Ship Owners And Operators

By Author: Gurmeet Pahwa
Total Articles: 7
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Shipbrokers and Agents all across the globe have taken a measure towards setting quality standards for ship agents and brokers. This Quality Standard will serve to assist ship-owners and operators in their choice of who is to represent them. This will guarantee a specific level of knowledge and experience as well as financial standing of their selected representative.

This initiative was launched to include a regular audit controlled by national associations and overseen to ensure that the obligatory criterion are preserved and that the member displays a demonstrable and concrete assurance to quality. A number of other associations are currently developing the appropriate criteria. This initiative is gaining in importance and is becoming expected as the global standard for professionalism and quality performance in the ship brokers and agency sector.
It is an important step in raising quality standards, generally, as well as specifically for the agents and brokers sector.

In a dogmatic environment with increasing spotlight on maritime safety and substantial liability risks for ...
... ship-owners and operators it is imperative that the industry attempts to self-regulate. This standard provides ship-owners and operators with a certain extent of protection, sets minimum standards and ensures a consistent provision and application of services in this important segment of the industry. Most independent international association of ship owners, managers, brokers and agents are amending its piracy clause for owners and charterers. This reflects the belief that there is now greater responsibility in the event of ship taking and piracy.

This however is still to curb incidents involving unfair treatment of seafarers that continue to happen worldwide, and Ship agents and brokers are demanding focus on this area to try and improve the situation both for seafarers and the shipping industry in general. There are many independent international shipping association with a membership compiled mostly of ship owners, managers, brokers, agents and many other stakeholders. A number of maritime incidents in recent years continue to show examples of unfair treatment of seafarers underlining the importance of maintaining this issue high on the agenda.

A study carried out shows that there are a numerous cases where seafarers have been subjected to unfair treatment in one way or another. The study focuses on cases where seafarers have been subject to sanctions before or after any deliberate act or negligence has been admitted in court and there are numerous examples of both. Ship brokers and agents seem to agree with ship-owners and operators that there needs to immediate and effectual action taken to curb this.