Amid an ongoing diplomatic tension globally, Panama said it will withdraw its flag from vessels that violate sanctions and international legislation, the Panama Maritime Authority told Reuters. This comes following removal of about 60 ships linked to Iran and Syria from the Panamanian registry in recent months.
As Reuters reports, many are the shipping companies leaving Britain’s shipping registry in light of the uncertain feeling of Britain’s departure from the European Union and future commercial relations. The departures could also disrupt any plans the British Government has to secure additional space on ships to help cope with potential trade disruption, under the possibility of a no-deal Brexit.
The Paris MoU Committee approved the 2018 inspection results and adopted new performance lists for flags and Recognized Organizations. These lists will apply from 1 July 2019. The list is based on the total number of inspections and detentions over a 3-year rolling period for flags with at least 30 inspections in that period.
The Isle of Man Ship Registry issued its annual report, presenting data provided by the Registry’s Port State Control (PSC) activity throughout 2018. The report noted a total of nine detentions of Isle of Man vessels during 2018. Less than a third of vessel inspections resulted in reported deficiencies.
IMO agreed to re-approach its listing process regarding the STCW Convention’s White List. As the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) informed, this development came as the drawing up of the list of countries for delisting from the STCW Convention ‘White List’ did not follow due process.
The UK Chamber applauds UK Ship Register’s (UKSR) changes, according to which owners from a broader group of countries will be able to register their vessels in the UK. UKSR announced its decision on expanding its ownership eligibility, enabling more shipping companies from around the globe to flag to the UK.
IMO’s HTW 6 Sub-committee on 29 April-3 May considered matters relating to the list of STCW Parties (White List) and its review. The Sub-committee found that the white list of top-rated flag states would be decimated if requirements to report information were strictly enforced.
In its annual PSC report for 2018, USCG informed the flag administration safety performance for 2018 decreased slightly with the overall annual detention rate increasing from 0.98% to 1.16%, while security performance for 2018 decreased slightly resulting in the annual Control Action Ratio (CAR) increasing from 0.06% to 0.09%.
The US Coast Guard has included the Liberian flag in its QUALSHIP 21 (QS21) roster for 2019-2020. QS21 recognizes vessels and flag states which have successfully met specified safety and quality requirements and regulations when calling at ports in the US.
Cyprus has seen merchant shipping developing rapidly over the last decades, ranking the country amongst the main maritime powers of the world with the 11th largest fleet globally and the 3rd largest fleet in Europe. More than 20% of the worlds’ third party management fleet is managed by companies based in Cyprus.
