THE Cyprus Shipping Chamber is urging the authorities to take a 'realistic and pragmatic approach?when implementing the new International Maritime Organisation's low sulphur content cap of 0.5 per cent on marine fuel that comes into effect on January 1.
'There is no doubt that the new regulation will have great environmental and human health benefits. The Cyprus shipping industry has supported the implementation of the regulation,?CSC President Philippos Philis was quoted as saying in Nicosia's Financial Mirror.
'Our members have worked intensively in the past months to assure readiness and compliance with the regulation,?Mr Philis said.
'We urge bunker fuel suppliers to ensure the supply of safe and compliant fuel and at the same time we call on governments and their port state control authorities to provide consistency and a common-sense approach to enforcement during the initial weeks of implementation, provided shipowners can demonstrate they have done everything in their power to comply.
'The global shipping industry is determined to address the environmental impacts of shipping so that we can continue to drive global trade sustainably,?Mr Philis said.
What's more, Cyprus and 20 other European countries have agreed to the potential introduction of a sulphur emission control area in the Mediterranean Sea, with the sulphur cap reduced further to 0.1 per cent. More studies will be performed, and the relevant governments will decide if they wish to proceed in 2021.
Industry observers argue that it is yet to be proven how reliable the quality and supply of low sulphur compliant fuel (LSFO) is. Plus, there is a possibility that the price of high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) could see a sharp drop in 2020.
Labour groups are afraid that the rapidly approaching low sulphur regulation could trigger a spate of criminal convictions, with seafarers facing prosecution if they fail to correctly manage the switchover to low sulphur fuel from January.
Claiming to have the third biggest merchant fleet in the European Union, among the top 12 in the world and the leading ship-management hub, the Cyprus shipping cluster contributes seven per cent of the national economic output.
The CSC and the Cyprus Union of Shipowners have merged and now represent 240 ship owning, ship management, chartering and shipping related companies based either in Cyprus or abroad. Together, both employ 9,000 onshore staff and 55,000 crew onboard ships, of which 35,000 are on Cypriot-flag vessels.
WORLD SHIPPING
'There is no doubt that the new regulation will have great environmental and human health benefits. The Cyprus shipping industry has supported the implementation of the regulation,?CSC President Philippos Philis was quoted as saying in Nicosia's Financial Mirror.
'Our members have worked intensively in the past months to assure readiness and compliance with the regulation,?Mr Philis said.
'We urge bunker fuel suppliers to ensure the supply of safe and compliant fuel and at the same time we call on governments and their port state control authorities to provide consistency and a common-sense approach to enforcement during the initial weeks of implementation, provided shipowners can demonstrate they have done everything in their power to comply.
'The global shipping industry is determined to address the environmental impacts of shipping so that we can continue to drive global trade sustainably,?Mr Philis said.
What's more, Cyprus and 20 other European countries have agreed to the potential introduction of a sulphur emission control area in the Mediterranean Sea, with the sulphur cap reduced further to 0.1 per cent. More studies will be performed, and the relevant governments will decide if they wish to proceed in 2021.
Industry observers argue that it is yet to be proven how reliable the quality and supply of low sulphur compliant fuel (LSFO) is. Plus, there is a possibility that the price of high sulphur fuel oil (HSFO) could see a sharp drop in 2020.
Labour groups are afraid that the rapidly approaching low sulphur regulation could trigger a spate of criminal convictions, with seafarers facing prosecution if they fail to correctly manage the switchover to low sulphur fuel from January.
Claiming to have the third biggest merchant fleet in the European Union, among the top 12 in the world and the leading ship-management hub, the Cyprus shipping cluster contributes seven per cent of the national economic output.
The CSC and the Cyprus Union of Shipowners have merged and now represent 240 ship owning, ship management, chartering and shipping related companies based either in Cyprus or abroad. Together, both employ 9,000 onshore staff and 55,000 crew onboard ships, of which 35,000 are on Cypriot-flag vessels.
WORLD SHIPPING
