ABSTRACT
Shipping moves goods from a region where they have a low value to a region where they have a high value. Currently, 90 per cent of global trade is carried on 91,000 ships that move 8.4 billion tonnes of goods annually. Over 1.4 million seafarers work on ships registered in over 150 nations, and over 2 billion passengers are moved annually on ships. Thirty-five states control 95 per cent of the world’s shipping fleet. Of these states, Greece, Japan, Germany, Norway, the United States and China control approximately 38 per cent of the world’s shipping fleet. The LOSC enshrines the right of innocent passage and transit passage; immunity of warships; freedom of the high seas and use of the high seas for peaceful purposes; rights of all states to participate in shipping; prohibitions on carrying slaves; the necessity of combating piracy; and the right of all states to fish. The LOSC also articulates the rights and duties of coastal and flag states as well as the rights of states to determine the conditions for granting of their nationality to ships and standards for manning and training crews. Shipping is primarily regulated by the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organization. The IMO’s authority only applies to international shipping. Member states are expected to implement and enforce the 40 IMO conventions, protocols, as well as the 800+ codes and recommendations. The major marine shipping conventions are the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), Maritime Labour Convention (MLO), and International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships (MARPOL 73/78). Current global shipping issues include addressing piracy, climate change, seafarer safety and greenhouse gas emissions.
