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General
Background
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The
Nautical Institute
The institute is one of the world's leading international
professional organizations for qualified mariners. It
has 38 branches worldwide to improve the standards of
those in control of seagoing craft and publishes a monthly
magazine for its members. The organization is also open
to students and those involved with yachting. Their Web
site includes information on training and service options
for those interested in the maritime world, as well as
a guide to nautical acronyms and abbreviations.
Links
to Companies in the Maritime Industry
Review this comprehensive list of major shipping companies,
cruise lines, ferries and shipyards, then click on their
homepages to learn more.
Lloyd's
Register-Fairplay World Shipping Directory
The register claims to be the world's largest database
of marine company information available on the Internet.
The Web site is updated daily and contains details on
more than 60,000 marine-based companies.
International
Chamber of Shipping
The ICS acts as a consulting body to a variety of international
maritime organizations and currently represents more than
half of the world's merchant fleet. Their Web site includes
specific information on their purpose and membership.
It also includes access to their news publication, Mariscene,
which provides useful and current information on a range
of shipping issues.
Admiralty
and Maritime Law Guide
This guide is written and published by Todd Kenyon, an
admiralty attorney, and offers a wide range of information
on maritime law, focusing on U.S. cases and courts, and
serves as a practical resource for maritime lawyers and
professionals with links to ship registries, ports, classification
societies, and numerous maritime associations and organizations
in the United States and around the world. It is also
an excellent guide to international regulations and agreements.
Anarchy
at Sea
This story in The Atlantic Monthly by William Langewiesche
discusses the complex and lawless nature of the shipping
industry. The article offers a detailed description of
how international shipping is regulated and emphasizes
weaknesses in the current system. (The Atlantic Monthly,
September 2003) (Registration required)
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The
Prestige
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The
Prestige Disaster: One Year On
This 40-page report published by Greenpeace International
in November 2003 discusses the impact of the spill on
the local environment of Galicia. It also includes information
on the spill's commercial effects, food safety concerns,
and repercussions for tourism and the fishing industry.
The report proposes how to improve maritime safety and
prevent future disasters.
"A
Seeping Tanker Turns Spain's Beaches Into an Oily Sandbox"
This New York Times report by Dale Fuchs provides
an overview of the current situation on the beaches of
La Coruña, Spain. Published almost a year after the
spill, the article hints at the long-term implications
of the disaster. (The New York Times, Aug. 31,
2003) (Registration required)
Prestige Salvage Case
Lloyd's Salvage Arbitration Branch offers detailed and
reliable information to facilitate the salvage arbitration
process for shipping incidents all over the world. Clicking
on the Case Reports tab provides access to a series of
accounts, presented chronologically going back to November
2002, of the ship's sinking and its aftermath.
Nautile
Submarine
The French Research Institute for Exploration of the Sea
(IFREMER) is a French government organization that owns
the submarine Nautile and is currently cleaning
up and removing oil that remains inside the Prestige.
Their Web site contains photos of and technical information
on the submarine, the cleanup of the Prestige (in
French) and the rest of the IFREMER fleet.
"Analysis:
Vulnerability of Single Hulls"
This BBC report includes diagrams of the structure of
the Prestige, an explanation of how she sank and
a discussion of the problems common to all single-hull
oil tankers. ( BBC News, Nov. 19, 2002)
"EU
to Ban Single-Hull Tankers"
This BBC update reports on the European Union's response
to the Prestige oil spill and their intention to
ban, by 2010, single-hull tankers from entering European
ports. (BBC News, Dec. 2, 2002)
"UN
Brings Forward Global Single-Hull Tanker Ban"
This Reuters article reports on the International
Maritime Organization's decision to shorten the period
before starting a ban of single-hull tankers. The new
deadline is April 2005. The article gives background on
the Prestige and discusses how the accident influenced
the change in policy. (Reuters, Dec. 5, 2003)
"When
a Tanker's in Trouble, Where Can It Go? Nowhere"
The International Herald Tribune reports on international
concern about providing safe havens for ships that develop
serious problems at sea. The story examines the Prestige
oil spill and explains the reasons behind Spanish authorities'
refusal to allow her into a Spanish port in November 2002.
(International Herald Tribune, March 7, 2003)
Nunca
Mais
In the wake of the Prestige disaster, residents
of Galicia, and throughout Spain, responded by forming
a movement called Nunca Mais ("never again") in Gallego,
the local Galician language. The group has been organizing
protests, demanding compensation for damages afflicting
the Galician coastline, and advocating for reform of the
maritime system to prevent another Prestige disaster
from happening. The Spanish-language Web site includes
updated reports, press releases, and information on protests
and activities.
American
Bureau of Shipping
Learn about the ship classification society that inspected
and certified the Prestige for sail. ABS, based
in Houston, Texas, is one of the world's largest classification
societies. Their Web site provides ship classification
standards and requirements. It also includes the company's
press and public statements on the Prestige.
The
London P&I Club
The London Club is one of the world's oldest protection
and indemnity clubs and one of the leading members of
the International Group of P&I Clubs, which together insure
the vast majority of the world's merchant shipping and
handle claims ranging from crew sickness to cargo damage
to the cost of major oil spills and other disasters. The
London Club insured the Prestige. Their Web site
includes a detailed history of how P&I clubs developed,
a search engine to track down specific ships, and copies
of the London Club's quarterly publication, "StopLoss
Bulletin," which discuss developments in maritime insurance.
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Flags of Convenience
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The
International Transport Workers' Federation
The ITF is one of the world's oldest and largest labor
unions. Created in 1896, the federation now represents
more than 5 million workers in 137 countries. For 50 years,
it has campaigned against the flags of convenience system,
which allows owners to register their ships in foreign
countries that have lax labor laws and regulations. In
addition to its annual report on the system, ITF publishes
reports containing information on the world's largest
fleets, fleets with the highest detention ratings, and
the status of the union's campaign to change the flags
of convenience system.
University
of Cardiff Flag State Audit 2003
This report, published by the Seafarers International
Research Center at Cardiff University in Wales, is the
result of three years of research and focuses on 37 countries
identified as being open register/flag of convenience
nations. Using a specially designed rating system, the
report assesses the quality and effectiveness of a selected
nation's shipping register, to provide "a comprehensive,
independent and critical guide to the shipping registers
of the world."
The
Bahamas Ship Registry
Learn more about the registry that flagged the Prestige.
The
Liberia International Ship and Corporate Registry
This is the homepage for the 55-year-old Liberian ship
registry. Its Web site includes information about annual
fees and pricing based on tonnage.
The
International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize
The Belizean ship registry's Web site includes regulations,
registration guidelines and contact information.
Panamanian
Ship Registry Office
The consulate general of Panama in New York provides information
about one of the oldest ship registries.
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Safety, Labor and Environmental Issues
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"Al
Qaeda's 'Navy' -- How Much of a Threat?"
The Center for Defense Information is a nongovernmental
think tank focusing on defense and security issues. This
August 2003 report discusses the current status of suspected
al Qaeda-linked ships described in the Washington Post
and other media reports over the past year.
"Protecting
America's Ports"
This Fortune magazine story by Philip Siekman examines
efforts to tighten security at U.S. ports after the attacks
of September 11, 2001. Siekman reports how shipping systems
in the United States historically have been designed for
efficiency, reliability and speed, not security. (Fortune,
Nov. 10, 2003)
Labor
-- Sweatships
War on Want is a nongovernmental organization devoted
to campaigning for social justice and equity. This report,
prepared in conjunction with the International Transport
Workers' Federation, highlights problems faced by cruise
ship employees.
Seamen's
Church Institute
The New York-based organization advocates for the rights
and well-being of the world's merchant mariners. Its Center
for Seafarers' Rights provides legal research, education
and assistance to merchant seafarers and seafarers' agencies
worldwide.
"Pirate
Fishing Plundering the Oceans"
This 2001 report by Greenpeace International offers a
comprehensive look at the problem of fish piracy. (PDF
format)
Coalition
of Legal Toothfish Operators
Learn more about the campaign to stop illegal fishing
of the toothfish. The COLTO Web site provides a complete
list of vessels known to be engaging in illegal toothfishing,
along with photos and information on where they are flagged.
International
Oil Pollution Compensation Funds
The intergovernmental IOPC Funds provide compensation
to individuals, companies and states for oil pollution
damage resulting from oil tankers. The Web site includes
information on the origins and history of the IOPC Funds
and on how their compensation system works.
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