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List of Regulation & compliance

International rules, registration, safety, and compliance.

9 entries

1. Ballast water management

   The treatment of ballast water before discharge, required by the IMO's BWM Convention to prevent the spread of invasive species.

2. Flag state

   The country in which a ship is registered, whose law governs the vessel and which is responsible for enforcing international standards aboard.

3. Flags of convenience

   Why most of the world fleet flies the flags of Panama, Liberia, and the Marshall Islands — and the debate around open registries.

4. IMO number

   A permanent seven-digit identity number that stays with a ship from build to scrapping, regardless of name or flag changes.

5. ISM Code

   The International Safety Management Code, requiring every operator to run a documented safety management system ashore and aboard.

6. MARPOL

   The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, covering oil, chemicals, sewage, garbage, and air emissions.

7. Port state control (PSC)

   Inspection of foreign ships in national ports to verify compliance with international safety and environmental standards.

8. Ship registration

   How ships acquire nationality — registries, what registration confers, and how owners choose a flag.

9. SOLAS

   The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea — the core treaty governing merchant ship safety.