The United States Coast Guard is taking the lead in rewarding the quality ship operator and targeting sub-standard tonnage. In this interview with DNV FORUM, Rear Admiral Robert North, Assistant Commandant for Marine Safety and Environmental Protection, sets out the service’s goal of promoting quality shipping and the initiatives being developed to support its Qualship 2000 programme.
Rear Admiral North emphasises the importance of the chain of responsibility that underpins best practice in shipping: As envisioned by the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, the strongest and most important role in quality shipping is that of the owners and operators. Next the Flag States, classification societies, charterers and insurers play a significant part in ensuring that vessels are maintained properly. They are followed by the safety net of the Port State and its examinations.
The contributions that a Port State control authority can make to assist the process are summarised by Admiral North as partnering; transparency; recognition of and rewards for quality; continued implementation of the ISM Code and the revised Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Convention (STCW); and holding the entire chain of responsibility accountable.
Recalling the discussions at the last Mare Forum (the international ship safety conference), Admiral North says that substandard shipping was defined as that tonnage identified to be at higher risk. So we must put more time into identifying ships at higher risk and targeting them.
The development of ever-more advanced matrices for identifying the vessels at risk is making the USCG more effective in its capacity as a major Port State control authority. The USCG is pioneering new techniques, but equally it is adopting best practice from other leading initiatives around the world to achieve a coherent strategy. The overall programme which embraces the owner, flag state, classification society and vessel performance history is known as Qualship 2000, and is due to be implemented by January 2001.
Include the charterer
The USCGs analysis to date shows that 15% of vessels visiting United States ports are at the higher quality end of the ship operations spectrum. Criteria for describing these ships are being established so that the time saved by not inspecting them can be effectively re-allocated. Admiral North hopes that the criteria will also embrace charterers and multiple charterers. We would need a pre-arrival notice to obtain information on charterers, but to start with we would need to make an Advance Notice of Proposed Rule Making to gather comments on the concept. We would be the first Port State control authority to add this dimension, and I have received a positive response from the industry.
The debate at Mare Forum and other shipping conferences is that quality operators would be rewarded by the number of vetting inspections being reduced. Fewer port state control inspections would be a step towards this for operators meeting the quality criteria. The USCG is also encouraging greater transparency. Vessels whose flags of registry, for example, make their regulatory regimes more transparent by submitting their flag state self-assessment forms to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) might expect less attention.
Admiral North is keen to provide incentives to reward the quality players. A reduction in port fees has some potential; I also like the Green Award scheme as established in Rotterdam. Fundamentally it is the prospect of less intrusive port state control and disrupted business that would provide the greatest incentive. Admiral North points to the marked decline in detention rates in U.S. ports over the past three years as evidence that operators are embracing the quality message. Steps to prepare for the ISM and the STCW have had an impact on reducing detentions, with only 30 in the past two years related to ISM non-conformance.
International Response
Fallout from the Erika tanker disaster has also exercised Admiral North and the Coast Guard. Some people are looking at regional solutions to the issues raised. We would prefer to see any action taken at an international level. He is cautious about the notion of a European version of the unilateral legislation, the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90), which imposed stricter requirements on all tankers trading in United States waters. Although OPA 90 was prompted by the Exxon Valdez oil spill, the act codified a lot of existing legislation and gave a more equitable basis for penalty levels. We should look to the future risk and not back to ten years ago. Continued regional approaches just drive bad performers some place else.
The USCG is willing to co-operate with other quality initiatives and international data sharing. At the IMOs Marine Safety Committee meeting in May this year the United States expects to sign the memorandum of understanding concerning the Equasis database, originally a European project. I believe the potential for Equasis is very good, says Admiral North, I hope it can be expanded further and integrate other regional databases. Overall improved Port State control around the world should make it more difficult for substandard vessels and give quality operators the rewards they deserve.
Date: 2000-08-15