International Safety Processes
Port state control
Shipping has always been an international business. Seamen in
ships sailing abroad had to deal with officials and others in
foreign ports, and these officials had to work with foreign ships
and seafarers. There was general understanding concerning the
safety of ships between nations that owned ships and traded with
each other. This was quite understandable. When typical cargoes of
merchant ships were coal, timber, foodstuffs, raw materials and
manufactured goods, the consequences of a ship sinking or having
another sort of accident were generally confined to the crew, the
owner and the insurer. It was usually left to the country in which
the ship was registered to carry out any investigation. But
shipping has changed, as have cargoes, and there has been
increasing pressure to make maritime safety an international rather
than a national concern. Why are international processes needed? Ships` cargoes now include petroleum, toxic chemicals and even
nuclear waste, so an accident can seriously affect others who use
the sea and those on shore. For instance, a wrecked oil tanker, or
even the oil leaking from the fuel tank of a ship that sinks, can
cause pollution affecting the livelihood of fishermen and those in
seaside communities, as well as killing wildlife. In addition, a large proportion of ships are now registered in
countries quite different from those in which their owners live. It
is often felt that many of the states with large fleets registered
under their flag (often called `flags of convenience` [definition]) do
not have the experience, the personnel or the will to thoroughly
investigate an accident to one of their ships and to take measures
to prevent similar incidents. With crews becoming very
international in character, it would often be difficult to gather
surviving crew members together for an inquiry. Port state control For these reasons, countries concerned about pollution and other
incidents have taken powers to inspect any ship which calls at
their ports, regardless of the flag it flies. If the ship is found
to be badly maintained, not properly manned with certificated
officers, or not to have working safety equipment, it can be
detained until matters are put right. This is called `port state
control` and is a very important aspect of the international effort
to improve the safety of ships. But like all international actions,
it depends on all states involved applying the rules actively and
consistently. A group of European countries and Canada established
the Paris Memorandum of Understanding in 1982. They agree to
inspect foreign ships to the same standard and share the results.
Since then, other port state control regimes have been established
in South America, East Asia and around the Indian Ocean.
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