The Tokyo MOU has reported a big downturn in ship inspections last year because of the pandemic.
The grouping of port-state control (PSC) authorities on both sides of the Pacific did not quantify the fall in numbers, but described it as “significant”.
The decrease in PSC inspections will affect its ability to assess safety in the region in its upcoming annual review, but the Tokyo MOU said it has decided to go ahead and publish the figures.
“While noting a significant decrease of the number of inspections conducted in 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic, we decided to publish 2020 data without redaction in the annual report in the same manner as they have been published in the past,” the Tokyo MOU said after its annual meeting.
PSC is regarded as critical to the management and monitoring of shipping safety around the world. In 2019, the Tokyo MOU carried out 31,372 inspections.
Campaign cancelled
The Covid-19 pandemic has already had a serious impact on its work. Last June, it was forced to cancel its annual Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC), which was due to take place over a three-month period.
The Tokyo MOU is now drawing up a series of practical procedures for remote PSC inspection and is rescheduling its upcoming programme of CICs.
It has also agreed to extend a trial of remote follow-up inspections that are used to verify that deficiencies identified at the initial physical PSC inspection have been rectified.
“This allows PSC officers to verify and close deficiencies, without physically visiting the vessel under specific circumstances,” it said.
At the moment, such follow-up inspections are held at the discretion of individual PSC authorities.
