T

he low employment rate of seamen with special skills and low wages offered domestically are part of why many Indonesian skilled seamen prefer to earn a living abroad.

Growth in the offshore marine service industry in the foreseeable future in Indonesia is likely to offer employment opportunities to Indonesian skilled sailors.

The shortage of skilled seafarers in Indonesia was disclosed by offshore marine service company PT Wintermar Offshore Marine (WINS) senior port Capt. Jaffray W. to The Jakarta Post in Batam, Riau Islands, recently.

He said the shortage was evident by the limited number of ships operating in Indonesia equipped with special technology.

According to Jaffray, WINS will operate the 3,500-dead weight ton WM Natuna, the latest type of Platform Supply Vessel (PSV). The vessel is equipped with Dynamic Positioning (DP), a system that is able to arrange the position of the vessel by satellite in a particular position without the need of a deep anchor. In the aviation field, such a system is called fly-by-wire.

Only seamen with special skills are able to operate this type of ship. In Indonesia, there are only three such vessels. Of the 14 crew members, only the captain and chief engineer are categorized as having the special skills to position the ship.

“Each of the seamen working on board such a vessel must be registered at the IMO [International Maritime Organization] in London, which will issue a special number to each seaman. Indonesian seamen with such certification prefer to work abroad, also due to salary concerns,” said Jaffray on the sidelines of the WM Natuna vessel tour, organized by WINS.

According to Jaffray, in Indonesia, the daily salary of seamen with such skills ranged between US$500 and $700. The salary of a senior seamen with such qualification could reach $2,000 daily and even more overseas. “That’s why our seamen prefer working abroad. Jobs are very limited in Indonesia,” he continued.

The PSV vessel is designed to support the needs of offshore oil rigs, such as transporting cargo and personnel to the rigs or other offshore facilities.

The vessel is equipped with tanks designed to transport cargo and diesel fuel, potable and non-potable water and chemicals used in the drilling process.

PT Meratus Line asset director Frank Menaro said so far offshore marine services were dominated by expatriates and this situation had led to limited job opportunities for local manpower.

However, the current situation has changed along with the presence of many local parties involved in the field. “So far, the field is dominated by the United States because it’s their bread and butter,” said Menaro.