Tag: ICS

More than 70,000 vessels each year transit this area - Safety is a priority Navigation safety and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore could further improve following a detailed investigation into accident reports by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).ICS (as part of a wider initiative being undertaken by the Round Table of international shipping associations) has conducted a survey of incident reports which it is anticipated will result in the development of agreed proposals to enhance the management of traffic in the Straits.With more than 70,000 vessels each year (over 150 a day) transiting this strategically important international waterway, ICS believes it is imperative that safety continues to be prioritised. While only a very small proportion of these transits result in accidents or near misses, the ICS survey has identified heavy shipping traffic, inappropriate speed and the loss of situational awareness as significant factors that need to be addressed.The ICS report praises the skill and professionalism of those managing, operating and navigating ships in the Malacca and Singapore Straits. However, ICS suggests that improvements could be made to the location of pilot boarding areas and the timing of pilot departures. There is also concern about the ...

14th Russian Register Seminar on Quality Shipping in St Petersburg A balance has to be struck between the commercial advantages of shipowners' selecting a particular flag state and the need to discourage the use of flags that do not meet their international obligations, warns the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).Speaking at the 14th Russian Register Seminar on Quality Shipping in St Petersburg, Simon Bennett, ICS Director of External Relations, said: "Shipping is one of the safest and most environmentally friendly modes of transport, yet several high profile casualties have prompted questions from politicians and the media about the performance of flag states. There is understandable concern about shipping companies' use of flags that may not comply fully with international regulations."However, he stressed that distinctions between open registers and so-called national or traditional maritime flags are unhelpful. "The industry's Flag State Performance Table suggests that open registers such as the Bahamas, Liberia and the Marshal Islands enjoy the same very high standards of performance and responsibility as flags such as Denmark or the United Kingdom," he said.ICS has previously developed Shipping Industry Guidelines on Flag State Performance, to accompany its annual Flag State Performance Table.The Guidelines outline what a responsible shipowner ...

The world community cannot tolerate the abuse and the killing of seafarer "We have reached the end of our tether on piracy," ICS Chairman tells India Shipping Summit."The world community cannot tolerate the abuse and the killing of seafarers," ICS Chairman Spyros M Polemis told seafarers and maritime industry professionals in India today (Oct 11th), adding that "India and its seafarers have truly been in the firing line"."This has to stop now. The pirates must get the message that we have reached the end of our tether and that any act of piracy will be severely dealt with," he told delegates at the India Shipping Summit in Mumbai. Warning that the piracy season was about to begin again with renewed vigour as the monsoon season ends, Mr Polemis acknowledged the high price India is paying, with some of its seafarers held hostage for more than 18 months. "India is a nation which is committed to maritime trade in a major way, while its geographical location means that it has been at the forefront of efforts to tackle piracy head on," he said. "India is a major maritime labour supply country, providing thousands of Indian nationals, both officers and ratings, to ...

United Nations Committee on Trade and Development meeting in Geneva The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), whose member national shipowners' associations represent more than 80% of the world merchant fleet, has participated at a special UNCTAD (United Nations Committee on Trade and Development) meeting in Geneva (29/30 September) to explore how the world's sea ports should prepare for adaptation to the threat of dangerous climate change.Speaking at the UNCTAD meeting, ICS Director of External Relations, Simon Bennett, advised governments that monies for the adaption of ports to the effects of rising sea levels - and the increased likelihood of storms, flooding and extreme weather events - could be provided by a proposed International Maritime Organization (IMO) environmental compensation fund, with contributions from the shipping industry linked to fuel compensation. An environmental compensation fund is the Market Based Mechanism preferred by the majority of the global shipping industry, rather than the alternative of emissions trading schemes which has also been proposed by some governments in discussions at the IMO."The advantage of a compensation fund linked to ships' fuel consumption is that some of the monies raised could be readily directed by IMO to environmental projects in developing countries, such as the ...

The use of private guards does not mean that military forces are no longer needed Governments have ceded control of the Indian Ocean to pirates and the smalldeployment of naval forces to the region is like putting a band-aid on agaping wound - so says ICS Chairman Spyros M Polemis.And in a damning indictment of western governments, Mr Polemis willcontroversially suggest they would be acting differently if the manyseafarers held hostage off the coast of Somalia were "Americans orEuropeans".Speaking at next week's Maritime Cyprus conference in Limassol on Monday(October 3rd) Mr Polemis will tell shipping professionals: "The fundamentalproblem is the lack of navy ships that are committed to protecting shipping- a band aid on a gaping wound, although the navies do an excellent jobunder the circumstances and we commend them for this."In a straight-talking speech Mr Polemis is set to tell delegates that "bytheir own admission, the military advise that no ship is completely safe".He will say: "Sadly, one can only conclude from the current response of manygovernments that those thousands of seafarers that have so far been capturedhave simply had the wrong nationality. If they were all Americans orEuropeans, the governments' attitude might have been somewhat different. Itis really ...

ICS says that the principal concern of the shipping industry is humanitarian To mark the occasion of IMO World Maritime Day and this year's chosen theme, the piracy crisis in the Indian Ocean, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents 80% of the world merchant fleet, has produced a special brochure.The brochure is intended to reiterate the urgent need for governments to do more to protect merchant shipping from being attacked by Somali pirates, with over 3,000 seafarers having so far been held hostage for ransom, and up to 60 having lost their lives.The ICS brochure explains that the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the United Nations agency responsible for safety of life at sea, has had a pivotal role in orchestrating the response of the international community to the scourge of piracy, which is the theme of IMO World Maritime Day 2011. In co-operation with the shipping industry, IMO has been instrumental in bringing the seriousness of the crisis to the attention of the UN Security Council. However, the piracy crisis in the Indian Ocean has continued to spiral out of control.ICS expresses appreciation for the efforts of IMO Member States and military navies to protect merchant ships and ...

It is crucial that the same regulations re afety, environment and seafarers apply to all ships Governments must not impede the smooth operation of a global maritime regulatory regime by failing to ratify and implement crucial maritime conventions, warns the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).It is crucial that the same regulations governing matters such as safety, environmental protection, liability and seafarers' working conditions apply to all ships in international trade and that the same laws apply to all parts of the voyage, advises ICS - the principal international trade association for shipowners, representing 80% of the world merchant fleet.ICS and its sister organisation, the International Shipping Federation (ISF), have produced a campaign brochure (launched this week ) which reiterates the importance of maritime treaty ratification and which is intended to help member national shipowner associations lobby their governments to support the global regulatory system that shipping requires."A global industry requires global rules." said ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe."The failure of new Conventions to enter into force or become widely ratified also gives encouragement to the promotion of unwelcome unilateral or regional regulation."The brochure, available from national associations or online via www.ics-shipping.org <http://www.ics-shipping.org>, provides updated information on the progress of a ...

The document has received approval from Round Table members Industry has produced a set of guidelines aimed at giving guidance on the construction and use of citadels in waters affected by Somalia piracy. The document has received approval from Round Table members - INTERTANKO, BIMCO, ICS and INTERCARGO - as well as other industry associations. NATO, EUNAVFOR and the Combined Maritime Force (CMF) have also approved the document.A citadel as defined in BMP4 is "A designated pre-planned area purpose built into the ship where, in the event of imminent boarding by pirates, all crew will seek protection. A citadel is designed and constructed to resist a determined pirate trying to gain entry for a fixed period of time."Since January 2010, there have been 26 cases where pirates have actually boarded vessels, but have been unable to take control because the vessel's crew have all successfully sought refuge in a pre-planned citadel. However, there have also been five cases where citadels have been breached - these may be attributed to a number of factors including poor construction and location of the citadel. With the use of citadels increasing, the pirates have similarly gained experience in defeating a citadel - this includes ...

Updated summary of legislation on Armed Guards ICS and ECSA have issued an updated summary of legislation on Armed Guards for each flag statehttp://www.ukpandi.com/fileadmin/uploads/uk-pi/Documents/Piracy/privatearmedguardsflagstateregs.pdfSource : ICS / ECSA

Sulphur regulations will drive fuel costs to a level that will dwarf the impact of carbon policies Norwegian Shipowners' Association (NSA) Director General Sturla Henriksen has warned of the effects of trying push the shipping industry too hard to improve its already good emissions performance.He told delegates to last week's International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) conference that beyond a certain point imposing additional burdens on the shipping industry could "cause modal "backshifts" and reduce shipping's capacity, resulting in increased overall GHG emissions, reduced global economic growth and competitive distortions to land based industries".He referred to a study commissioned by NSA from Price Waterhouse Coopers that predicted that sulphur regulations will drive fuel costs to a level that would dwarf the impact of carbon policies.Mr Henriksen also referred to an impact assessment by the Nordic Legal Defence Club which supported ICS's preference for a levy-based, "fuel-linked" CO2 compensation system. This assessment found that a levy system was: better suited to meet IMO criteria, less bureaucratic and easier to administer, more transparent and simpler and also allows for passing on costs."I believe," said Mr Henriksen, "that the way forward is through one, single global system; within IMO, based on the following criteria. ...