Staff writer, with CNA
Ships registered under the Republic of China flag ranked a record fifth among 66 flag states inspected in the Asia-Pacific region last year, with zero detentions recorded for the second consecutive year, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Maritime and Port Bureau said yesterday. The ranking was published in an annual report released on May 1 by regional port state control organization Tokyo MOU, which placed Taiwan on its High Performance List, behind only China, Hong Kong, Singapore and South Korea. The rankings were based on the number of port state inspections conducted and the detention rate of ships registered under each flag, the bureau said.
A Yang Ming Marine Transport Corp container ship is pictured at sea in an undated photograph.
Photo courtesy of Maritime and Port Bureau
Under Tokyo MOU standards, a ship can be detained if the condition of a vessel or its crew does not substantially comply with applicable international conventions. Meanwhile, Taiwan-based CR Classification Society, which provides classification and certification services, was ranked ninth among 106 recognized organizations worldwide, the bureau said.
The Tokyo MOU, which came into effect in 1994, aims to create an effective port state control system in the Asia-Pacific region to eliminate substandard shipping, improve maritime safety, protect the marine environment, and safeguard working and living conditions aboard ships, its Web site says. Port state control serves as a complement to flag state oversight if shipowners, classification societies or flag administrations fail to comply with international maritime regulations, it says. Port authorities can inspect foreign vessels visiting their ports and require deficiencies to be corrected before ships are allowed to depart, it adds.