The Cook Islands registry has been ejected from RISC, the information-sharing database established to prevent sanctions-evading tankers from switching between flags.
Maritime Cook Islands (MCI) has rapidly grown its open ship registry, aiming to capture 1% of global tonnage by the early 2030s. However, its commercial success has raised concerns especially after reports of “shadow fleet” tankers older vessels often linked to sanctions evasion on its registry.
As reported, New Zealand’s Foreign Affairs Ministry has repeatedly urged the Cook Islands government to address these concerns, citing security risks and reputational hazards. In May 2025, Maritime Cook Islands was removed from the Registry Information Sharing Compact (RISC), an international platform that helps track sanctioned vessels, reportedlywithout clear explanation.
Despite the removal from RISC, the Cook Islands maintains that it does not allow any sanctioned vessels to remain on its register and has not registered ships flagged by any RISC member, expressing confusion over what possible violation could have led to its removal.
“MCI reached out to the founding members of RISC on 8 May 2025 and again on 13 May and again on 21 May. MCI has not had a response from any of them” a statement from MCI said.
