Surveillance at Sea: Should Receivers Request CCTV Cameras for Cargo Safety?

 🚢 Surveillance at Sea: Should Receivers Request CCTV Cameras for Cargo Safety?

❓ Does installing CCTV cameras onboard really protect cargo from loss?
❓ Could agreeing to this request expose Owners to unexpected liabilities?
❓ How should Operators and Charterers handle such unusual demands in practice?

If you’ve ever faced this kind of request, you already know—it’s not just about cameras. It’s about contracts, liabilities, and trust. Let’s decode this together.

 

📜 Clause Breakdown: Camera Installation Request

Recently, some Receivers have asked Owners to install CCTV cameras onboard vessels at discharge ports, citing issues of missing cargo during previous shipments.

👉 Purpose: Receivers want reassurance and evidence that cargo is not being misappropriated during discharge. Cameras provide visibility of hatch covers, conveyor belts, and cargo-handling areas.

👉 Implications:

• At first glance, it sounds simple—“just add cameras.” But in shipping, nothing is ever that simple.
• Installing cameras could imply that Owners have accepted responsibility for cargo theft/missing cargo at port.
• If cargo goes missing despite surveillance, Receivers may argue the footage proves Owner liability, even if the issue lies ashore (stevedores, terminals, trucks).

👉 Relevance: In dry bulk operations (coal, grains, ores), shortage claims are among the most common disputes. This request highlights how Receivers are shifting risk onto Owners.

⚖️ Industry Context: BIMCO has not (yet) introduced a standard clause for such requests. Case law is scarce, but legal commentary suggests that “additional obligations beyond the C/P” must be resisted unless mutually agreed, recorded, and indemnified.

 

⚓ Real-Life Shipping Scenarios

🔹 Case 1: Grain discharge in South America
A Receiver demanded CCTV cameras during discharge, citing theft at the terminal gates. Owners installed temporary cameras, but when shortage arose, Receivers still filed a claim—arguing “video shows cargo leaving ship, so loss must be Owners’ fault.” The LOI protection was weak.

🔹 Case 2: Coal discharge in India
Charterers passed Receiver’s request for CCTV to Owners. Owners refused politely, stating “cargo custody transfers upon discharge.” Instead, they suggested joint draft surveys and shore tallies. Dispute avoided.

👉 Moral? Surveillance may not prevent disputes—it may actually increase liability if not handled carefully.

 

✅ Practical Guidance for Stakeholders

🔹 For Owners

• Stick to the C/P: If CCTV is not agreed in charter party, treat it as an additional request.
• Ask for Indemnity: Only accept if Receivers/Charterers provide a watertight LOI indemnifying Owners against all risks, costs, and liabilities.
• Technical Limits: Clarify that cameras cannot monitor beyond ship’s rail—shore/terminal custody is not Owners’ responsibility.

🔹 For Charterers

• Pass the request transparently, but do not pressure Owners.
• Secure LOIs from Receivers to protect both Charterers and Owners.
• Offer practical alternatives (joint draft survey, shore tally clerks, sealed conveyor systems).

🔹 For Operators

• Keep a paper trail: record all requests, responses, and agreements.
• Educate Receivers politely: “Cameras cannot substitute for proper surveys and cargo accountability ashore.”
• Recommend best practices: pre-discharge draft survey, daily outturn reporting, independent tally clerks.

 

🌊 Conclusion

At first, a Receiver’s request for cameras may look harmless. But in truth, it opens doors to liability traps. 🚪

Remember this golden rule:
👉 Owners are responsible “from hook to hook,” but not for what happens once cargo crosses the ship’s rail.

So, while technology like CCTV can support transparency, it should never replace sound operational practices like surveys, tallies, and watertight contracts.

⚠️ Disclaimer: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. For specific cases, consult qualified maritime legal professionals.

 

📢 Call-to-Action

Have you faced similar requests from Receivers or Charterers? How did you handle them? 💭

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