SWEDISH CLUB SAYS SHIPOWNERS SHARE IN CONTAINER RISKS

SWEDISH CLUB SAYS SHIPOWNERS SHARE IN CONTAINER RISKS    Shipowners erroneously believe the safe stowage and securing of containers is the responsibility of charterers and stevedores, according to The Swedish Club, a protection and indemnity insurance association for shipowners and ship operators.
   “The reality is that a vessel’s master and officers share in this responsibility” as the shipowner’s legal representatives, the Club said Tuesday in a report citing substantial container losses.
   “There is also the time factor. The container trades operate at a frenetic pace. There is little doubt that this pressure can have a negative influence on those responsible for container stowage,” said Goran Rudelius, assistant claims director in the Hong Kong office of the Club, known formally as Sveriges Angfartygs Assurans Forening.