Liberian Registry cements position on Paris MoU and Tokyo MoU White Lists

The Liberian Registry has once again been included on the White List of low-risk flags in the 2018 Annual Report of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control, covering the European region. It has been white-listed by the Paris MoU now for almost 20 years. Liberia was also recently included on the White List of another leading Port State Control performance indicator, the Tokyo MoU, which covers the Asia-Pacific region, as well as on the United States Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP 21 roster.

White List inclusion donates a quality flag with a consistently low detention record, and Liberia has been on the Paris and Tokyo MoU White Lists since their inception in 1999 and 2002 respectively. Alfonso Castillero, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “Thanks to Liberia’s highly trained global staff, as well as its proactive, automated Detention Prevention system, action is taken on a daily basis to help owners and operators manage their fleets safely and efficiently, intervening when necessary to help resolve issues before they can become points of contention upon arrival in port.

“Liberia’s unwavering White List status not only proves that these efforts make a difference, but is also testament to Liberia’s quality clients, who put in the same level of effort in order to meet these exacting standards. Any flag, such as Liberia, which consistently qualifies for inclusion on PSC White Lists while increasing its tonnage to record levels must clearly be meeting the expectations of owners and managers in terms of both safety and commercial efficiency.”

The Liberian Registry has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive and innovative service to owners. Moreover, it has a well-deserved reputation for supporting international legislation designed to maintain and improve the safety and effectiveness of the shipping industry and protection of the marine environment. www.liscr.com

Liberian flag added to QUALSHIP 21

The Liberian flag has been included in the United States Coast Guard’s (USCG) QUALSHIP 21 (QS21) roster for 2019-2020. QS21 recognizes vessels and flag states which have successfully met specified safety and quality requirements and regulations when calling at ports in the United States.

Alfonso Castillero, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian Registry, notes, “We are very pleased to have made the QS21 roster. It is recognition for the many years of work that we, our clients, ship managers, and masters and crew have put into safety training and meeting environmental standards. We have a great team of dedicated staff - good people with at-sea experience - who are working closely with vessels on compliance as they come into the US.”

To qualify for QS21, flag administrations must have a three-year Port State Control (PSC) detention ratio of less than 1.00% and be credited with 10+ PSC exams per year for the last three years. QS21 status brings advantages to vessels visiting the US. Liberia and eight other maritime nations were all new additions to the QUALSHIP 21 (QS21) & E-ZERO list this year.

Alfonso Castillero says, “The number of new additions to QS21 in 2019-2020 is fantastic recognition of the work that maritime administrations, owners, and crew have put into safety initiatives. It is also testament to the efforts of the US Coast Guard, who are often overlooked when it comes to handing out praise.

“Inclusion in QUALSHIP 21 is a great achievement for any flag, and the wider industry should celebrate the number of states making the USCG’s grade.”

The Liberian Registry has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive and innovative service to owners. Moreover, it has a well-deserved reputation for supporting international legislation designed to maintain and improve the safety and effectiveness of the shipping industry and protection of the marine environment. www.liscr.com

Liberian Registry and China Classification Society sign innovation and technology MoU

Liberian Registry and China Classification Society sign innovation and technology MoU

The Liberian Registry has agreed a framework co-operation Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the China Classification Society (CCS) as the latest step in its strategy to collaborate effectively with its long-term key industry stakeholders.

Under the terms of the MoU, the Liberian Registry’s technical competence will be employed to help shipyards and shipowners improve their innovative strategies. The CCS MoU has a particular focus on innovation and technology within the international regulatory framework and maritime sector projects. It is an extension to the governmental Maritime Transport Agreement between China and Liberia which entered into force in February 2016.

The MoU is the most recent agreement between the Liberian Registry and reputable, high-quality stakeholders in the Chinese shipbuilding industry. The Registry has also signed ten MoUs with leading shipyards, shipyard groups and ship design companies in China in order to create a platform for the exchange of market intelligence, innovation and technological development.

A streamlined Ship Newbuild Services facility is also available to Liberian-flag shipowners through dedicated joint industry ship design projects. The intention is to produce quality, innovative ships capable of high performance levels and outstanding Port State Control performance, in compliance with all rules and regulations.

Thomas Klenum, Technical Director of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “Through MOUs, the Liberian Administration will be involved in the process of ship design and construction from the beginning, which will improve efficiency in meeting IMO requirements at the most cost-efficient phase of shipbuilding projects.”

Meanwhile, LISCR CEO Scott Bergeron says, “Under the terms of the MoU, the Liberian Registry’s technical competence will be employed to help shipyards and shipowners improve their innovative strategies. In this way, the Liberian Registry will be able to expand its continually growing fleet numbers with ships of the highest quality and safety standards, able to operate competitively in today’s challenging shipping industry.”


The Liberian Registry has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive and innovative service to owners. Moreover, it has a well-deserved reputation for supporting international legislation designed to maintain and improve the safety and effectiveness of the shipping industry and protection of the marine environment. www.liscr.com

Liberia says flag states must be proactive in difficult market conditions

The Liberian Registry says that, in today’s challenging shipping markets, flag states must be proactive in the best interests of shipowners, operators and managers, rather than simply fulfilling their traditional role as certification bodies.

Alfonso Castillero, Vice-President of the Liberian Registry, told a recent Liberian Port State Control seminar in Tokyo, "In the current difficult market conditions, flag states can no longer afford to regard themselves as mere factories for issuing registration certificates. It is necessary to evolve and to embrace new challenges. Shipping registers need to combine quality and innovation with tradition, experience, reputation and flexibility.”

Mr Castillero was speaking at a Port State Control (PSC) seminar organised by the Liberian Registry. The objective of the seminar, which was attended by representatives of the Australian Maritime Safety Agency (AMSA), was to promote among clients of the Liberian Registry a clear understanding of the Port State Control process in Australia, so that owners, operators, and managers can achieve full compliance with – and facilitate efficient inspections under – Australia’s PSC regime.

Benson Peretti, Managing Director of the Liberian Registry’s Singapore office, outlined for the seminar the Liberian Registry’s PSC results for the year to date, showing a major reduction in detentions in China, Australia, and the United States, thanks in large part to the free compliance assistance programmes being implemented by Liberia to help owners ensure full compliance, and reduce the incidence of PSC detentions worldwide.

Takeshi Okamoto, General Manager of LISCR Japan, meanwhile, explained how and why the Liberian Registry is leading the global campaign to seek an extension to the implementation date for the Ballast Water Management Convention.

The seminar was attended by over one hundred industry professionals, including Liberian flag clients and potential clients looking to switch flags or register new vessels under the Liberian flag. The mood of the seminar was summed up by the chief executive of one leading Japanese shipowner who emphasised, “We must comply with all international regulations, and that is why we need a flag that will always stand beside us." www.liscr.com

Liberia’s compliance assistance programme shortlisted for Lloyd’s List award

The Liberian Registry’s ground-breaking Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) has been selected as a finalist for the Big Data Award at the forthcoming 2016 Lloyd’s List North American Awards. The award will go to a shipping industry initiative which can prove measurable results in areas such as performance monitoring and optimisation, condition-based and predictive maintenance, optimisation across systems, and system overview of operations.

The unique satellite-based CAP has helped ensure regulatory compliance and prevent the detention of Liberian-flag ships in some of the world’s most active and heavily trafficked Port State Control (PSC) areas since it was launched last year. In the process, it has helped confirm Liberia as among the best-performing major ship registries worldwide, with an excellent detention record authenticated by widely recognised independent safety monitoring organisations such as Port State Control.

The CAP initiative further strengthens the leading role which Liberia has established over a number of years as the world’s most technologically innovative flag state. It tracks ships when they enter selected jurisdictions and allows the registry’s risk analysis team to perform detailed reviews of vessels, their history, and the ports at which they are calling.

The CAP supplements the existing electronic services already provided by Liberia and is part of a programme which adopts a uniquely proactive approach to ensuring that ships flying the Liberian flag are properly prepared for their upcoming port calls, and that any possible deficiencies are handled prior to entering port. The system is totally electronic and non-burdensome, and is provided at no extra cost to owners and managers.

The winners of the Lloyd’s List North American Awards 2016 will be announced on 19 May in New York.

The Liberian Registry has long been considered the world’s most technologically advanced maritime administration. It has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive service to owners. Moreover, it has a well-deserved reputation for supporting international legislation designed to maintain and improve the safety and effectiveness of the shipping industry and protection of the marine environment.

www.liscr.com

Liberian Registry strengthens position as safest major flag by investing in new technology

The Liberian Registry has developed a unique satellite-based Compliance Assistance Programme (CAP) which has helped ensure regulatory compliance and prevent detentions in some of the world’s most active Port State Control (PSC) areas. In the process, it has contributed to Liberia being named as the best-performing major ship registry worldwide over the last three years, a period during which it has featured on all PSC White Lists and has been included in the prestigious US Qualship 21 programme. Moreover, during this same period, the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) statistics confirm that Liberia had the best detention rate amongst the largest major flag states.

The development further strengthens the leading role which Liberia has established over a number of years as the world’s most technologically innovative flag state. The CAP tracks ships when they enter selected jurisdictions and allows the registry’s risk analysis team to perform detailed reviews of vessels, their history, and the ports at which they are calling. As a result, Liberian vessels have experienced a decrease in detentions in heavily trafficked PSC regions such as China.

The CAP supplements the existing electronic services already provided by Liberia and is part of a program which adopts a uniquely proactive approach to ensuring that ships flying the Liberian flag are properly prepared for their upcoming port calls, and that any possible deficiencies are handled prior to entering port. The system is totally electronic and non-burdensome, and is provided at no extra cost to owners and managers.

Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “The Compliance Assistance Programme is just the latest in a series of technological innovations designed to make Liberia the safest and most efficient fleet afloat. Other examples of the registry’s pioneering approach to technology include the introduction of the online filing of seafarer credentials, enabling owners to save tens of thousands of dollars each year and streamlining the turnaround time for issuing seafarer documents.

“Liberia was also the first flag state to institute the electronic delivery of original documents, which has been hailed by the industry as a ground-breaking service that demonstrates that Liberia is up to speed with 21st century technology and its application to the shipping industry.

“Recently, Liberia also created an online application system that allows Liberian-flag owners and managers, as well as those from other non-party states, to receive their Wreck Removal Certificates without delay through the registry’s online portal. Liberia is also the first flag state to launch its own powerful state-of-the-art mobile application (app) to enable owners, managers and operators to communicate and interact with the registry on a round-the-clock basis.

“The Liberian Registry has always been a highly proactive flag, working tirelessly to support owners and managers. Liberia’s significant investments in technology, such as the Compliance Assistance Programme, strengthen its position as the world’s largest quality ship registry.”

The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers and has long been considered the world’s most technologically advanced maritime administration. It has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive service to owners.

www.liscr.com

Concern persists over unpaid wages despite positive MLC enforcement

Specialist marine insurance intermediary Seacurus says that overall confidence in the successful implementation of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) should not conceal the fact that there is continuing concern over the risk of abandonment and the timely payment of crew wages.

Thomas Brown, managing director of Seacurus, says, “Recent figures from the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control indicate that the MLC Convention is being well-enforced, with 113 ship detentions relating to MLC deficiencies recorded since MLC 2006 entered into force on 20 August, 2013.

“Overall, it seems that progress is being made and that MLC can deliver on its promises. But the Paris MoU figures also show that detainable MLC-related deficiencies were most frequently recorded in the areas of ‘payment of wages’ (39.5 percent) and ‘manning levels for the ship’ (28.6 percent).

“Moreover, a survey earlier this year by seafarer website and employment agency Crewtoo appears to bear out the Paris MoU data. Almost half the respondents to the survey, which gathered the views of over 1,000 seafarers, said they had had to wait at some point for delayed wage payments to be made by their employer. The same survey also revealed that 36 per cent of seafarers had been forced to work without pay, while 17 percent had been abandoned.

“Overdue salaries are one of the red-flag indicators of financial distress for shipping companies, and many seafarers are being subjected to undue stress, frustration and uncertainty over wage payments. MLC 2006 states that wages should be paid at least every month, so it is disappointing to see that so many seafarers have experienced delays. There are clearly reasons for concern in this regard.

“It seems that seafarers feel positive about the effect that MLC 2006 is having on their day-to-day existence, reflecting both the spirit and the letter of the convention. Seafarers are aware of the protective systems in place, such as the Seacurus CrewSeacure cover, and are willing to research the subject before sailing. This could be something of a tipping point for the industry. But it is not quite time for pats on the back and high-fives. There are still problems which need to be addressed.”

The latest issue of the monthly ‘Seacurus Bulletin’ can now be accessed on the Seacurus website at http://goo.gl/mxnXFu . In addition to MLC 2006 enforcement news, it includes articles on piracy, the OW Bunker & Trading collapse, and the ban on ransom payments for terrorism.

Seacurus Ltd is an FCA-regulated insurance broker, founded in 2004, specialising in bespoke revenue protection cover for the maritime industry. It is a market leader in the design and implementation of solutions to protect companies from unforecasted balance-sheet impacts, including credit default, charter party cancellations, hijackings and voyage disruptions caused by political events. Seacurus established the first delegated underwriting binding authority for marine kidnap insurance and is an approved Lloyd’s Coverholder. www.seacurus.com

Formed in 2007, Barbican Group Holdings is an insurance group writing business predominantly through its syndicates at Lloyd’s. It also has a non-Lloyd’s financial solutions business based in Guernsey which offers insurance and reinsurance programmes to the global market. Barbican Syndicates 1955 and 6113 at Lloyd’s has a stamp capacity of £227.5m for the 2013 year of account and underwrites cyber liability, financial and professional lines, healthcare liability, international casualty reinsurance, marine insurance, marine reinsurance, North American casualty reinsurance, property, property reinsurance and corporate, middle market and scheme/affinity group clients in the UK and Ireland. www.barbicaninsurance.com

Paris MoU confirms Liberia as best-performing major ship registry

Liberia has been confirmed as the best-performing major ship registry worldwide over the last three years in the latest statistics from the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control.

The Paris MoU statistics confirm that Liberia had the best detention rate during the last three years of those registries with more than 100,000 gt of shipping under their flag. Liberia’s detention rate was 2.03 per cent, based on 82 detentions arising from 4,046 inspections. This positions it well ahead of the Marshall Islands, which had a detention rate of 2.50 per cent based on 63 detentions of 2,521 vessels inspected. Panama was in third place, with a detention rate of 4.89 per cent, resulting from 305 detentions out of 6,238 inspections.

Liberia also recently received its QUALSHIP (Quality Shipping for the 21st Century) certification for 2014 from the United States Coast Guard. Only a small percentage of foreign-flag ships calling at US ports are admitted to the QUALSHIP programme, based on the excellence of their port state control record. Designated ships are recognised and rewarded by the USCG for their commitment to safety and quality. The USCG has congratulated the Liberian Registry on its “exceptional commitment to quality”, and highlighted its “excellent” detention ratio.

Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “Liberia is committed to keeping its fleet of ships, the second largest in the world, operating efficiently and on schedule. Time is money. Moreover, it is encouraging to see that Liberia’s proactive approach to safety and regulatory compliance continues to receive independent endorsement in the form of its presence on the White Lists of all Port State Control Memorandums of Understanding worldwide, its confirmation of QUALSHIP certification, and its excellent detention record.”

The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, and has long been considered the world’s most technologically advanced maritime administration. It has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive service to owners. www.liscr.com

Seacurus calls for enforcement of Port State Control regulations on MLC

Specialist marine insurance intermediary Seacurus has called for proper enforcement of Port State Control regulations in the lead-up to adoption of amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 designed to protect abandoned seafarers and seafarers injured in occupational accidents.

The MLC amendments are scheduled to enter force in early 2017, at which point those countries which have ratified MLC 2006 will be bound by those amendments unless 40 per cent of ratifying nations reject the new provisions in writing.

Before then, however, on 20 August 2014, an ILO resolution agreed by member states in 2006 comes into effect whereby full Port State Control (PSC) can be applied by nations which are a party to MLC 2006, regardless of whether or not the ships being inspected are flagged with nations which have ratified the convention. This is the so-called ‘no more favourable treatment’ clause which seeks to ensure a level playing field whereby ships of countries which have ratified MLC 2006 will not be placed at a competitive disadvantage.

Seacurus managing director Thomas Brown says, “This rigorous inspection programme may force shipowners to demonstrate to PSC inspectors that the crew managers and seafarer recruitment and placement services with whom they work can confirm compliance with Regulation 1.4 of MLC 2006 by providing evidence of a system of financial security to cover seafarers’ monetary loss in the event of their employers’ contractual default.

“It is to be hoped that this regulation, if properly enforced by PSC, will offer a degree of protection to those at sea over the next two and a half years, while the industry prepares for the now inevitable regulatory requirement in 2017.”


Seacurus Ltd, part of the Barbican Insurance Group and authorised and regulated by the FCA, is an insurance broker founded in 2004, specialising in bespoke revenue protection cover for the maritime industry. In 2013 it launched CrewSEACURE, the first ever insurance policy designed exclusively to protect the rights of seafarers when ships are abandoned at sea. Seacurus is a market leader in the design and implementation of solutions to protect companies from unforecasted balance-sheet impacts, including credit default, charter party cancellations, hijackings and voyage disruptions caused by political events. Seacurus established the first delegated underwriting binding authority for marine kidnap insurance and is an approved Lloyd’s Coverholder. www.seacurus.com


Formed in 2007, Barbican Insurance Group underwrites business predominantly through its Syndicates at Lloyd’s. It also has a non-Lloyd’s financial solutions business based in Guernsey which offers insurance and reinsurance programmes to the global market and number of service companies including, Barbican Underwriting Limited, Castel Underwriting Agencies Limited, Professional Indemnity Protect Limited and Seacurus Limited.

Barbican Syndicates at Lloyd’s have a stamp capacity of £250m for the 2014 year of account and underwrite marine, aviation and transport re/insurance, property re/insurance and specialty lines including casualty reinsurance, cyber liability, healthcare liability, financial and professional lines and professional indemnity.

www.barbicaninsurance.com

Liberian Registry uses advance vessel screening to cut detention rates

THE Liberian Registry has introduced a sophisticated programme to screen advance notice of ship arrivals as part of a detention prevention plan to help maintain its independent ranking among the safest and most efficient ship registries in the world. The overall objective is to maintain and strengthen the already excellent safety record of the Liberian flag, and to further reduce detention rates, especially in Australia, China, the EU and the United States.

Liberia’s Advanced Notices of Arrival and Zone Notification schemes build on the mandatory IMO Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system introduced in 2009, under which all flag states are required to ensure their flagged vessels transmit their location. The objective is to be proactive in terms of preventing a vessel detention by Port State Control or by other inspection bodies. The schemes are designed to increase awareness on the part of shipowners and operators with a view to ensuring compliance with international requirements governing safety, security and environmental protection.

All Liberian vessels calling at US, EU, Australian and Chinese ports must provide an Advanced Notice of Arrival (ANOA), which can be used by the Liberian administration to assess the probability of a PSC boarding. Thereafter, appropriate steps can be taken if necessary to prevent a detention. Under Liberia’s Zone Notification programme, meanwhile, if the Liberian administration has not received an ANOA from vessels entering LRIT zones which Liberia has established around the US, China, Australia and the Paris MoU countries, it can use their LRIT notification system to assess the probability of a PSC boarding, and take appropriate steps where necessary.

Scott Bergeron, CEO of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “In the interests of both safety and commercial expediency, we are committed to minimising the number of Liberian-flag ships placed under detention. We are proactive at all times, with the intention of preventing deficiencies and detentions rather than responding to them. In addition to our ANOA and Zone Notifications programmes, we inform shipowners and operators of PSC Concentrated Inspection Campaigns (CICs) and recommend action where necessary. Ship’s masters are very busy when preparing to enter port. The point is to provide the master and the shore staff with timely and relevant information to help ensure compliance with regulations during periods of increased onboard activity. Based on feedback from the various MoUs, Liberian-flagged ships have performed very well during the CICs.

“We also contact PSC directly when there is an issue or a misunderstanding, and appeal detentions where they are considered unwarranted. We conduct ongoing initiatives designed to decrease detention rates, and to increase awareness of what is required in order to comply with international requirements.

“Prior to arrival for every vessel, we use an innovative risk analysis tool that we have developed to calculate whether a particular vessel may be a high target for PSC boarding. Subjective risk criteria cover both the ship and the company, drawing on PSC deficiency and detention histories. If we have concerns that a vessel may not be in compliance, we have several proactive support services that will be implemented. 

“Our goal is to ensure that Liberian-flag ships are in compliance with all applicable international regulations covering safety, security and the environment. Our objective is to continually improve and strengthen the excellent safety record enjoyed by the Liberian flag.”

For a screen shot of LRIT zones, or a photo of Scott Bergeron, go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/LiberianRegistry

Visitors are welcome to visit the Liberian Registry’s at Stand No 3.221 in the Metropolitan Exhibition Centre during the Posidonia exhibition in Piraeus, Greece, from June 4 to June 8, 2012, and request a demonstration of the ANOA and Zone Notification initiatives.

The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, with more than 3,880 vessels aggregating in excess of 129m gt. It has a long-established track record of combining the highest standards for vessels and crews with the highest standards of responsive service to owners. The latest annual Shipping Industry Flag State Performance Table published by the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Shipping Federation awarded Liberia positive performance indicators in every category covered by the report - port state control, ratification of major international maritime treaties, use of compliant recognised organisations, age of fleet, reporting requirements, and attendance at IMO meetings. Liberia features on the White List of all Port State Control Memorandums of Understanding, worldwide, and is included in the US Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP (Quality Shipping for the 21^st Century) programme, to which only a small percentage of foreign-flag ships calling at US ports are admitted, based on the excellence of their port state control record. www.liscr.com

Liberia’s commitment to quality recognised by Qualship admittance

THE Liberian Registry has been admitted to the United States Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP programme for 2011/2012, providing further independent verification of its commitment to the highest standards of safety and quality.

The QUALSHIP(Quality Shipping for the 21st Century) programme is a quality incentive programme to which only a small percentage of foreign-flag ships calling at US ports are admitted, based on the excellence of their port state control record. The USCG developed Qualship 21 to provide an incentive for well-run, quality ships and ship operators. Designated ships are recognised and rewarded by the USCG for their commitment to safety and quality.

In admitting Liberia to the programme, the US Coast Guard congratulated Liberia on its “exceptional commitment to quality”, and highlighted its “excellent” detention ratio. The Liberian fleet is the largest register recognised by Qualship 21.

Scott Bergeron, Chief Operating Officer of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the US-based manager of the Liberian Registry, says, “This recognition of Liberia’s commitment to quality shipping is all the more significant because it comes at a time of major expansion for the registry. The Liberian-flag fleet has more than doubled in size since LISCR assumed management control in 2000, and now stands at 3,570 ships totalling 115 million gross tons.

“Qualship 21 recognition provides further confirmation of Liberia’s pre-eminent position in terms of safety and quality-driven shipping. This is good news for the ever-increasing numbers of shipowners who operate their ships under the Liberian flag. Any register can grow in size, but to do so while maintaining the highest standards of safety is more difficult, and must be the aim of any responsible ship registry.”

The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, with a long-established track record of combining the highest standards for vessels and crews with the highest standards of responsive service to owners. It has recently surpassed all-time tonnage records. www.liscr.com