Tanker owners push for eco-friendly image

Intertanko, an association of independent tanker owners based in Norway, has made an appeal to the global tanker industry to join hands with it in a drive to achieve improved practices by embracing the "Poseidon Challenge" an initiative borne out of an Intertanko meeting in Athens at the site of the ancient temple of the Greek god of the sea, Poseidon.

Intertanko said in a statement that the meeting had recognised the need for a sustainable relationship between the tanker industry and the environment.

The broad gathering of key players in the industry decided to work together to realise its vision of a responsible, sustainable and respected industry, it said.

Intertanko said the tanker industry understood that its reputation had been tarnished by some incidents and the way some of them had been handled.

The industry recognises that a large part of the impressive investment by shipowners in the modernisation of the world's tanker fleet has been driven by regulation rather than by industry initiative.

It therefore wishes to demonstrate its commitment to improve services to achieve safe, reliable and clean transportation in a sustainable relationship with the environment, it said.

Intertanko chairman Stephen Van Dyck said: "Quality of service and the protection of the environment are paramount ... This is a team effort, no participant should see himself as isolated from this joint effort towards a goal in which everyone believes.

"Continuous improvement should be considered as everyone's challenge, not just that of the shipowners and operators. Every participant by his attitude and work ethic can and does affect not only his link in the chain of responsibility but also every other link in the chain, and ultimately the overall quality of service provided by the shipping industry."

Maritime training

The Indian government has put maritime training firmly on the agenda with plans to build an academy in the proposed Chennai National Maritime Complex.

Besides, the Directorate General of Shipping (DGS) will require all maritime training establishments to be formally "benchmark-ed" by recognised rating agencies.

This benchmarking will presumably be a future prerequisite for "approval" of training establishments by DGS.

The DGS has also indicated that institutes with poor performance statistics would be closed down.

A benchmarking programme has been under way for about two years and it is understood that one-third of about 60 establishments have so far been completed. This latest move by DGS will make this process mandatory.

Chennai's maritime academy will be run by the Indian National Institute of Port Management and will offer courses in maritime law, transport, logistics, ship and port management, maritime economy, maritime environment and navigation and safety studies.

There will also be a data bank detailing all Indian port information.

It is expected that MoUs (memorandum of understanding) will be signed with the Swedish World Maritime University and the Maritime Law Institute in Malta.

Cooperation

Meanwhile, according to a press release, India's Minister of Shipping T.R. Baalu held a meeting with Panama's Ambassador to India.

Following which the two countries decided to co-operate in the field of maritime training. the statement said.

A draft MoU is already under consideration by the Panama government and may be signed in September, it said.

The writer is a Dubai-based marine consultant.