Ship Registry

Record Tonnage for Isle of Man Registry

Isle of Man Ship Registry Sails into The Year of The Dragon with Record Tonnage.   The Isle of Man ship registry, one of the world’s leading ship registries, just announced record tonnage for the year ending 2011, entering the Year of the Dragon with a bang. Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) is the datum used to compare the world’s ship registers and a year on year comparison shows a 12% increase in total GRT, climbing steadily from 12.36m GRT at the end of 2010 to 13.84m GRT as we enter 2012.    With the new numbers, it is now among the top 15 ship registries in the world. This demonstrates significant growth in the larger types of vessels registering given that the register topped 10m GRT for the first time in its history in April 2009. The market segment which saw a rapid take-up rate, was the Asia Pacific region, particularly Japanese and Singapore-based corporations, who are now more perceptive of the flag’s value. Dick Welsh, Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry, said: “The growth in numbers shows that we are well placed to provide a more cost effective solution for registration without any compromise in quality or service for ship operators and owners.”   “Having just recovered from the global crisis of 2008, ship owners are bracing themselves for another rocky year in 2012

Turkey Eases International Flag Requirements

Turkey has made key changes to the requirements for registration on its international ship register. The changes will make it simpler for both shipowners and financiers to take advantage of Turkish registration. Seyma Inal, senior partner at Istanbul-based Inal Law Office says, "The biggest change, published last week, is that ships no longer have to call at a Turkish port before they can be registered on the Turkish International Ship Registry

Panama Registry Up 9.1% in 1999

Panama's shipping registry grew 9.1 percent during 1999 to close the year with a fleet of 9,866 vessels, the National Maritime Authority (NMA) said. Of the 826 ships added to Panama's open register last year, 323 were newly constructed, including 176 cargo vessels and 81 tankers. The remainder included passenger ships, fishing vessels, dredgers and tugs, the NMA said in a press release. Registered gross tonnage rose by 15.9 million tons to 126.9 million tons in 1999, an increase of 14

Vanuatu Expands its Presence in Asia

The Republic of Vanuatu, with an established network of offices, deputy commissioners, special agents and inspectors in Asia – Tokyo, Taiwan, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand -- has expanded its presence in the People’s Republic of China with the recent establishment of an office in Shanghai. On May 1, 2007, Mr. C.C.Tan, Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, Singapore and China and managing director of Richfield Marine Agencies (S) Pte Ltd

Cyprus Financial Crisis: Effect on Shipping Interests

Cypriot Transport Minister, Tasos Mitsopoulos, states the nation's shipping registry will not be affected by turmoil in banking sector. The Minister downplayed the impact of Cyprus's banking crisis on the local shipping industry, pointing out that none of the island's banks are active in ship financing, reports Tax-News. Despite Mitsopoulos's assurances, many shipping companies' bank deposits in Cyprus are expected to be heavily impacted by the banking sector developments

Liberia: Time for Openness on Ship Registries

THE Liberian Registry says it is time to put an end to the outdated thinking which results in all open registers, irrespective of their safety record, being referred to pejoratively as ‘flags of convenience.’   Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (ISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “Liberia is one of thirteen flags which have just been given a clean bill of health by the International Chamber of

LISCR Appoints new General Manager for Greece

The Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, has appointed Michalis (Michael) Pantazopoulos as General Manager of its Piraeus office. Michalis has extensive experience of, and a proven pedigree in, both shipping and Greece. He was previously Manager of the Fleet Service Division of leading ship management company Avin International S.A. in Athens. Before

Ship Registry Passenger Yacht Code Collaboration

BMT Nigel Gee collaborates with Cayman Island Shipping Registry to share industry knowledge and insight. BMT Nigel Gee, a subsidiary of BMT Group, is set to launch its latest technical paper in collaboration with the Cayman Island Shipping Registry (CISR). Developed to provide insight for a wide range of industry stakeholders, the paper examines aspects of the 2010 Passenger Yacht Code (PYC) which aims to provide a Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) equivalent code for yachts wishing to carry up

BWTS Fitting on Japanese VLCC a First

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL) plan to install a ballast water treatment system on an in-service very large crude oil carrier (VLCC). This will be the first such onboard system installed by any Japanese shipowner on an existing VLCC. The company chose the JFE Ballast Ace system developed by JFE Engineering Corporation. The installation will take place while the vessel is docked from March through April. Ballast water discharged while loading/discharging cargo carries marine organisms

Liberia Welcomes MLC Code; Trains Inspectors

THE Liberian Registry has welcomed ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and has reinforced its role as a world leader in maritime safety and seafarer welfare by further strengthening its team of flag state inspectors qualified to undertake MLC 2006 inspections.   Following recent ratification by Russia and the Philippines, MLC 2006 is set to enter into force in 2013. Liberia was the first country to ratify MLC 2006