One of the most heated panel discussions during last month's LSM Ship Management conference centred on the maritime industry's reputation, especially on how this factor is perceived and reported by the media. Concurrently, Bill Thomson, chairman of the North of England P&I Club and chief executive of Forth Tankers, was recently quoted as stating, "There must be some recognition that we do not live in an accident-free world and that shipping is no different to other fields of human activity...the industry must find ways of demonstrating a more positive industry profile and conveying the magnitude of shipping's contribution to the world economy." Everyone is agreed that the industry needs to communicate its achievements to the general public, and reinforce its reputation as a clean, efficient and vital mode of transport to non-maritime observers, so what is the problem?
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