There is no shortfall in governance so far as the international regulation of shipping is concerned, which responsibly utilises the excellent facility that the sea provides for international transport – about 90% of world trade is carried by sea. This is the view of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) whose Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe, took part in a major debate about oceans governance in New York on 13 July.

The ICS Secretary General was addressing an international academic conference on “Developing a New International Architecture for Maritime Policy” organised by the Dräger Foundation and the Earth Institute at Columbia University. He praised the virtues of the comprehensive regulatory framework developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) within the umbrella for oceans governance provided by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

ICS reported that the number of significant oil spills had decreased from about 23 per year in the 1970s to just three per year during the past 10 years, while the volume of maritime trade had more than tripled during the same period.

“In part this is because IMO environmental regulations are genuinely implemented and enforced on a global basis through a combination of flag state and port state control” said Mr Hinchliffe.

IMO has also developed binding rules to address damage to local ecosystems potentially caused by ship’s ballast water, as well as mandatory international rules to reduce sulphur and CO2 emissions.

He explained that shipping is a global industry requiring a global regulatory framework, not a patchwork of national rules which would bring about chaos, inefficiency and have a negative impact on the smooth flow of world trade, as well as being detrimental to the protection of the oceans.

Speaking just before the New York event, Mr Hinchliffe remarked that because of the delicate balance of rights and responsibilities that exists between flag states, port states and coastal states, the shipping industry is very reluctant to support a fundamental revision of UNCLOS – as has been proposed by sections of the European Commission and some environmentalist NGOs.

Apart from enshrining the principle of global maritime rules, which are vital to the industry, UNCLOS also establishes the right of all nations to freedom of navigation on the high seas and the right of innocent passage in territorial waters. It also deals with delicate issues such as the rights of all ships to use international straits which are of great strategic importance.

However, because UNCLOS addresses a number of other sensitive issues, not just affecting shipping, ICS believes it is very unlikely that governments would be willing to reopen what is a delicately balanced package.

“Shipping has a hundred years’ experience of international governance of its activities, and we would question any suggestion that UNCLOS is no longer fit for purpose, at least so far as the regulation of shipping is concerned,” he said.

Mr Hinchliffe suggested that if there were concerns about other areas of oceans governance, lessons could be learned by other sectors from the shipping industry’s global regulator, IMO, whose successful MARPOL Convention is enforced and implemented by 150 Flag States covering 99% of the world fleet.

He pointed out: “Unlike many other activities involving the oceans, shipping is probably unique in having a specialist UN agency to regulate our activities – the International Maritime Organization. We have experience of many intergovernmental organisations that impact on our industry. But through ICS’s participation at every IMO Committee meeting, we know that IMO is actually a model of efficiency, made up of experts from virtually every government in the world, who develop and adopt very complex regulations directly relevant to the protection of the marine environment.”
—ends—

Notes To Editors:
• International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is the principal international trade association for shipowners, with member national associations from 36 countries representing all sectors and trades and over 80% of the world merchant fleet.
• For background about the New York Conference see: www.aldebaran.org/oceanconference

The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) – which represents global shipowners and 80% of the world merchant fleet – has welcomed the decision by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (2- 6 July in London) to take action to address operating anomalies with ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems), and to reject a proposal to establish a new recommended route for all ships in the Mozambique Channel that would have been approximately 1,000 miles long.

ECDIS operating anomalies

On 1 July, new mandatory IMO requirements for ECDIS (Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems) entered in force, something which ICS has long supported provided that sufficient Electronic Navigation Chart availability could be met before the phased-in carriage requirements first become effective. Disturbingly it has become apparent that not all ECDIS systems may be fully effective, with the International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) advising that some systems have reportedly failed to display significant underwater features in the ‘Standard’ display mode, necessitating the continued use of paper charts.

ICS Director Marine, John Murray remarked: “ICS welcomes IMO’s recognition of the problem and its development of a circular providing advice on the issue to mariners, with a meeting with ECDIS manufacturers planned for September that will hopefully get to the root of this serious problem. But in view of the potential danger presented by ECDIS operating anomalies, ICS will continue to monitor the situation very closely.”

There is also a workshop in October to be organised by IHO and hosted by IMO. The workshop will further consider this matter and in particular the long term safety aspects of ECDIS and other software based navigational systems.

Rejection of 1,000 Mile Routeing Measure In Mozambique Channel

IMO Member States have rejected a proposal to establish a new recommended route for all ships in the Mozambique Channel that would have been approximately 1,000 miles long.

The proposal had been made by Comoros, France, Madagascar, Mauritius, Mozambique, the Seychelles, South Africa and Tanzania, having been given impetus by work conducted by the World Bank. However, ICS co-ordinated with its member national shipowners’ associations to ensure that governments attending the IMO meeting were fully aware of the implications of taking forward such a measure.

ICS Director Marine, John Murray said: “We are pleased that IMO has carefully listened to shipowners and made the right decision. Support for such a concept could have set a very unwelcome precedent for the management of deep sea navigation elsewhere. The compelling need for the measure was unclear and no statistical evidence had been provided regarding shipping casualties or near misses. This omission made it very difficult to quantify the anticipated benefit that the proposal might have delivered.”

The main aim of the proposal was advised to be a reduction to the risk of collision and grounding in the Mozambique Channel. However, despite vessels favouring certain routes, shipping currently is free to use the entire width of the Channel, which is in international waters. The proposed measure sought to concentrate shipping into restricted lanes and could potentially have increased the risk of collision. Even at its narrowest point the Mozambique Channel is over 200 miles wide, and today many ships make use of this width and keep well away from the routes used by transiting tankers and similar vessels.

John Murray added: “ICS is nevertheless very appreciative of the work that has been undertaken in the region to improve safety of navigation and to open up access to local ports. It is simply the routeing measure that has given shipowners difficulties given the apparent lack of any evidence-based justification. ”

Can shipping rise to meet its environmental obligations and introduce sustainable ‘green’ measures while coping with shifting markets, volatile fuel prices and fast-moving change.

That’s the challenging question facing delegates attending this year’s International Shipping Conference hosted by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) at the British Library, London on September 12 and 13, 2012.

The event will be chaired by the recently elected ICS Chairman, Masamichi Morooka (Japan) and will be addressed by IMO Secretary-General, Koji Sekimizu.

Keynote speaker and leading environmentalist Jonathon Porritt (Founder Director of Forum For The Future) predicts: “The ICS Conference will provide an excellent opportunity to explore how shipowners can meet their environmental obligations to society at large within a sustainable framework. I look forward to a robust debate.”

Mr Porritt, a passionate environmentalist for almost 40 years, is keen to explore initiatives designed to help the industry make long-term plans for future success. He believes that, while shipping has a compelling case as the most energy-efficient freight service, any return to growth will be unsustainable if the industry does not innovate to cut costs and reduce its environmental impacts.

ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe remarked: “We have some outspoken speakers and thought provoking topics and we are keen to open up discussion to the floor so come along and speak up!”

The day and a half conference will discuss a range of international regulatory and environmental issues, and will address key issues of concern to the shipping community such as crewing matters, safety and piracy.

Delegate spaces are limited – to see the latest programme and book a place see website: www.ics-shipping.org