Black Flag Shipping: The Number of Disabled Ships Is Growing
By More and more ship operators are failing to ensure the full safety of their crews and cargoes in pursuit of dollars. The detention rate for ships with defects that prevented them from sailing in 2024 was higher than in 2023. This increase represents a continuation of the consistently high detention rate observed for several years, including 4.25% in 2022, according to the Paris Agreement in its Port State Control Report 2024.
A ship that had posed a threat to the port for several years was recently removed from Gdynia. The owner went bankrupt and abandoned the ship, and the crew had long since abandoned it. The government was unable to cope with the inoperable vessel with an unregulated legal status. This is not the only case of shipowners, both first and second, causing problems in ports and at sea. Using a 100 million PLN UN grant, Yemeni Houthi rebels are accepting Russian crude oil onto a moored vessel off the coast of Ras Isa. The VLCC Yemen, a tanker-storage vessel in questionable technical condition, was purchased and is being maintained by the United Nations. GospodarkaMorska.pl reported on this here.
There are still too many defective ships in port. The 2024 Annual Report does not reveal any single convention or section of convention showing a disproportionate increase in the number of detentions compared to previous years. Instead, the analysis indicates a persistent pattern of non-compliance in the same areas. The recurrence of the same ship defects, including significant technical deficiencies, over the years points to persistent challenges for the maritime transport industry, as stated in the Paris Agreement.
Source: Port State Control Report 2024
Fire safety is a significant issue on ships (SOLAS, Chapter II-2). During Port State Control inspections of ships berthed in ports on all continents, as many as 17.2% of ships were found to have deficiencies in firefighting equipment or crew training.
Approximately 11.3% of defects were found on merchant ships during inspections of their structural and electrical components and installations (SOLAS, Chapter II-1). A significant percentage of deficiencies were related to health, medical care, welfare, and social security (MLC, Title IV), accounting for 10.4%.
Source: Port State Control Report 2024
A closer analysis of inspections reveals that problems with fire doors are noticeable on many ships (3.2%). A significant problem is improper seafarer employment contracts (1.5%). Deficiencies related to the International Safety Management (ISM) Code were recorded in 4.6% of cases, “indicating the continued need for vigilance in safety management systems,” emphasize the authors of the Port State Control Report 2024.
Unreliable Flags
The “White, Grey, and Black Flag List (WGB)” covers the full spectrum of registries, from flags belonging to recognized nations to flags of maritime authorities from countries with low credibility. These latter registries are known for allowing high- or very high-risk vessels to enter the oceans under their flags.
– A particularly alarming trend is the growing number of “false flag” vessels worldwide. Reports indicate that these vessels are “flying the flags of International Maritime Organization (IMO) member states and other countries without the knowledge or permission of those states and without possessing authentic certificates of registry,” Brian Hogan, Chairman of the Paris MoU Committee, and Luc Smulders, Secretary-General of the Paris MoU, warn in the report’s introduction.
The WGB Flag List is based on the total number of inspections and detentions over a three-year period. It includes flags of registries for which at least 30 inspections were conducted during that period. There were no significant changes in the risk to ships flying specific flags compared to the previous year. Although the detention rate is relatively high, the structure of flag states within each category (white, gray, and black) has not changed significantly.
Unfortunately, many operators are cleverly avoiding ports and locations where Port State Control inspections are likely. Over 1,500 tankers are now registered as “shadow fleets.” To avoid inspection, dilapidated ships carry out oil transshipment operations in coastal waters or in ports where Port State Control is not allowed to operate.
Source: Port State Control Report 2024
“Concerns are deepened by the growing number of ships operating within the so-called ‘shadow fleet’ or ‘dark fleet.’ By sailing through the coastal waters of Paris Memorandum member states without calling at ports, these ships effectively circumvent the risk-based port state control system defined in the Paris Memorandum,” Hogan and Smulders emphasize.
Their role is to ensure compliance with international maritime regulations is not monitored on these ships, creating risks to maritime safety and pollution prevention, which negatively impacts both the Paris Memorandum region and the global maritime community.” To reduce the risk of legitimate navigation by ships belonging to the ‘false flag fleet’ and ‘shadow fleet,’ they argue, “intensified international cooperation” is essential.
Credibility is important
For several years, the Committee has been closely monitoring the credibility of Recognized Organizations (ROs), acting on behalf of flag states. The RO’s effectiveness was assessed using the same methodology as for assessing the credibility of flag states. To be included on this list, an RO must have completed at least 60 inspections within three years. Also listed among the credible organizations is Polski Rejestr Statków.
Source: Port State Control Report 2024
In 2024, a total of 29 ROs were included in the credibility list, a slight decrease compared to 32 ROs in 2023. Considering RO efficiency, no alarming trends indicating significant deviations from previous years’ results were identified. A positive observation is that the number of ROs in the lowest efficiency category remains low.