Latest developments mean UK flag is no flag of convenience
UK Ships Register back in Qualship 21 and is top of the Paris MOU 'White List'

The UK Ship Register is back in the Qualship 21 programme operated by the US Coast Guard that rewards flag states that have good port state control records in US ports.


David Wright, Registrar General for the UK Ship Register said “this is excellent news and highlights the fact that the UK Ship Register is recognised as a quality register as proved through its recent significant growth.”

Instituted in 2001, Qualship 21 stands for Quality Shipping for the 21st Century. The programme promises qualified participants name recognition as well as fewer port state control inspections.

The cut-off for inclusion into Qualship 21 is a three-year running detention rate of 1% or less, based on a minimum of 10 distinct US arrivals a year. The average is determined by dividing the total number of safety and environmental IMO detentions by the number of each flag state’s annual distinct vessel arrivals.

Less than 10% of all foreign-flagged ships calling in the US each year earn this recognition and only a handful of flag states meet the criterion.

Last month the UK register reached the top of the Paris MOU 'White List'  and therefore also has the best port state control record in the Paris Memorandum of Understanding region for 2006.

Achieving the top position on the Paris MOU Committee ‘White List’ of quality Flag States has been described as bringing to an end the belief that the growth of the UK Ship Register means a decline in quality.

The UK Ship Register was ranked third on the previous ‘White List’, which represents those quality flags with a consistently low detention record.

Peter Cardy, Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, which administers the UK Ship Register, said at the time:

"This is tremendous news and contradicts the claims that in seeking the ‘grow the flag’ the UK Ship Register has lowered its standards and become a ‘flag of convenience’. It is not, it has never been and it never will be".

"The reality is that the UK Ship Register is recognised as a ‘Quality Flag’ with ships flying the Red Ensign meeting the highest quality safety standards and, therefore, being less likely to be detained."

"Reaching the top position on the ‘White List’ justifies our goal to work closely with our customers to improve the quality of the ships joining the Register. We believe that quality is non-negotiable and that standards set by reputable sections of the shipping industry should not be compromised by sub-standard shipping."

Merchant Ships Container Tanker Bulk Carrier Ro-Ro (Freight) Ro-Ro (Passenger Ferry) Cruise Ship General Cargo Others Fishing Vessels Vessels used to catch fish for profit Mega/Super Yachts Commercially operated vessels 24 metres and over Pleasure Craft/Small Ships Commercial small ships (under 24m) and pleasure craft News You are here: Home > News > New additions to the UK Ship Register

There were a total of 17 additions to the UK Ship Register during June 2007 resulting in just less than 200,000 worth of gross tonnage being added. Of these 17 additions 8 were new builds.

During June 2007 vessels joined the UK Ship Register from Allocean Ltd, Brostrom Tankers SAS, Stolt Nielsen Transportation, Maersk, CMA CGM and Zodiac.

Amongst the most significant vessels to join were the CMA CGM MARLIN and CMA CGM KINGFISH. Both are new build container ships of 54,309 GT.

Other significant vessels to join the UK Ship Register were 3 Brostrom vessels, the BRO ALBERT, BRO ALEXANDRE and the BRO ARTHUR. All are tankers of 28,226 GT.

The average age of the UK fleet continues to reduce as the majority of the vessels coming onto the UK Ship Register are either new builds or of younger tonnage. The average age of vessels flagging-in during June was five years.