Environmental Rules Threaten the Interests of Short Sea Shippers

CSL vessels compete against road and rail transport

Although well-intentioned, regulations aimed at reducing the environmental impact of shipping are "insensitive" to the role of short sea shipping (SSS), according to The CSL Group (CSL), which has released a report on the challenges faced by the sector.

The report, Define,Defend, and Promote, says that regulations passed by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and its member states, including those dealing with Emission Control Areas (ECAs), the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI), and the proposed Ballast Water Management Convention, all threaten the interests of short sea shipping.

Unlike trans-ocean vessels, SSS ships compete with road and rail transport, and CSL says the new regulations have had the unintended consequence of shifting cargo to land transport.

"Despite a global presence counting approximately 16,000 vessels with a combined deadweight tonnage of 77 million tons, SSS is often overlooked by the IMO and governments worldwide as a significant contributor to the social, economic, and environmental well-being of nations," said David Martin, CSL's owner and director. 

The report also says there is currently no clear advocate for the various SSS trades at the IMO or within the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).

"SSS is often overlooked because the interests of international shipping tend to drown out the SSS voices at the IMO and other significant international shipping bodies," says Martin.

CSL says encouraging the transport of products by SSS rather than land transport helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions and keep congestion down.

The report, produced by the Research Traffic Group for CSL, recommends that the IMO establish a definition of SSS and create mechanisms to ensure the sector is considered when new rules are adopted and that its interests are represented, and that short sea shipping nations and national shipping associations should help defend the interests of the SSS sector.

CSL said last year that regulations concerning the North American Emissions Control Area (ECA) are too stringent for the lower horsepower vessels it uses.