It represents a milestone for the Panama Ship Registry and demonstrates the institution and its human resources’ effort in changing working methods and fleet monitoring, says an article published on seatrade-maritime.
Good environmental management
The Qualship 21 programme was established by the US Coast Guard in 2002 and was designed to ensure safe and environmentally friendly maritime commerce.
To qualify for this programme, vessels must comply with the established requirements, which encourage those exemplary vessels that have been inclined towards compliance and good environmental management. To date and until June 2023, some 27 states and registries are included in the Qualship 21.
Implemented to guarantee
To achieve this objective, a series of measures were implemented to guarantee the reduction of possible detentions upon arrival of Panama-flagged vessels in ports of the United States:
- It was made mandatory that all Panama-flagged vessels transiting or visiting ports in Panama prior to their arrival in the United States must undergo a Flag State Inspection as soon as they arrive at any port terminal or anchorage area in Panama.
- By effective 1 August 2022, the AMP initiated a special flag inspection programme that was implemented for vessels arriving at U.S. ports whose PSC history makes them for a Port State Control Inspection by the U.S. Coast Guard.
Recognised Organisations
The Panama Maritime Authority (AMP)’s General Directorate of Merchant Marine by means of the Department of Navigation and Maritime Safety, in conjunction with the Flag Inspectors, the Recognised Organisations, and the Segumar Technical Offices located in the United States, Panama, among other regions worked to achieve this objective together.
Highest standards
“Panama’s Maritime Admsinistration encourages ship owners, operators, and captains to maintain the highest standards to ensure a safer as possible to innovative, and sustainable industry, always having as principle the protection of the human life at sea and the environment,” Panama said.
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Source: Seatrade-maritime
