International Registries News

Captain David J.F. Bruce, Permanent Representative of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), and Senior Deputy Commissioner of Maritime Affairs, RMI Maritime Administrator passed away on Friday, 29 September 2023. He was a loving husband to Alison for 53 years, father to Gwendoline, and grandfather to Alison and Alexander. Captain Bruce had a storied career and connection with the sea, first going to work at sea in 1957 after his studies at Melville College in Edinburgh…

South Korea-based Asia Shipbuilding recently held the keel laying ceremony for hull number ASB – 1245 of the Pacific Island Supply Vessel, an innovative sailing cargo ship for the needs of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.The consortium of Asia Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., and the naval design company Kostec Co., Ltd., last year signed a contract with the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to deliver an innovative sailing cargo ship for the needs…

International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI), which provide administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime and Corporate Registries, announced the promotion of Simon Bonnett and Theo Xenakoudis.Bonnett, who has served as Senior Vice President, Technical since 2018 was promoted to Chief Maritime Officer, and Xenakoudis, the organization’s Director, Worldwide Business Operations since 2015 and Managing Director of the Piraeus office since 2007…

Expanding to strengthen support in Asia, International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) opened offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Qingdao, China today. This is the first Canadian office of IRI and the 11th office in Asia. The opening of the Vancouver office expands on the historical and powerful link between Vancouver and China, while Qingdao opens to facilitate inspections and client services in Northern China. Both offices will serve Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) corporate and maritime clients. Annie Ng, Head of Asia and Managing Director, Vancouver Office will remain Head of Asia and reposition to lead from Vancouver.“Vancouver is an important cultural and trading link between North America and Asia…

In the murky story of how a cache of highly explosive ammonium nitrate ended up on the Beirut waterfront, one thing is clear—no one has ever publicly come forward to claim it.There are many unanswered questions surrounding last week's huge, deadly blast in the Lebanese capital, but ownership should be among the easiest to resolve.Clear identification of ownership, especially of a cargo as dangerous as that carried by the Moldovan-flagged Rhosus when it sailed into Beirut seven years ago, is fundamental to shipping, the key to insuring it and settling disputes that often arise.But Reuters interviews and trawls for documents across 10 countries in search of the original ownership of this 2…

Somewhere on its journey from the waters off Iran, around Africa's southern tip and into the Mediterranean, the Grace 1 oil tanker lost the flag under which it sailed and ceased to be registered to Panama. Iran later claimed it as its own.The ship carrying 2 million barrels of Iranian crude was seized by British Royal Marines off Gibraltar, raising tensions in the Gulf where Iran detained a UK-flagged ship in retaliation.Grace 1 remains impounded, not because of its flag but because it was suspected of taking oil to Syria in breach of EU sanctions, an allegation that Iran denies.Yet Panama's move on May 29 to strike it from its register…

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has been recognized on the United States Coast Guard's (USCG's) QUALSHIP 21 roster for 2019-2020. The USCG program rewards vessels for commitment to safety and quality when calling at ports in the United States (US).Only flag States which maintain a port State control (PSC) detention ratio of 1.00% or less over a three-year period and also meet a stringent set of judgement criteria are eligible for the program.A vessel registered in a flag State with QUALSHIP 21 certification may apply to be certified for QUALSHIP 21 by completing an application found on the USCG website. The RMI is the only leading registry to have maintained this position for 15 consecutive years…

William Gallagher, President of International Registries, to be named Massachusetts Maritime Academy's Maritime Person of the Year.Since 1995, Massachusetts Maritime Academy has been honoring leaders with a renowned career of excellence, innovation and service to the maritime industry with the Emery Rice Medal at their Salute to the Maritime Person of the Year events. This year they will honor Mr. William Gallagher the President of International Registries, Inc. for his distinguished support and expertise…

International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) announced that the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry will not levy surcharges and commissions on vessel documents and certificates issued on its behalf by the classification societies."The RMI Registry will continue to provide its clients with a transparent pricing structure for the issuance of key certificates needed by shipowners," it said in a statement.Bill Gallagher, President of IRI, which provides administrative and technical support to the RMI Registry, said, "Over the past days, we have had discussions with several of the major classification societies concerning flag state surcharges on the issuance of class documents and statutory certificates.

International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) has announced that the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry will not follow competitors by levying surcharges and commissions on vessel documents and certificates issued on its behalf by the Classification Societies.The RMI Registry will continue to provide its clients with a transparent pricing structure for the issuance of key certificates needed by shipowners.Bill Gallagher, President of IRI, which provides administrative and technical support to the RMI Registry, said: "Over the past days, we have had discussions with several of the major Classification Societies (Class) concerning flag State surcharges on the issuance of Class documents and statutory certificates.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has submitted a paper to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Intersessional Working Group (ISWG) on the consistent implementation of the 2020 global fuel oil sulphur standard under MARPOL Annex VI. The submission, which was co-sponsored by the Republic of Liberia, the Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), the International Association of Independent Tanker Owners (INTERTANKO), and the World Shipping Council (WSC), is intended to assist the ISWG in developing guidelines on the implementation of regulation 14.1.3 of MARPOL Annex VI.

As the International Maritime Organization (IMO) celebrates its 70th anniversary, Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, sits in his London office with a sense of satisfaction that in his two plus years at the helm of IMO tremendous strides have been made toward significant greenhouse gas emission reductions, punctuated by the recent MEPC meeting where the target was set for a 50% reduction in CO2 emissions by 2050. But the Secretary- General’s sense of satisfaction is tempered with the fact that his job has just begun and his plate is full.

As demand for liquefied natural gas (LNG) grows, so does the need for LNG carriers. Many shipping companies in recent years have placed orders for LNG ships, and shipyards are busy building them. The maritime industry is also exploring ships powered by natural gas, rather than more traditional sources. To address this topic, SUNY Maritime College will host a conference, LNG: Not just a cargo, on Thursday, November 2. The conference will include presentations and panel discussions from a wide variety of maritime companies…

International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI), which provide administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime and Corporate Registries, has appointed a new Technical Officer in its Imabari office, strengthening its support and services for the Japanese ship owning market. “We now have more than 400 employees in our 27 offices worldwide and by hiring an extremely experienced technical officer in Imabari, who understands every aspect of vessel safety and day-to-day operations, we are upgrading our service commitment to our growing number of Japanese owners and operators,” said Bill Gallagher, President, IRI.

The North American Marine Environment Protection Association (NAMEPA) announced that Clay Maitland will receive the organization’s Lifetime Achievement Award at an awards dinner in New York on October 26. Maitland, who is a Managing Partner of International Registries, Inc (Marshall Islands Ship Registry), is being recognized for his many industry accomplishments including being a NAMEPA co-founder. “Clay is one of the finest examples in our industry of a successful businessman who expends nearly as much energy on philanthropy,” said NAMEPA Chairman Joe Hughes. Maitland has worked in the shipping industry since graduation from law school in 1968. He was employed by International Registries, Inc.

Leveraging 27 worldwide offices, the RMI Registry has been gaining market share year-on-year. Surging tonnage and a solid record for safety has pushed the registry to the head of the class. When the Marshall Islands Registry announced that it had become the world’s second largest – at a whopping 223,262,177 deadweight tons – the registry’s leadership was quick to emphasize quality as the leading reason. International Registries (IRI) President Bill Gallagher didn’t discount the importance of the deadweight milestone, but quickly moved the conversation towards why it had happened. With as many as 450 worldwide employees – the vast majority of them full time employees – IRI has done just that.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) fleet now stands at 223,262,177 deadweight tons (DWT), making it the second largest registry in the world in terms of DWT. International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) have provided administrative and technical support to the RMI Registry since 1990. "This is a very significant milestone for the RMI Registry," said Bill Gallagher, President, IRI. "A strong legislative framework, customer driven service ethos, and a commitment to quality have all been key to our continued success," he continued. The RMI is not only the world's second largest registry, but the Greek shipping industry's leading flag as well.

The U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) has awarded Qualship 21 status to 30 bulk carriers owned and operated by Star Bulk Carriers Corp., the largest U.S. listed dry bulk operator. The Qualship 21 program rewards high quality ships sailing under qualifying flags. In a letter to Star Bulk, Rear Admiral Paul Thomas of the USCG stated, “Less than 10 percent of all [non-U.S. flagged] ships that operate in the [U.S.] meet the eligibility requirements of this program, putting [Star Bulk's] qualified vessels in an elite class.

Bill Gallagher, President, International Registries, Inc.(IRI)  shares his thoughts on the continuing growth of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry, the challenges of ballast water management regulations and the importance of Qualship 21. Ballast Water Management (BWM) is on everyone’s minds at the moment. Listening to the questions posed by industry stakeholders at our seminar on BWM regulations in London this November, it was clear to me that the industry needs practical answers, fast. To ensure owners’ collective BWM concerns are dealt with and clearly heard at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), we have a dedicated BWM team…

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry has attained status as the world's largest tanker fleet following the addition of tonnage from markets in Greece, the U.S. and Asia over the summer. The RMI flagged tanker fleet stands at 44.6 million gross tons (GT). International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI), which provide administrative and technical support to the RMI Maritime and Corporate Registries, is committed to the continued decentralization of services to better support the Registry's owners and operators in every aspect of their business.

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) received preliminary information regarding the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG’s) Qualship 21 list during Intertanko’s North American Panel meeting. The meeting, which took place on day one of the Connecticut Maritime Association’s (CMA’s) Shipping 2016 conference, was the largest attended North American Panel meeting to date. Rear Admiral Paul Thomas, Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, USCG presented the preliminary results showing the RMI on the Qualship 21 list for 2016. While these results are preliminary, the final results will be presented in the USCG’s 2016 Annual Report scheduled to be released in early summer. There were 26 eligible flag States in 2015 of which 13 fell off the 2016. Qualship 21 preliminary list.

Hardly a month goes by when another illegal maritime dumping violation is reported. Most violations, prosecuted in the United States, are based on false or fraudulent entries in the oil record book of a foreign-flag ship. Often, evidence of a “magic pipe” installation is found upon inspection in a United States port. While not all such reported cases are successfully prosecuted, most are, with the help of a whistleblower aboard the ship. The steady stream of such violations is convincing evidence that prosecution alone is not an effective deterrent.

In March 1656, Andrew Kilvert brought suit against Jan Geraerdy in the Court of Burgemeesters of the colony of New Netherland, demanding the release of his vessel, which had been arrested to obtain payment for the sale price of Kilvert’s ship. The practice of arbitration of maritime matters in New York, therefore, has its beginnings in Dutch law. Dutch rule in New Netherland (New Amsterdam) lasted less than 50 years. With the English takeover in 1664, most of the Dutch settlers elected to stay in what its new rulers named New York. In 1766, a statute concerning arbitration was enacted in the colony, and shortly after the founding of the New York Chamber of Commerce in 1768, the arbitral system became further embedded in New York.