Minister hails 'fantastic achievement'

The Isle of Man Ship Register has been named one of the best in the world.

It emerging with no potential negative performance indicators in the 2010 Shipping Industry Flag State Performance Table, an annual exercise undertaken by leading shipowner groupings.

Registers are measured on their performance on 19 objective criteria, including convention ratifications, designated recognised organisations and fleet age. Only five other registers rated the same as the Isle of Man, namely Denmark, France, Germany, Greece and Norway. The sponsoring organisations say that the aim of the exercise is to provide a general understanding of a flag's performance and to encourage ship operators to reflect on a flag's quality before using it.

Minister for Economic Development, Allan Bell MHK commented: 'This is a fantastic achievement by the Isle of Man Ship Registry and reinforces our commitment to maintain the Isle of Man as a leading international business centre renowned for professionalism and a longstanding policy of positive engagement with international standards. I would like to congratulate the team at the Isle of Man Ship Registry for ensuring the Isle of Man remains a world-class location for ship registration.'

Department member with responsibility for shipping, Alex Downie MLC, said: 'This is another very important endorsement for the Isle of Man's ship register from the international maritime community. Following on from our high placing on the Paris MOU White List and entry to the United States Coast Guard Qualship 21 Scheme earlier this year, I am delighted that we have demonstrated our standing as one of the leading registers in the world.'

Director of the Isle of Man Ship Registry, Dick Welsh commented: 'Accolades like this are so valuable as this is the industry’s perspective. Topping the table rewards the staff for all their hard work in maintaining standards, but it also rewards the clients whose quality performance of their vessels is assessed. As long as we maintain the framework and quality approach to allow us to stay at the top, our clients do the rest. It is this partnership which really works well for the Isle of Man.'