It’s no secret that flag states are a weak point in maritime standards and regulations enforcement. Shipowners can easily circumvent rules by reflagging to a state that is more interested in the revenue from fees than in enforcement. And there are lots of them.
This article paints a darker picture than we have heard of– outright bribery of flag states. The motivation is to skirt sanctions of Russian entities and other a few other countries such as Iran.
According to the article, the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) has released details of how states are trying to allow their ships to avoid detentions for violation of sanctions. One mechanism was to make bilateral agreements with port states.
I don’t quite see how the bribery angle works, though.
But with dark trade increasing, there’s no question that it would be worthwhile for shipowners to bribe flag states to register old and poorly maintained tankers. And most of those would find their way into the petroleum trade to Asia from Russia.
Dark fleet vessels engage in tactics like dangerous ship-to-ship transfers and AIS masking, which can allow oil to move without being affected by the sanction rules.
I hope the maritime authorities, such as the IMO and P&I clubs, will come up with improved procedures to stop unsafe practices.
Sam Chambers May 22, 2024
https://splash247.com/dark-fleet-registers-seen-bribing-flag-states-to-avoid-detentions-paris-mou/
Supply Chain and Logistics 