Dangers from unregulated tanker fleet rising, UN delivery chief says

By Jonathan Saul

LONDON (Reuters) – The protection dangers posed by unregulated oil tankers are rising, and the so-called shadow fleet is a menace to each the maritime surroundings and seafarers, the top of the United Nations’ delivery company mentioned on Tuesday.

The shadow fleet refers to lots of of ships utilized by Russia to maneuver oil, in violation of worldwide restrictions imposed on it over the Ukraine struggle, in addition to by oil exporters akin to Iran and Venezuela hit by U.S. sanctions.

No less than 65 oil tankers dropped anchor this week at a number of areas, together with off the coasts of China and Russia, since america introduced a brand new sanctions package deal on Jan. 10.

“The chance is rising in relation to the environmental affect and the protection of the seafarers because the shadow fleet grows,” Arsenio Dominguez, Secretary-Normal of the Worldwide Maritime Group (IMO), advised a information convention.

“We see it by totally different accidents and occasions which have taken place.”

Dominguez, who couldn’t touch upon sanctions, mentioned his largest concern was with ageing tankers, which had been “placing folks onboard in danger and the surroundings as properly”.

“The extra that ships begin trying to … keep away from assembly the IMO necessities, the extra that we are going to have conditions like we have now been experiencing within the final a part of 2024.”

There have been a lot of incidents involving collisions and shadow fleet vessels breaking down in current months.

Dominguez mentioned an IMO assembly would observe up in March on a decision adopted in 2023 geared toward higher scrutiny of ship-to-ship oil transfers in open seas – a frequent threat with shadow fleet tankers which perform such transfers with little regard for security.

He mentioned he had additionally met with smaller flag registry international locations, which generally present flagging for shadow fleet tankers.

Industrial ships have to be registered, or flagged, with a selected nation to make sure they’re complying with internationally recognised security and environmental guidelines.

Transport business sources say lots of the smaller flag registries are lax about implementing compliance and in addition sanctions rules.

“Substandard delivery …has been on the agenda at IMO for a few years,” Dominguez mentioned.