BSMA supports Capt.Sobadjiev

Dear Members and Guests,

Our colleague Capt.Sobadjiev is still imprisoned in Panama. No charge have been raised against him yet . He was abandoned by his employer and mislead by a local lawyer. Now his relatives intend to engage an US attorney to take his legal protection. BSMA has contacted the Council of American Master Mariners which has recommended reliable lawyer office.

BSMA has opened a donor account in assistance to the relatives in collecting the funds needed.

Here are the bank details:

Societe Generale Expressbank, Transportna branch, Varna, Bulgaria

BIC: TTBB BG 22

IBAN: BG51 TTBB 9400 5525 7756 73 USD

Holder: Bulgarian Ship Masters Association

Withdrawal condition is a BSMA administrative board formal decision and informing Capt.Sobadjiev family.

As discussed with the lawyer office the funds must be given to the family as they alone can take decision on hiring a lawyer and undertaking lawful actions.

You will be regularly informed about the funds collected and spent.

Dear Members and Guests, you are kindly requested to contribute to the fair cause. Your help will be appreciated.

Follow the link for details about the case:

http://tv7.bg/news/bulgaria/2336032.html

In 1990 the idea of the foundation of Civil Navigation Association of Captains arose. On 17.04.1990 the Constituent Assembly was held which the Statute of the Association (SA) was adopted at. A decision was taken that the Association played the temporary role of a Division for the Sailors’ Syndicate until it was organizationally formed and registered as a sole legal entity. Under command of Captain Vesselin Tsanev SA participates in the formation of some amendments in the Collective Employment Contract (CEC) in common with Steam-Shipping Navigation Maritime Bulgare (SSNMB) and the vindication of the captains’ interests before Steam-Shipping Bulgare.

 On 8.12.1992 the Constituent Assembly was again held at which a decision was taken that the Association accepted the title “Bulgarian Shipmasters’ Association” with Captain Yancho Nikolov as its president, and which was registered in District Court of City of Varna as a non-profit legal entity at the end of the month.
 Through the years the Association has actively participated in a number of activities together with the society of Varna with regard to solving subject-matters in the fields of the Higher Shipping Education and future of Naval Academy (NA) according to the amendments and supplements of Merchant Shipping Code (MSC) and Ordinance No. 6 of shipmasters’ terms of reference stipulated by Act on Shipping Agency (ASA), as well as many other issues related to the development of maritime industry.
 In 1994 the Association became a member of International Federation of Shipmasters’ Associations (IFSMA) with its headquarters in London as the Association established contacts with the managing bodies of a number of associations.

 During the last couple of years under the command of the Commissioners of SA – Captain Jzivko Magditchev, Captain Andrian Evtimov and Captain Dimitar Dimitrov, the Association played an active role in considering subject-matters over the privatization of SSNMB according to the strategy of the development of shipping as it appealed together with Marine Engineers’ Club with its general standpoint and suggestions before the governing authorities of the country – Presidency, Parliament, MC and the then MTC.

 A main issue that has confronted BSMA though the years was defending the authority and interests of the captains – members of the Association in both the national maritime circles and international ones by the medium of IFSMA and the individual shipmasters’ associations in some foreign countries.
 Since 1997 in concordance with the tripartite Agreement between BSMA, Marine Engineers’ Club and SSNMB with the active participation of the Association the database on the captains and senior engineers from SBMF for the period of 1892 to 2002 was found, collected, analyzed and sorted. In honour of Bulgarian Merchant Shipping’s 110th anniversary in 2002 “Almanac of Shipmasters and Senior Engineers from SSNMB” was issued. Later on in October 2004 its supplement was issued in reference to its future general reprint for Bulgarian Merchant Shipping’s 115th anniversary in 2007.