What it means to be Grey Listed as a
Flag state (shipping)?
22 September 2019
A new list of White, Black and Grey lists of ‘flag states’ came in force
from 01July2019 and will remain in force till 30June2020. The ships flying the
‘Flags’ of the Black and Grey Lists will be subjected to greater scrutiny due
to their internationally declared sub-standard operating levels.
Such a black or Grey listed status not only reflects very poorly on the
crews and conditions of the ships flying those flags but also severely reflects
on the way their owners operate them, worse still is that it also speaks poorly
about their flag administrations.After all who will want ships that are poor in
maintaining the operating standards of safety, security and pollution
prevention to dock in their harbours? and who would want to hire
them for their transportation requirements?
Note for general
knowledge of those not connected with the international shipping in
general: Merchant ships are ‘flagged’ under various countries’ flags for the sake
of their being properly regulated and governed. When a ship is not flagged, she
would stand as a ‘rogue’ ship.
When a port receives
a number of ships at its port facilities the port state wants the ships to
follow the regulations and standards set out by IMO (International Maritime
Organization which is the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility
for the safety and security of shipping and the prevention of marine and
atmospheric pollution by ships.) and Industry Best practices. Because
those standards, in turn, assure the safety of the ports and waters of the host
port state country.
When ships of a Flag
state are failing to follow these operating standards it is Black or Grey
Listed by the name of that country.
There are many chances that are given to the ships and their flag states
to save themselves from falling into the Black or Grey lists that are
maintained by multiple groups of the Port States. This is achieved by the port
states by directly inspecting the ships calling their ports and also by
gathering the statistics and data about the ships’ performances in other port
states in the world.
The latest Table as well as the criteria used can be found in the links
given below (courtesy Paris MOU and ICS): -
It is imperative that the flag states take immediate steps to change
this status not only for their own reputation but also for the sake of the
safety at sea and the protection of the environment in general.
The steps may range from a serious introspection of what went wrong
in spite of several early warnings as well as warning signs The commercial data
as well as the shipboard micro-management data of the performances,
competencies of the ships’ officers & crews, shore management standards,
real commitments of the business owners and managers and that of the Flag State
Administrations themselves will need to be hauled up, revisited and repaired.
Such Black and Grey lists also warn the international traders about the
dangers of associating with the ships flying the black/grey listed flags
included in the Black and Grey Lists.
While the ships in the White list assure of the good standards of
compliance with the International rules, regulations and standards set out for
the seas by IMO (IMO being the UN specialised agency for the Maritime matters.)
No Maritime Nation who is also a Flag State would ever wish to find its
name listed in the Black or a Greylists. And demanding their actions to haul
themselves out of such lists seems to be the very objective of these lists that
warrant immediate constructive actions by those flag states.
-Capt. U.S.Gogate- E N D -
