In the STCW regulations, there is a reference to “management level”, but there is also a reference to “operational level”. Perhaps the Minister should look for a way of bringing the two together, because somebody can have managerial responsibility without having a hands-on role. The definition must ensure that the person is of operational level. Later in the regulations, there is a reference to
“officers in charge of a navigational watch”.
Somewhere in there, I think that there is a definition that everyone could buy into. The term “deck officer” does not exist in the regulations.