IMO adopts resolution to combat illicit practices in the shadow fleet

Thousands of ageing oil tankers make up a sizable portion of a parallel fleet of ships that transport oil, notably for Russia, which is subject to sanctions from the West and the Group of Seven, which sets a $60 ceiling on Moscow’s oil exports and imposes fines on ships that exceed that amount.

As informed, the resolution, passed at the London-based IMO governing assembly session, required flag states, who are responsible for ship registration, to “adhere to measures which lawfully prohibit or regulate” the transfer of goods at sea, or STS activities.

Additionally, it demanded that ships update their STS transfer operation plans, particularly if they are transferring with another vessel in the middle of the ocean.

The resolution also suggested that port nations “should subject such ships to enhanced inspections” if they learn of any ships purposefully evading detection by, for example, turning off their tracking devices or hiding their true identities.

The IMO delegation from Iran expressed its concerns last week, stating that the suggestions demonstrated a “clear deviation” from the IMO’s mandate. The delegation was seeking changes to the resolution.