THE Norwegian Shipowners Association (NSA) has criticised countries that pay only lip-service to their international obligations and fail to approach them in a manner to ensure safety at sea.
Association director Mr Arild Wegener said: ''Such negligence is the quickest way to undermine an effective international legal regime, equally applied around the world, such as the industry has always advocated.'' It was therefore against the long-term interests of the industry to have safe havens for sub-standard shipping as it would lead to proliferation of conflicting national and regional regimes, he said in his talk entitled Norwegian Shipping - Challenges for the 90s.
''Port state inspections are here to stay and they have a role to play. If anything, one of the key problems is the absence of harmonisation, the gap in the way in which rules and regulations are enforced,'' Mr Wegener told a Norwegian Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
He commented that the world did not need more rules and regulations, as those already available were sufficient.
Following numerous ship accidents, public attention on the industry, an ageing fleet and declining standards had led to the elevation of the consciousness level of the industry and other related parties, Mr Wegener said.
As a result, shipowners and operators had to overhaul their procedures, policies and practices to improve safety, he said.
Classification societies also shifted their emphasis from quantity to quality, an area in which insurers and cargo owners also had taken a more direct interest, he added.
