IMPA highlights the dangers of competition in pilotage, stressing its role as a public service essential for safety and efficiency.
Pilotage is a Public Service
The International Maritime Pilots' Association (IMPA) has issued a clear warning against the dangers that free market and competition winds can create in maritime pilotage. The association emphasizes that pilotage is not an ordinary commercial business; it is a vital public service that protects human life, the environment, and trade. According to IMPA, some countries that have fallen into the misconception that 'if competition comes, the service will become cheaper and its quality will increase' are greatly mistaken.
Warning Bells and Striking Data
Captain Simon Pelletier, President of IMPA, states that decision-makers need to reverse these policies, noting that where competition has entered, costs have increased, while safety and efficiency have plummeted. The figures painfully confirm this situation. For instance, in a region where competition was initiated, pilotage fees have doubled since 2018, while accident rates have skyrocketed to 41 times the international average. In another area, 60% of maritime accidents occur precisely in waters where companies are competing with each other. Moreover, in a competitive environment, the efficiency of the main service provider has decreased by 9%, rendering them unable to keep up with the rising demand.
Proper Investment and Global Examples
A comprehensive study conducted by economists in 2023 proves that every dollar invested in a well-regulated pilotage system returns $60 in terms of safety and efficiency. The attempt by numerous companies to establish the same infrastructure, fleet, and training while trying to extract costs from a fragmented market is not only failing to lower prices but is inflating them further. For this reason, places like Alaska and Florida, which have experienced issues in the past with this system, now explicitly prohibit competition in pilotage. The European Union is also protecting this public service from the destructive effects of competition through the Port Services Regulation.
Striking Similarities with Discussions in Turkey
The clear picture that IMPA warns the world about, stating that 'profit-oriented competition will undermine safety,' is actually at the very center of the ongoing heated discussions in Turkey's maritime sector. As is known, recent legislative changes regarding Pilotage and Towage Services proposed the transfer of these services through tenders and opening them to competition. However, maritime civil society organizations and experts, particularly the Turkish Pilots' Association, have repeatedly expressed that this issue cannot solely be a cost-focused tender matter; it is a vital public duty directly related to the safety of lives, property, the environment, and especially the Turkish Straits. The current report published by IMPA once again highlights how justified the objections of professional organizations in Turkey are, asserting that 'privatization and competition in pilotage will undermine maritime safety,' based on international data and painful experiences from around the world.
The original text of the IMPA statement can be accessed via the following link:
Press Release-Deregulation and Competition-FOR RELEASE ON 17 MARCH 2026.pdf
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
