Marshall Islands registry grows

Marshall Islands registry grows International Registries Inc. and its affiliates, the Marshall Islands Maritime and Corporate Administrators, said it plans to open offices in Dubai, Houston and Istanbul in early 2009.
   IRI said it would also begin conducting examinations and issuing certificates of competency for seafarers from its office in Mumbai. This year the registry opened branch offices in Baltimore and Geneva.
   Since 2000, the Marshall Islands fleet has grown at an average rate of 23 percent a year and as of mid-November had topped 1,880 vessels and 43.9 million gross tons under the registry. Another 345 vessels have committed to register in the Marshall Islands over the next three years, IRI said. These include 45 vessels from Korean, 100 from Japan, 50 from countries in the Middle East, and 150 from Mediterranean nations. Along with ships coming from Northern Europe, IRI expects the Marshall Islands registry to reach 50 million gross tons by 2010.
   Bill Gallagher, IRI president, said the registry will increase staff in offices in Roosendaal, Netherlands; Piraeus, Greece; and Hong Kong to support the growing fleet and address technical and marine safety issues that arise.