IMO Takes Major Steps To Tackle Illicit Activities Within The “Shadow Fleet”

The United Nations shipping organisation International Maritime Organization (IMO) has made great efforts to combat illegal activities within the unregulated “shadow fleet,” focusing on ships engaged in risky maritime operations. The resolution was approved at the London meeting of the IMO’s governing assembly.

The resolution focuses on flag states in charge of ship registration and urges them to abide by laws that legally restrict or forbid ship-to-ship cargo transfers at sea. It specifically highlights how crucial it is to keep operation plans up to date for STS transfers, particularly when transferring other vessels across the ocean.

When vessels purposefully try to avoid detection by turning off tracking responders or hiding their identities, port states must also intervene. The resolution suggests conducting more thorough inspections of these ships.

The action is a reaction to the rising concern over the so-called “dark fleet,” a group of ships involved in illegal activities frequently linked to evading sanctions. This includes hundreds of old oil tankers carrying crude oil for nations such as Iran and Russia under Western sanctions.

The delegation from Iran voiced concerns regarding the resolution, pointing to uncertain language and concepts that needed clear definitions that all member states could agree upon. Before this, Russia had alleged that outside pressure caused the IMO to deviate from its sovereign status.

According to the resolution, a vessel is considered to be part of the “dark fleet” if it operates in a risky manner, purposefully evades inspections, does not have sufficient liability insurance, avoids commercial screenings, does not have clear corporate governance policies, and takes precautions to stay hidden.

The recommendations provide best practices for environmental conventions and safety but are not legally binding. Ports are urged to conduct enhanced inspections for suspicious ships with deactivated tracking systems, and vessels are encouraged to report all ship-to-ship transfers to flag states.

The IMO also passed a second resolution denouncing Russian meddling in the Kerch Strait, the Sea of Azov, and the Black Sea. The solution describes how Russia’s occupation of Crimea since 2014 has affected international maritime supply chains and shipping.

Reference: Reuters

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