Sea Views: Iberian spill stirs up 'ports of refuge' issue

Intertanko and Bimco have made a joint, public statement expressing regret over the loss of the tanker Prestige and the environmental, social and economic consequences caused by the casualty.

The organisations welcomed the statements of the Prestige's classification society and its flag administration (the American Bureau of Shipping - ABS - and the Bahamas Maritime Authority, respectively) that they are making available all of the historical records of the 26-year-old, 81,589dwt, single-hulled tanker.

Indeed, it is their belief that it is essential all major marine casualties are comprehensively investigated and that the results are made public, so that important lessons can be learned.

As a result of this transparency, the class-history of the vessel is currently published on the website of ABS which includes details of the last annual survey being conducted by the Dubai office of ABS at Fujairah anchorage during May this year, with the notation that all required repairs were completed and certificates subsequently issued.

After expressing gratitude to the Spanish Emergency Services, who rescued the entire crew, the statement went on to say that the incident served to highlight the industry's concern surrounding coastal states' continued reluctance to admit ships into ports of refuge.

When ships are not granted such refuge, the potential for a serious incident is frequently increased and the safety of the crew jeopardised.

The emergency transfer of cargo and other measures to aid such a stricken vessel may be similarly hindered with a consequent increased threat to the environment.

Accordingly, Inter-tanko and Bimco's statement stressed the importance for all coastal states to have developed plans for places of refuge and it urged Governments to nominate appropriate waters/ports/ anch-orages.

Both the International Mari-time Organisation (IMO) and the European Union are equally committed to this need and the secretary general of the IMO has underlined that this is an issue that needs to be solved as a matter of urgency, and is under active consideration in IMO.

In the wake of the December 2000 Castor incident, when this fully laden tanker was refused refuge by several Mediterranean ports following a structural problem, the secretary general of the IMO, William O'Neil entered the debate.

He said that the time had come for the Organisation to undertake, as a matter of priority, a global consideration to the problem of refuge for stricken vessels. However, to-date, nothing has been agreed.

Furthermore, in our very own back yard, the requirement for bold decisions is urgently needed in the Gulf, due to a real potential for exacerbated disasters, because no such inter-state agreement on 'ports of refuge' exists.

Short-sighted action, although understandable in order to protect local interests, can often lead to far greater catastrophes because lack of refuge assistance will make consequences considerably worse.

With the UAE government taking a regional lead in the implementation of Port State Control (PSC), equally wise decisions are needed regarding ports of refuge. Such arrangements would avoid past absurdities such as one example when a burning car carrier was towed away from very adequate, harbour-based emergency aid, to get 'gutted' at sea.

Mounting pressure to eliminate single hull tankers: With French President, Jacques Chirac's description of the Prestige as a 'garbage ship', yet another 'international awakening' on the dangers of substandard shipping has been instigated.

The EU is now pushing its member states to ban all single-hulled tankers from its waters as this latest casualty has undermined the Marpol timetable as being too slack.

Under this programme, the Prestige was due to be scrapped in 2005, but many more will continue sailing until the final ban-date in 2015.

European Union Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio has also called for individual governments to adopt new, stiffer PSC inspection rules as quickly as possible.

These include a requirement to check at least 25 per cent of all ships coming into port, prioritised with older, single-hulled vessels.

The Prestige was loaded with nearly double the amount of oil spilled into Alaskan waters in 1979 from the infamous Exxon Valdez, and was one of more than 300 single-hulled tankers able to carry 50,000 tonnes or more.

That such vessels are still plying the high seas is indicative of the mercenary requirements of an energy-hungry world, despite good international intentions embraced by international conventions.

For as long as the beaches remain tarred and the media attention inflames emotion, the politicians will embrace the cause by speaking out loudly and clearly, but when the clean-up has been completed, the issue is likely to recede in line with fickle political priorities.

At the end of the day, it is the maritime industry that must 'clean up its act' and force changes to the apathetic approach by many governments to the IMO's transition to double-hulled ships. As long as this lethargic approach continues there will be more such accidents waiting to happen.

Horrocks cites FOC challenge: The secretary general of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Chris Horrocks, has said that one of the greatest challenges facing the shipping industry today is that 60 per cent of the international fleet sails under flags of convenience (FOC) that are difficult to discipline.

He was delivering the inaugural address of the 3-day International Maritime Confer-ence and Exhibition (Inmarco 2002), organised by the Indian Institute of Marine Engineers, being held in Mumbai last week and he went on to say that it was in nobody's interest for freight rates to sink any lower.

His speech also emphasised the advances within the maritime world that had taken place over the last decade and how today's worldwide industry is a mixture of all nations, registrations and manpower. He added that India's maritime manpower is as important as its celebrated capabilities in the IT sector.

Regarding security issues, Horrocks said, "Security should not override trade considerations in the wake of 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Earlier ships were targets, now ships are regarded as weapons, and crews are not allowed to venture ashore. The maritime security industry is full of challenges, but the maritime sector has always thrived on entrepreneurial skills."