The Evolution of the Deep-sea Fleet that Supports Canada's International Trade

摘要

The oceans are truly global highways. Port states may control navigation in territorial waters, but not in the oceans beyond. In 1999, 46,002 cargo ships from 152 flag-states carried the world's trade. There were 173 ship registers as some states had more than one. Canada's trade depends on foreign-registered ships. In 1999, ships registered by 68 foreign states carried 80% of the international cargo handled by Canadian ports. This dependence may carry risk if those ships are substandard. The shipping industry's practice of 'flagging-out' or registering ships in countries other than the shipowner's nation of residence has been a cause for concern. Some high-profile shipping accidents that have resulted in severe pollution have focussed international attention on "flags-of-convenience". This paper identifies the flag-related trends of fleets used in Canada's international sea-borne trade relative to the world fleet over a 15-year time frame (1985 to 1999). The goal is to see if there is any indication that fleets that served Canada were any less safe in 1999 than 1985. The idea a ship's flag may predict its condition is not new. Canada and other states use the flag as one variable for targeting port state control (PSC) inspections*. An interesting paradox is arising from these efforts. Canadian PSC inspection statistics show that the share of ships with deficiencies hovered around 50% with detentions of 11% for the past 6 years. However, accident rates for foreign ships in Canadian waters declined 51% from 1991 to 2000.