Around 300 tankers are still sailing under false flags, with 285 identified using fake registries, despite increased pressure from authorities.
According to data from maritime analysis firm Windward, despite increasing pressure on this practice in recent weeks, approximately 300 tankers continue to operate under false flags.
Windward's findings indicate that by the end of 2025, around 285 tankers engaged in international trade have broadcasted under flags associated with false or unknown registries via the Automatic Identification System (AIS). The company stated that it has identified 18 separate false registries, with 91% of the vessels using these registries currently subject to sanctions by Western authorities.
The most commonly used false registries include Guinea (51 vessels), the Netherlands Antilles (45), Guyana (44), and Aruba (24).
In its latest update, Windward commented, 'False flag operations undermine the commercial and legal infrastructure that allows global shipping to operate predictably.'
Recently, Western countries have tightened measures against vessels referred to as the 'shadow fleet.' The United States has seized seven tankers linked to Venezuelan trade in the past seven weeks, while France seized a Russian aframax tanker operating under a false flag in the western Mediterranean yesterday.
Some countries are also raising louder warnings against so-called registries that misuse their names. The government of Tonga condemned foreign vessels claiming to carry its flag in a statement released earlier this month. The statement emphasized that Tonga's international ship registry was closed in 2002 and that the kingdom does not register foreign vessels operating internationally.
Windward stated, 'When a vessel uses a false or non-existent registry, the mechanisms that sustain maritime trade begin to fail,' indicating that in such cases, the responsibility of the flag state becomes unenforceable, and the relevant insurance and classification records may be invalid, suspended, or unverifiable.
The company argued that widespread misidentification seriously undermines the trust in the documentation, records, and compliance processes necessary for the safe and efficient operation of global maritime transport.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
