage, in addition to sailing times, speeds and weather conditions and limits. The owner and captain of the vessel must abide by those rules.
Any person found sailing unregistered vessels or commanding it without necessary licence will face a jail term of not exceeding three months or a fine of up to QR 50,000 or both.
