Shipping laws that could have averted two catastrophes

'My government did this' © Ghassan Safi

The dark side of the shipping industry – well, one of them – has come to the fore following the tragic explosion in Beirut and the ship which ran aground in Mauritius, leaking heavy oil and toxic fuel onto a coral reef. An article in Forbes says it’s time to review shipping regulations, in particular vessel registration.

The ship is Japanese-owned but Panama-flagged, and Japan has not offered to help with the clearing up, despite the vessel being 200 miles off course. The author argues for a vessel risk index, based on ownership, crew, vessel safety and so on, which would also give some transparency to customers choosing a shipping line.

There’s a lot that must be done: start by reading this article.