UN Maritime Body Raises Concern About Shadow Fleet of Tankers

A United Nations agency that oversees shipping raised concerns about the shadow fleet that has emerged to transport oil amid sanctions, and called for more steps to boost safety.

(Bloomberg) — A United Nations agency that oversees shipping raised concerns about the shadow fleet that has emerged to transport oil amid sanctions, and called for more steps to boost safety.

A committee of the International Maritime Organization also raised concerns about the safety of ship-to-ship transfers — whereby tankers offload oil from one ship to another at sea.

In the most concrete step, it said states that become aware of ships going dark — or turning off their transponders — should be subject to more inspections.

Russia’s invasion of its neighbor — and subsequent sanctions by Western governments — have dramatically altered trade routes for oil. While more Russian crude has flowed to Asia, the shipping has also become murkier. Traders are increasingly transferring oil among a shadow fleet of aging tankers in international waters off Ceuta, a Spanish enclave in North Africa.

Read More: Aging Shadow Fleet Carrying Russian Oil Poses Disaster Risk

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