Editor's Column

AS you will have noticed, The Maritime Advocate has had a bit of a facelift – we hope you like the new look. We have also made some editorial changes. Each issue will now include regular articles on shipmanagement, ship finance, insurance and ship registration. There is also a new IT page looking at new products and services aimed at the maritime world and reviews of maritime-related websites.

In this issue we also look at why it’s a good time to invest in the Brazilian shipping industry, the latest developments in maritime law in Latvia, and the impact of the ISM Code on carrier’s liability in Germany. We also chat to George Arghyrakis about setting up on your own and the challenges of practising maritime law in London.

One thing that hasn’t changed is our aim to bring you news from as many jurisdictions around the world as possible. This issue is no exception with ship finance in China, maritime insurance in Norway, ship registration in Canada, and ship arrest in India, South Africa and Nigeria. Not to mention Mexico, Gibraltar, Panama and Latvia.

Brian Starer, senior partner at Holland & Knight, also poses an interesting debate with his call for an international convention on classification societies. According to Starer, class societies have gradually become more concerned with their company’s bottom line than overall safety. He believes that a dedicated convention would not only ensure that surveyors are not influenced by non-surveyor services such as consulting, but would also enable the introduction of whistleblower statutes for surveyors to report on class society impropriety without retaliation from their employer. A provocative article – let us know what you think.

We would love to hear your thoughts on not only the content of the magazine but it’s new look too. And if there are any interesting developments taking place where you are that you would like to tell others about, please let us know.

Suzanne