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

Time for openness on ship registries, says Liberia

THE Liberian Registry says it is time to put an end to the outdated thinking which results in all open registers, irrespective of their safety record, being referred to pejoratively as ‘flags of convenience.’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 Shipping (ICS) in its flag state performance table.  This means it has earned positive indicators from the ICS with regard to its performance in relation to port state control, convention ratification, recognised organisations, age of vessel, IMO attendance, and completion of STCW and ILO reports.

“The ICS itself says, ‘There is nothing inherently unusual in an international ship registry system in which the owner of a ship may be located in a country other than the state whose flag the ship flies.” It also points out, quite rightly, that ‘a balance has to be struck between the commercial advantages of selecting a particular flag and the need to discourage the use of flags that do not meet their international obligations.’

“Liberia fully agrees with this, and endorses the ICS performance table as an effective way to encourage shipowners and operators to examine whether a flag state has sufficient substance, and to put pressure on flag administrations to effect any necessary improvements, especially in relation to safety of life at sea, protection of the environment, and the provision of decent working and living conditions for seafarers.

“There is no longer any need in shipping for the term ‘flag of convenience’. It has purely negative connotations, which is especially perverse in light of the positive indicators accorded to Liberia and to certain other open registries by the ICS. It would be more meaningful to refer instead - as does the ICS - to open registers, in order to distinguish them from national registers, many of which perform well below the level of the best open registries and yet enjoy an undeserved reputation for excellence. It would be more meaningful still – and more accurate – to refer simply to ship registries, and to judge those registries on how they rate under independent performance monitoring guidelines, such as those produced by the ICS.

“The monitoring and policing of ship safety on an international basis is now tighter than ever before, and the book on registering ships under the flags of their domiciled owners has long been rewritten. It is time the language of the industry was changed to reflect this.”

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 of safety for vessels and crews with the highest levels of responsive service to owners. It has recently surpassed all-time tonnage records, with a registered fleet of approximately 4,000 ships, aggregating more than 131m gross tons. www.liscr.com

Liberia completes first SRPS audit for MLC compliance

The Liberian Registry has carried out the first SRPS (Seafarer Recruitment and Placement Services) audit for compliance with the ILO Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006), ahead of its entry into force.

The audit was performed on behalf of Anglo Eastern Ship Management, at its offices in Mumbai, India, on February 16, 2011. The lead auditor was Anthony Geegbae from the US offices of the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR), the managers of the Liberian Registry. Two Mumbai-based auditors, representing the Liberian Administration, were also in attendance.

Commending Anglo Eastern and its staff for their professionalism in maintaining a high standard of operations, the auditors recorded no deficiencies, and the Liberian Administration will now issue the relevant certification accordingly.

Liberia has consistently been a strong supporter and advocate of the Maritime Labour Convention. Capt David Pascoe, Senior VP, Maritime Operations & Standards for LISCR, says, “It is vital that we take the initiative on MLC which, for the most part, merely formalises many of the systems, procedures and agreements that quality shipowners already have in place relative to seafarer concerns.

“MLC should bring a new level of openness and communication that will help eliminate many of the frustrations and insecurities that seafarers have with their shipowners, managers and crewing agents, particularly because everything between them will be transparent, open and, ultimately, audited.”

Anglo Eastern, meanwhile, has been at the forefront of preparations for MLC compliance. Two of its trainers have completed the MLC course at the ILO in Turin and are qualified as inspectors and auditors. Anglo Eastern has already started conducting courses for MLC familiarisation and advanced courses for auditors.

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. http://www.liscr.com/

To download a high-resolution photo to illustrate this story, please go to: http://picasaweb.google.com/Merlinclients/LiberianRegistry

Liberia’s IMO contribution is single largest payment from a member state

THE Republic of Liberia has paid in full its Annual Assessment Contribution for 2011 to the International Maritime Organisation. On Wednesday, February 2, 2011, Binyah C Kesselly, Commissioner of the Liberia Maritime Authority and new Permanent Representative to IMO for Liberia, presented IMO Secretary-General Efthimios E Mitropoulos with a cheque for the sum of £2,826,000 ($4.52m) to cover the 2011 payment. Mr Mitropoulos confirmed that this is the single largest payment the IMO has received at one time from a member state.

The IMO assessment is based on the size of the fleet under the registers of individual countries. The Liberian fleet now exceeds 112m gross tons, making it the world’s second largest ship registry.

Mr Kesselly says, “The prompt payment of such a significant sum of money, at a time of continuing worldwide economic downturn, underlines the Liberian government’s recognition of the vital role that shipping plays in Liberia’s economy, and the equally vital role that Liberia plays in world shipping. It also demonstrates the importance that Liberia attaches to the work of the IMO in promoting safe and efficient shipping as well as the invaluable work of the IMO Secretariat.”

Mr Kesselly took the opportunity to thank Mr Mitropoulos for the support provided by the IMO in setting up and opening the Maritime Training Institute in Liberia. For his part, Mr Mitropoulos wished Liberia well in its efforts to once more become an IMO Council member.

Also present at the official payment ceremony were Margaret Ansumana and Emmanuel Reeves, Deputy Commissioners for Maritime Affairs of the Liberia Maritime Authority, and Jonathan Spremulli, General Manager of the Liberian Registry’s London Office.

www.liscr.com

Liberian-flag fleet doubles in ten years as ship numbers reach 3,500

The Liberian-flag fleet posted record growth figures in 2010 and has now doubled in size in the ten years since the management of the Liberian Registry was assumed by the US-based Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry (LISCR).

The Liberian-flag fleet was boosted by 586 new registrations last year. Of these, 149 were newbuildings. Net growth was 338 vessels, aggregating 13.6m gt. The average age of the 586 new registrations was 5.46 years, compared to the 17.32 average age of those vessels removed from the registry. The average age of the Liberian-flag fleet is now just 12 years.

Scott Bergeron, Chief Operating officer of LISCR, says, “The phenomenal growth under LISCR management is testament to the quality of service and responsiveness provided by the Liberian Registry. Furthermore, throughout the course of this rapid expansion, Liberia’s Port State Control performance and its safety record with all independent rating bodies has been outstanding. We will continue to seek further selective, planned growth of our quality fleet, the average age of which is falling significantly as more and more owners join the registry”.

Liberia passed the 3,500-vessel mark with the registration of the 319,000 dwt oil/ore carrier G Whale, built by Hyundai Heavy Industries in Korea to Lloyd’s Register class for operation by Today Makes Tomorrow (TMT) Shipping of Taiwan. Bergeron says, “We are delighted to share this milestone registration with Mr Nobu Su’s innovative company, TMT, and are particularly satisfied to see continued growth in our Far East client base.”

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.

www.liscr.com
chris@merlinco.com