IRI calls flag states to take lead in information sharing

“It is incumbent on responsible flag states to lead the way in sharing information about ship inspections, vessel standards, conditions onboard, casualties and the implementation of their own safety regimes,” said Clay Maitland, Managing Partner of International Registries, Inc (IRI), the Corporate and Maritime Administrator of the Marshall Islands flag, in a presentation to delegates attending the “Prevention First 2004” conference in Long Beach today.

“By taking this initiative, they, more than any other participant in the maritime safety chain, have the power to drive out the substandard ship operator once and for all by incentivising the choice of “quality” over “substandard”. Such action by flag states will also yield the valuable added benefit of highlighting to the world at large not only the high standards to which most of the shipping industry already adheres, but also the good and improving maritime safety record that has been achieved.”

The culture of confidentiality that has long characterised the maritime industry is slowly being whittled away, explained Mr Maitland, and the standards of due diligence are being extended to those industry players that have traditionally avoided being penalised for choosing the “substandard”. A good example of this is the Erika sinking, in which the French government did not hesitate to proceed against the charterer. However, this process needs to be stepped up and brought to its logical conclusion for the full benefits to accrue.

“When a serious deficiency occurs, authorities should not grant blanket anonymity to those players that enable and facilitate the continued operations of substandard classification societies, vessel operators, flag states and the like,” asserted Clay Maitland “The lenders, that is, the mortgagee banks, that finance the industry should have access to information on an owner/borrower?s casualty and safety record; and underwriters and trade associations should, with the flag states themselves, share information on ships, based on the large number of inspections that now take place.

“The Marshall Islands, for example, has an extensive and growing database, derived in large part from its programme of safety inspections. We would very much like to cooperate with the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF), the US Coast Guard, the Tokyo MOU, the International Union of Marine Insurers (IUMI) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO), in sharing this information and moving toward a system for the identification of unacceptable risks.”

In concluding, Mr Maitland told delegates that while information sharing is one of the key ways to squeeze out the “bottom feeders”, it is not the only weapon in the industry?s arsenal. Furthermore, all the weapons must be brought to bear.

“Expanded legal liability, whether we welcome it or not, is another tool we must use, along with targeting and identifying the players in the responsibility chain who enable substandard practices,” stated Clay Maitland. “Sometimes these enablers are not immediately apparent. To quote from the 2003 annual report of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control: “When flags have delegated their statutory responsibilities to class, both parties should be held accountable for the safety records of the ships.”