It has been said many times before, the maritime industry is one built upon working relationships. It is a matter of gaining an understanding of the perspective, needs, challenges, and direction of other facets of the industry that allows the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry to be a partner and collaborator for the future.
Earlier this month, with international travelers welcomed back into the country, Brian Poskaitis, Senior Vice President, Fleet Operations for International Registries, Inc. (IRI) from the Baltimore / Annapolis office, Captain Sascha Dyker, Fleet Operations Manager based out of IRI’s Hong Kong office and Meredith Kirby, General Counsel from IRI’s headquarters in Reston, prioritized a visit to Australia to connect with port State control (PSC) authorities at the headquarters of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
For many years, the RMI Registry has invested in Australia, hiring in-country resources and support. The multi-year investment IRI made in strengthening resources in Australia proved extremely beneficial during the pandemic when Australia closed its international borders. With foreign visitors prevented from entering the country, the in-country network of 26 nautical inspectors and the Registry’s inspector in Brisbane remained accessible to facilitate physical inspections where possible, train new inspectors, and maintain strong contacts with RMI flagged vessels trading in Australia. In fact, due to the RMI Registry’s significant in-country network, Australia was the only country where physical inspections were never completely halted.
The most recent visit with AMSA allowed Brian, Sascha, and Meredith to discuss areas of common interest and share information and processes with PSC authorities, while hearing about the trends identified by AMSA. In addition to PSC trends, they also discussed industry concerns such as compliance, the welfare of seafarers, and the pandemic’s impact on long-term safe operations.
