UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES
While many shadow fleet ships sail through the Strait without stopping, questions remain over what Singapore can do.
“What they’re doing is actually exercising their right of innocent passage through the Singapore Straits,” said Mr Mathiew Rajoo, partner at maritime and commercial law firm DennisMathiew.
“You have to bear in mind that the Singapore Straits is actually a traffic separation scheme that is adopted by the International Maritime Organization,” he added, referring to the routing system that manages ships travelling in opposite directions.
Although most shadow fleet vessels pass through without issues, analysts say they act as “risk multipliers” in one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
The larger concern arises when these typically uninsured vessels are involved in accidents, said Mr Mathiew, leading to unintended consequences like oil spills.
A major tanker spill could cost up to US$1.6 billion in response and cleanup alone.
In Southeast Asia, cleanup costs are estimated at about US$16,000 per tonne of oil.
Yet changing international law may not be straightforward.
“When the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was agreed by the parties, at that time, we didn’t have this problem of shadow fleet,” said Mr Mathiew.
“This problem was not in their minds,” he added.
“So maybe the better way to deal with this is to go and amend the convention to address this type of risk, because they are real risks, and you cannot afford to have a pollution incident from the shadow fleet.”
Singapore fully implements the UN resolutions, including sanctions imposed through domestic legislation, and the MPA monitors all vessel movements in Singapore waters.
Ship-to-ship transfers here without MPA’s approval are not allowed, and Singapore is working with neighbouring countries to combat illicit maritime activities in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapore/shadow-fleet-vessels-zombie-ships-sanctioned-cargo-oil-russia-iran-singapore-straits-5563491
