The V.Ships Managing Director of USA Shipmanagement operations — Mike Robinson, says that owners are anxious to secure competent crews to serve on their vessels in the coming years, but cost remains an overriding theme in today's market. V.Ships is aware that the global shortage of seafarers is causing concern. "The increasingly strict regulatory environment, including the impact of the International Safety Management Code phase 2 provision for all vessels, together with STCW95, means that experienced and fully trained officers and ratings are more crucial than ever to the process of compliance if problems are to be avoided," says Robinson.