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The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register the availability of CG-MMC Policy Letter 02-21, titled “Guidance on Voluntary Compliance with Training Requirements for Personnel Serving on U.S.-flagged Passenger Ships that Carry More than 12 Passengers on International Voyages.”

This policy provides guidance to passenger vessel owners and operators on voluntary compliance with the 2016 amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (STCW Convention) and the Seafarers’ Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code (STCW Code). Vessels may be subject to detentions in foreign ports if personnel have not received appropriate training in accordance with the STCW Convention and the STCW Code.

Policy Letter 02-21 is available on the the Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing policy website, as well on the Federal Register under docket number USCG-2021-0406 on http://www.regulations.gov.

Questions or concerns regarding implementation of this policy letter and/or requests for changes should be directed to the Office of Merchant Mariner Credentialing (CG-MMC) at (202) 372-2357 or MMCPolicy@uscg.mil.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official publications, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These publications remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.