Who should report after an incident?

• A. The Master
• B. The EO
• C. The Port Authority
• D. The Crew

Answer: (A)

When something goes wrong on a ship, the person in command bears the responsibility to report the incident to the proper authorities. The Master is the ship’s legal representative and has to notify the relevant authorities (such as port state authorities, coast guard, or flag state) as soon as possible, providing accurate details about what happened, where and when it occurred, who was involved, and what actions were taken. This formal report is essential for authorities to assess risk, coordinate a response, and begin any required investigations, inspections, or pollution reporting. The Environmental Officer can assist by gathering environmental impact information and preparing technical inputs for the report, but the official notification and the binding record of what occurred come from the Master, who holds overall command and accountability on board. The Port Authority is the recipient of the report and coordinates the response, while the Crew provides information and evidence to the Master but does not typically file the official report themselves.