The history of shipping in Cyprus traces back hundreds of years. [1] Its geographical position at the crossroads of Europe, Asia and Africa as well as its proximity to the Suez Canal has historically favoured merchant shipping as an important industry for this European island state. [2] As of 2005 Cyprus holds the 9th largest (by DWT) [3] merchant navy in the world and the 3rd largest in the European Union. [4] [5]
Merchant shipping has long been of great importance to the island, with its roots stretching well back into antiquity. Examples of shipwrecks discovered off the island's coast (e.g. the Kyrenia ship) plus evidence of ancient ports (e.g. Amathus) give proof to the fact that Cyprus was a major seafaring player in antiquity and located along important trade routes. [6]
Merchant shipping has been actively developed by successive governments since the independence of Cyprus from British rule in 1960 and has since experienced sustained growth. [7] [8] The first shipping hub was created in the port of Famagusta, but since the Turkish invasion of 1974 the port has been occupied and is currently declared illegal. Most business are now transferred to Limassol Port and to a lesser extent Larnaca Port. Cyprus has traditionally been a popular shipping centre and home to some of the leading names of the global shipping industry. [9] Among the ship management companies established and operating, 87% are controlled by EU interests. These companies employ almost 40,000 seafarers out of whom 5,000 are EU nationals. According to the latest governmental estimates, the total fleet managed from Cyprus represents 20% of the world third–party ship management market (out of 10,000 ships in the world shipmanagement market under a wide approach). [10]
The new tonnage tax scheme for Cyprus was approved by the European Commission on 24 March 2010, as compatible with the requirements of the EU Acquis communautaire, in accordance with the relevant guidelines on State Aid to Maritime Transport. This simplified tonnage tax system is approved for the first time for an EU Member State, a state with an open registry. The said scheme was approved for a ten years period, which may be extended for a further period of ten years. The provisions of the Law are applicable for the fiscal year 2010, starting on the 1st January 2010 and will be valid until December 2019. [11]
The Department of Merchant Shipping (DMS) was established and started functioning as a distinct entity in the Ministry of Communications and Works, in 1977. The service existed, however since 1963 and functioned under the Department of Ports. The Cyprus registry ranks tenth among international fleets and third within the European Union, with a merchant fleet exceeding 22 million gross tons. [12] The department is responsible for the development of maritime activities which include:
Cyprus has the only EU-approved “Open Registry” regime with a wide and legally endorsed Tonnage Tax System (TTS), which was introduced with the Merchant Shipping Law in 2010 and covers the three main “maritime transport” activities: [13] [14]
The BSM Maritime Training Centre was founded in 1983 and is IMO approved operating under the auspices of the Cyprus Administration. Individual courses are separately recognized by individual leading flag state authorities, where required. The Centre provides training for Ratings, Junior Officers, Senior Officers, employed on Cyprus and foreign flag ships. Attendees who pass the exams are awarded with certificates issued by the Cyprus Department of Merchant Shipping. All courses comply with STCW 1978 and the amendments of the 1995 Convention. In 1998, the school won the Lloyd's List Youth & Training Award for its outstanding and consistent contribution to maritime training. [15]
The states's accession to the European Union, in 2004, further boosted the reputation and overall image of the Cyprus flag and the infrastructure of Cyprus’ shipping in general. [16] [17] [18] [19] Settlement of the Cyprus dispute would boost the commercial fleet to new levels, according to, Cyprus Shipping Chamber Director General and European Community Shipowners' Associations Chairman, Thomas Kazakos. [20] [21] Under the recent geopolitical developments the government is putting into effect recommendations of a study to help it reposition. The Cyprus Shipping Chamber director general says the five-point action plan is designed to boost the island even further against other maritime hubs and open ship registries. [22] [23]
Shipping and ship management makes up approximately 2% of the GDP with an overall contribution in of CYP£170 million (1999). 3,500 people are employed in the industry, representing 2% of the total gainfully employed population. The total revenue of Cyprus Maritime Administration for the year 2003 was around CYP£5.3 million which mainly consists of tonnage tax from ship owning and ship management companies, registration fees and issue of shipping documents.
Maritime transport or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers) or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by sea has been widely used throughout recorded history. The advent of aviation has diminished the importance of sea travel for passengers, though it is still popular for short trips and pleasure cruises. Transport by water is cheaper than transport by air or ground, but significantly slower for longer distances. Maritime transport accounts for roughly 80% of international trade, according to UNCTAD in 2020.
A container ship is a cargo ship that carries all of its load in truck-size intermodal containers, in a technique called containerization. Container ships are a common means of commercial intermodal freight transport and now carry most seagoing non-bulk cargo.
The United States Merchant Marine is an organization composed of United States civilian mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of the government and private sectors, and engage in commerce or transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of the United States. The Merchant Marine primarily transports domestic and international cargo and passengers during peacetime, and operate and maintain deep-sea merchant ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, excursion vessels, charter boats and other waterborne craft on the oceans, the Great Lakes, rivers, canals, harbors, and other waterways. In times of war, the Merchant Marine can be an auxiliary to the United States Navy, and can be called upon to deliver military personnel and materiel for the military.
The British Merchant Navy is the collective name given to British civilian ships and their associated crews, including officers and ratings. In the UK, it is simply referred to as the Merchant Navy or MN. Merchant Navy vessels fly the Red Ensign and the ships and crew are regulated by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), a specialist agency of the UK Department of Transport. British merchant ships are registered under the UK or Red Ensign group ship registries. British Merchant Navy deck officers and ratings are certificated and trained according to STCW Convention and the syllabus of the Merchant Navy Training Board in maritime colleges and other training institutes around the UK.
Flag of convenience (FOC) is a business practice whereby a ship's owners register a merchant ship in a ship register of a country other than that of the ship's owners, and the ship flies the civil ensign of that country, called the flag state. The term is often used pejoratively, and although common, the practice is sometimes regarded as contentious.
A.P. Møller – Mærsk A/S, also known simply as Maersk, is a Danish shipping and logistics company founded in 1904 by Arnold Peter Møller and his father Peter Mærsk Møller.
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime treaty which sets out minimum safety standards in the construction, equipment and operation of merchant ships. The International Maritime Organization convention requires signatory flag states to ensure that ships flagged by them comply with at least these standards.
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) is a statutory board under the Ministry of Transport of the Government of Singapore.
The flag state of a merchant vessel is the jurisdiction under whose laws the vessel is registered or licensed, and is deemed the nationality of the vessel. A merchant vessel must be registered and can only be registered in one jurisdiction, but may change the jurisdiction in which it is registered. The flag state has the authority and responsibility to enforce regulations over vessels registered under its flag, including those relating to inspection, certification, and issuance of safety and pollution prevention documents. As a ship operates under the laws of its flag state, these laws are applicable if the ship is involved in an admiralty case.
The maritime history of the United States is a broad theme within the history of the United States. As an academic subject, it crosses the boundaries of standard disciplines, focusing on understanding the United States' relationship with the oceans, seas, and major waterways of the globe. The focus is on merchant shipping, and the financing and manning of the ships. A merchant marine owned at home is not essential to an extensive foreign commerce. In fact, it may be cheaper to hire other nations to handle the carrying trade than to participate in it directly. On the other hand, there are certain advantages, particularly during time of war, which may warrant an aggressive government encouragement to the maintenance of a merchant marine.
A merchant navy or merchant marine is the fleet of merchant vessels that are registered in a specific country. On merchant vessels, seafarers of various ranks and sometimes members of maritime trade unions are required by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) to carry Merchant Mariner's Documents.
An oil tanker, also known as a petroleum tanker, is a ship designed for the bulk transport of oil or its products. There are two basic types of oil tankers: crude tankers and product tankers. Crude tankers move large quantities of unrefined crude oil from its point of extraction to refineries. Product tankers, generally much smaller, are designed to move refined products from refineries to points near consuming markets.
The Ministry of War Transport (MoWT) was a department of the British Government formed early in the Second World War to control transportation policy and resources. It was formed by merging the Ministry of Shipping and the Ministry of Transport, bringing responsibility for both shipping and land transport to a single department, and easing problems of co-ordination of transport in wartime.
Atlantska plovidba d.d. is a Croatian shipping company. Founded in 1955 in Dubrovnik, the company works mostly in the dry bulk and heavy lift markets, serving both domestic and international clients.
The Hong Kong Shipping Register was set up in 1990 under the Hong Kong Merchant Shipping (Registration) Ordinance, administered by the Marine Department. Since the transfer of sovereignty by the United Kingdom in 1997, Hong Kong is authorised under the Basic Law by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, using the name “Hong Kong, China” to maintain a separate ship registration system.
British Tanker Company Limited was the maritime transport arm of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, the forerunner of BP. Formed in 1915 with an initial fleet of seven oil tankers, the British Tanker Company became the BP Tanker Company in 1955.
Greece is a maritime nation by tradition, as shipping is arguably the oldest form of occupation of the Greeks and has been a key element of Greek economic activity since ancient times. Today, shipping is the country's most important industry worth $21.9 billion in 2018. If related businesses are added, the figure jumps to $23.7 billion, employs about 392,000 people, and shipping receipts are about 1/3 of the nation's trade deficit. In 2018, the Greek Merchant Navy controlled the world's largest merchant fleet, in terms of tonnage, with a total DWT of 834,649,089 tons and a fleet of 5,626 Greek-owned vessels, according to Lloyd's List. Greece is also ranked in the top for all kinds of ships, including first for tankers and bulk carriers.
The Danish Maritime Authority is the agency of the Danish Government responsible for regulating and administrating Danish maritime affairs. The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) is part of the Ministry of Industry, Business, and Financial Affairs. The Agency consists of the central authority and eight vision offices, including the office in Nuuk and the Centre for Maritime Health on Fanø. Its headquarters are in Korsør.
The Red Ensign Group is a collaboration of United Kingdom shipping registries including British Overseas Territories and Crown dependencies. It takes its name from the Red Ensign flag flown by British civil merchant ships. Its stated purpose is to combine resources to maintain safety and quality across the British fleet. As of 2018 it ranked the ninth largest such group in the world, with approximately 1,300 vessels. Sir Alan Massey of the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency commented: ".. keeping [ships] inside the REG family means that you still have some influence over their quality and performance... We can take administrative measures against members of [it] if we want to so as to ensure that safety is brought up to the necessary standards..." The vessels also receive British Consular assistance and protection.
The International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments is a 2004 international maritime treaty which requires signatory flag states to ensure that ships flagged by them comply with standards and procedures for the management and control of ships' ballast water and sediments. The Convention aims to prevent the spread of harmful aquatic organisms from one region to another and halt damage to the marine environment from ballast water discharge, by minimising the uptake and subsequent discharge of sediments and organisms. From 2024, all ships are required to have approved Ballast Water Management Treatment System, according to the D2 standard. Existing ships are required to install an approved system, which may cost up to 5 million USD per ship to install. To assist with implementation, the IMO has released 14 Guidance documents in regards to the Convention including the G2 Guidelines for Ballast Water Sampling, G4 Guidelines for Ballast Water management and G6 Guidelines for Ballast Water Exchange. As of 15 July 2021, 86 countries were contracting States to the BWM Convention.