Trying to improve the poor safety record of the sector
Argentina is proposing an extended survey system for general cargoships in a bid to improve the poor safety record of the sector.
General cargoships have consistently ranked as having the worst casualty and port-state-control (PSC) records.
This is often attributed to their high average age and their registration under flag states with a poor record in applying international conventions.
In an accident that is typical of the mishaps that blight the sector, the North Korean-registered, 15,200-dwt Hyang Ro Bong (built 1982) collided with the bow of Master Shipmanagements anchored 11,700-dwt general cargoship Banga Lanka (built 1978) outside Chittagong last month and then promptly sank.
