In its annual PSC report for 2019, the USCG provided an update on its QUALSHIP 21 program, which ended calendar year 2019 with 2,936 vessels enrolled. By the end of 2019, 51 ships received the E-Zero designation.
Despite the decrease in total detentions in 2019, four flag administrations lost their eligibility while two additional flags, Cyprus and the Republic of Korea, became eligible.
On the contrary, in 2018, USCG welcomed nine flag administrations into the program with only one losing their QS21 eligibility.
Introduced in 2017, the Quality Shipping for the 21st Century Program, or QUALSHIP 21, recognizes and rewards vessels, as well as their owners and Flag Administrations, for their commitment to safety and quality.
Meanwhile, QUALSHIP 21 E-Zero program recognizes exemplary vessels that have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to environmental stewardship. As such, Q21 has become a vital benchmark for environmental compliance recognition in maritime.
Though we are approaching 3,000 ships enrolled in the QUALSHIP 21 program, only 51 of those ships have met the stringent criteria to earn the E-Zero designation,
…said Rear Admiral Richard V. Timme, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, USCG.
To encourage maritime entities to participate, incentives such as certificates, name recognition, and a reduction in PSC examination frequency are offered to participants.
The criteria for inclusion are very strict and only a small percentage of all foreign-flagged ships that operate in the US have earned the QUALSHIP 21 designation.
