In a study funded by the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) that was published at the beginning of February, the European Commission has proposed strengthening the rules on open registers and flags of convenience (FOCs) in the fishing industry.
Open registers, which are associated with flags of convenience, allow shipowners to register their vessels in countries that offer less strict regulations, reduced costs, and greater opacity with regard to ship ownership. According to the study (https://aeur.eu/f/knp ), more than 70% of the merchant fleet’s global capacity is registered under foreign flags—with a marked concentration in countries such as Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands, which dominate the market.
Open registers minimise controls on safety, seafarers’ working conditions, and environmental protection, according to the study. Ships registered under these flags have a higher rate of failure during port inspections in the EU, notably where safety and compliance with international conventions such as the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) are concerned.
End-of-life ships are frequently reregistered in the registers of lax countries (Comoros, Palau, and Saint Kitts and Nevis) before they are dismantled in dangerous, polluting conditions, particularly in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan).
“The European Commission report shows that flags of convenience [...] are directly linked with illegal fishing [...]. The message is clear: the era of hidden owners and use of irresponsible flags must end,” declared Vanya Vulperhorst from the NGO Oceana. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)