Seafarers and the land based jobs market: The present UK situation

Concern has existed for some time that the decline of the British shipping industry is resulting in the UK economy losing its maritime skills base. The effects of this loss could extend beyond the shipping industry because former seafarers are employed in other maritime related businesses ashore besides shipping. A study undertaken during 1995 and 1996 identified the economy’s requirement for people with seafaring experience in land based jobs and assessed the implications of a shortfall in supply of seafarers to fill such jobs. This paper is concerned with the demand aspects of that study.     

The land-based jobs market for seafarers: Consequences of market imbalance and policy implications

Concern has existed for some time that the decline of the British shipping industry is resulting in the UK economy losing its maritime skills base. The effects of this loss could extend beyond the shipping industry because former seafarers are employed in other maritime related businesses besides shipping ashore. A study undertaken during 1995 and 1996 identified the economy’s requirement for people with seafaring experience in land based jobs and assessed the consequences of a shortfall in supply of seafarers to fill such jobs. This paper is mainly concerned with the supply aspects and policy implications of that study.     

Shifting challenges for British maritime policy: A post-war review

Although Britain may no longer “rule the waves” in terms of national fleet presence, London still maintains its supremacy as the world's leading maritime centre. However, with the decline of the fleet there has been an inevitable decline in the maritime skills-base and a loss of shipping expertise. The authors review half a century of government maritime policy measures and of recurrent challenges confronted with varying degrees of success, and identify the current period as critical for the future of London as a maritime centre and as a crossroads in British maritime policy.     

Changing maritime scenarios. The geopolitical dimension of the EU Atlantic Strategy

The European Union׳s Integrated Maritime Policy (EU IMP) is being developed in the framework of a process that is reshaping maritime geographical scenarios and world geopolitics. This process is characterised by a change in States׳ territoriality resulting from their jurisdictional expansion. Over 60% of coastal States in the world possess territory with a more extensive maritime component than the terrestrial component which helps to reaffirm the fragmentation of maritime space and stresses the national vision of the oceans. Unlike the process of ocean space fragmentation that results from its nationalisation the EU Integrated Maritime Policy has a global and cooperative vision, which is particularly evident in the Atlantic Strategy. In this context, this article aims to: (i) provide a first estimate of the size and extent of the territorial changes resulting from jurisdictional claims available to date and their mapping; (ii) consider the case of the European Union as one of special significance with its express policy of maritime spatial projection. The conclusions point to a redefinition of the large territorial pieces of the global geopolitics puzzle and the emergence of a new Atlanticism associated with the EU׳s maritime policy.     

The Spanish approach to marine spatial planning. Marine Strategy Framework Directive vs. EU Integrated Maritime Policy

The coming into effect of the Directive 2008/56/EC (Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD)) will induce European Union member States to create mechanisms for managing maritime space in order to comply with the goals set out in this binding legislation. This leads one to think that marine spatial planning in various countries in the EU will be directed at complying with the Directive's environmental goals, as is the case in Spain, rather than undertaking proactive planning for developing the maritime sectors. To put the case of Spain into perspective, a review is conducted of the initiatives taken, especially in Europe and the European Union, exploring the correlations between the main focuses of the maritime sectors and the planning systems. The analysis of the Spanish initiative demonstrates how the maritime economy model and geopolitical factors explain the planning options for the marine environment. In other respects, with the coming into effect of the MSFD, a dual institutional course for marine spatial planning seems to be opening up in the EU: Integrated Maritime Policy vs. the Marine Strategy Framework Directive.     

A critical examination of the seafaring English education and training in China

The increased maritime accidents attributable to communication barriers have raised great concern about international shipping safety. The requirement for effective communication has been contained in the compulsory part of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers in 2010. However, many Chinese seafarers still experience difficulty in communicating with foreign seafarers at sea even though they passed the English exams required for a Certificate of Competency. Literature argues that the outcomes of maritime English education are not satisfactory. However, this claim is too general and has not been substantiated with empirical evidence. Using a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods, this paper reveals that English communicative incompetence of Chinese seafarers was attributable to the maritime English examinations system, teaching materials, teaching methods and teachers and students themselves. Recommendations were made to improve maritime cadets’ English communicative competence.     

Maritime Europe and EU enlargement. A geopolitical perspective

The 2004 enlargement of the European Union (EU), as well as the further enlargements planned from 2007 onwards (Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Turkey), entail changes of a geo-political nature that not only imply an increase in size (a rise in the number of States, new boundaries), but, more especially, also involve a shift in the EU's maritime status, with its projection towards the Atlantic now being checked by a swing towards continental Europe and its inland seas. In view of the new political map being drawn up, two questions beg to be asked: to what extent is Europe's maritime condition being strengthened; and, does the new maritime Europe constitute an opportunity, or does it aggravate the already-existing problems and threats?     

Asia and IMO technical cooperation

Asia is an important maritime region and plays a key role in international shipping. However, its countries vary significantly in terms of maritime infrastructure, management and resources, and needs external assistance to overcome obstacles to meet global technical requirements and standards. This paper discusses the assistance provided by the International Maritime Organization in support of the efforts of developing countries to strengthen the reliability and performance of their maritime activities.     

Maritime clusters: What can be learnt from the South West of England

The South West of England is a very extensive region, with constraints in terms of its transport network. It is imperative if the region is to optimise its economic development for transport services to fully utilise all transport modes, not least, short sea shipping. To achieve this objective will require, inter alia, investment in the region’s port infrastructure. The result of this study suggests that each South West port provides a hub to develop a small maritime cluster which provides some sort of platform for marine and maritime related activities or businesses to co-ordinate and communicate. In addition, the region is well placed geographically in relation to a number of other European Union countries, with which to develop seaborne trade links. If this can be supported both by the development of coastal shipping links between regional ports and the incremental capability of rail and road transport within the region, then substantial increased economic activity for the region could result. Moreover, it would be beneficial if the region’s ports could act as a maritime cluster, optimising the contribution each port can make. This in no way would preclude healthy competition between the ports.     

Social responsibility in shipping

This paper discusses the effects of competition in shipping, noting recent gains for the consumers of shipping services, a variety of strategies for investors in shipping and some of the effects on seamen. The dangers of monopolistic effects in ports are described and there is a discussion of the externalities involved in maritime safety, including pollution. The current regulatory regime, particularly the involvement of classification societies, is criticised and it is suggested that lessons can be learnt from other industries.     

Is the European shipping industry aware of corporate social responsibility? The case of the Greek-owned short sea shipping companies

This paper attempts to clarify the meaning of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in the context of the European maritime sector and examines its application in the case of the Greek-owned short sea shipping companies. CSR is assessed in terms of a number of variables such as employees’ satisfaction, corporate productivity and efficiency, social welfare, awareness and social accountability of managers and directors, et al. Focus is given on the applicability of CSR to shipping companies of small and medium size. For this purpose a survey has been conducted. Based on the findings of the qualitative research performed, it is concluded that the application of CSR is restricted only to companies that either are subsidiaries of international conglomerates or owned by ship-owners personally aware of the corporate benefits derived from social responsible behaviour . Based on improved knowledge of managers’ and directors’ attitudes and views towards CSR solutions, the paper offers some ways forward for policy informing.     

A decision-making system to maritime risk assessment

In this study, we propose a fuzzy approach in order to evaluate the maritime risk assessment applied to safety at sea and more particularly, the pollution prevention on the open sea. The work is based on the decision-making system, named MARISA, presented in Balmat et al. (2009). This system allowed defining a risk factor for each ship according to ship’s characteristics and weather conditions. In this novel paper, the proposed system takes into account the ship speed evolution and the ship position with respect to maritime shipping lanes is developed. To validate the method, we present an example of results with real data.     

Ocean shipping: survival at rock bottom

A severe crisis developed in ocean shipping in 1982. Freight rates fell to their lowest levels since mid-1977. The tonnage surplus again increased dramatically, in the tanker and the bulker sections of the freight markets. Laid-up or otherwise inactive shipping rose to its highest ever figures. Under-utilization of their ships, and sharply reduced freight revenues have drastically affected the profitability of shipping companies. These are some of the findings contained in the latest annual maritime report prepared by Dr Hans Böhme, of the Kiel Institut für Weltwirtschaft, which was published in German as ‘Weltseeverkehr: Überleben auf der Talsohle’ in the Institute's house journal, ‘Die Weltwirtschaft’, No 2, 1982. The author summarizes the review below.     

The liberalization of shipping in Taiwan

Maritime transport has become well developed in Taiwan, which is located in the western Pacific Rim. Following the model of traditional maritime nations, Taiwan's government enacted some shipping-friendly measures to help the industry in its early expansion stage. Nevertheless, government authorities have taken actions to liberalize the operations of the maritime-transport sector over the past 10 years. This paper focuses on how the liberalization measures were proposed and implemented including the process and reasons behind the formulation of governmental policies, the interaction between domestic shipping operators and the government. In addition, this paper presents a comprehensive review of the liberalization policy's impact on domestic maritime transport operators.     

The stamp of neoliberalism on the UK tonnage tax and the implications for British seafaring

In 2000 the UK adopted a tonnage tax strategy on ships and related businesses as the main strategy for revitalising its declining shipping industry. In line with EU policy on shipping, UK registered shipping companies were offered fiscal incentives based on reduced corporation taxes while labour was offered support for training. Almost a decade since the introduction of the tax it is clear that the strategy has delivered for business but not for labour. This paper considers the nature and limits of state intervention per se in declining economic sectors in the context of globalisation and a neoliberal approach to governance. It concludes that the problem is often not state intervention but rather the form of intervention, namely one that panders to, and is constrained by, neoliberalism.     

Ocean governance and maritime security in a placeful environment: The case of the European Union

Adopting a critical geopolitics approach that accounts for the mutually reinforcing link between geo-informed narratives and projection practices, this article proposes that ocean governance and maritime security have translated into states' and regional organisations' increasing control over maritime spaces. This leads to a certain territorialisation of the sea, not so much from a sovereignty and jurisdictional perspective but from a functional and normative perspective. The article starts by discussing the ways oceans have been represented and shows that they are far from a placeless void, both in practice and in discourse. The article then frames the analysis of ocean governance and maritime security within critical geopolitics, and elaborates on the case of the European Union's narrative and practice. It concludes on the mutually reinforcing link between discourse and practice in the field of ocean governance and maritime security in general, and on the consequences for the EU in particular. Scholars working on ocean governance and maritime security are encouraged to challenge the traditional view that oceans are placeless.     

A fuzzy set theory approach to flagging out: towards a new Chinese shipping policy

The paper seeks to model the benefits and costs involved in the decision to flag out, and to provide arguments for alternative policies, aiming to counteract this age-long phenomenon. Based on the analysis of the evolution of worldwide and Chinese flagging out, the emphasis in the paper is on the comprehensive effect assessment of flagging out and the required adjustment of Chinese shipping policy. To identify the determinants of such an adjustment, the paper introduces fuzzy set theory and related models, aimed to assess the economic effects of flagging out through the use of context-dependent economic and societal indicators (factors). The degree to which such indicators contribute to the choice of flag decision is assessed through a questionnaire survey. In parallel, and in the context of the determinant analysis of fuzzy models, the paper probes into the ‘policy competition’ and ‘government intervention’ policies to counteract flagging out. In the same context, a comparative analysis of shipping policies between China and traditional maritime countries is undertaken, in order to assess the current ‘openness’ of the Chinese shipping policy and explore possible policy alternatives. The paper concludes that the preferred policy alternative for China would be the establishment of second international ship register.     

Environmental issues with Australian ports

Ports and shipping operations are under increased environmental scrutiny in Australia, particularly as so many of Australia's ports and shipping routes are located in or near major environmentally sensitive areas. The environmental risks involved have been highlighted by the publicity given to shipping accidents. Environmental regulations over aspects of port operations, including ballast water management, dredge spoil and waste reception, are also becoming stricter. While port authorities have adopted stringent environmental guidelines, they remain concerned that the full impact of proposed new environmental regulations on maritime industry may not be fully understood. This paper discusses some of the issues involved with achieving a balance between environmental protection and the need to recognise the importance of seaborne trade to Australia and to maintain Australia's competitiveness in international trade.     

An index to assess maritime importance in the European Atlantic economy

Successive marine policies set by the European Union identify the maritime sectors as crucial drivers for growth and jobs in the EU economy. The design of marine policies and the assessment of the importance of the maritime economy need empirical support that provides the basic data to help the decision-making process. This paper proposes a metric, in the form of a synthetic index, to measure and compare the importance of the maritime sectors in the European Atlantic area. The index scores can be used to assess the position of each Atlantic region so that it is possible to compare its performance to the rest of the area. The results show the relative weight of the maritime sectors in the European Atlantic regions and the high heterogeneity among them. Analyzing the maritime economy with this index can provide guidance for the design of economic policies to identify and revitalize the regions with greater potential for Blue Growth in the Atlantic area. This may help to put into perspective the importance of the maritime economy and can serve to improve the socio-economic dimension of the use of marine waters.     

A survey of the legal and policy framework for controlling,compensating and criminalizing ship-source pollution in Hong Kong

Hong Kong (HK) has enacted laws providing: (1) Regimes that address pollution prevention responsibilities for parties involved in shipping activities to ensure that ships used in HK waters comply with applicable rules and standards; (2) civil damages remedy for wrongful death, personal injury or property damage caused by an environmental incident; and (3) a system of penalties to address the rare cases where the behavior of the polluter is considered intolerable and must be punished as a criminal offence. Being acquainted with this legal and policy framework is of beneficial interest for the maritime industry in HK. This article first summarizes the existing general legal framework, and later presents the results of an empirical study to determine what repercussions there could be within the HK maritime industry as a result of these laws and policies being applied in cases that result in civil liability compensation and criminal charges. The empirical research demonstrates that the laws and policies are in general sufficient and effective, but that flaws still remain in the limitation of liability scheme, as well as uncertainties as to which particular kinds of environmental violations should result in either civil or criminal enforcement. To address these concerns, it is first suggested that HK should impose greater liability in areas where prior law provided insufficient liability, as this will act as a more potent deterrent; and second, that HK should clearly delineate an appropriate role for criminal enforcement in the environmental regulatory scheme, so as to lessen concerns about over-criminalization.