Morooka (ICS): the financings lack in order to continue to operate the ships in sure and echo-sustainable way



"As we will make to survive". This distressing interrogative worries certainly in these years very many enterprises hit from world-wide an economic crisis that does not give signal to attenuate itself, not excluded those of the shipping. The question mark, often formulated between himself and himself, this time is esternato by the president of the shipowning association International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Masamichi Morooka, in occasion of the event "Shipping 2013" in course to Stamford, that it is organized from the Connecticut Maritime Association (CMA).

Taking part today to the session dedicated to the environmental norms, Morooka has emphasized that the severe measures in order to reduce the impact of the marine transport on the atmosphere must be also economically sustainable.

"In a truly difficult economic scene as that current one, than for many companies of the shipping it is worse in living memory - the ICS president has explained - is indeed only a question mark in the minds of the marine operators who work in the trenches: as we will make to survive"

"The protection of the atmosphere - it has continued Morooka - is of great importance, but we must balance the measures that we adopt with their economic impact. Currently the financings to the shipping practically have drained. This does not regard only the new ships, but also for the investments necessary in order to continue to operate the ships in service in sure and echo-sustainable way".

"If a shipowning company is already sinking in the debits - it has observed Morooka - as ago investing in the modernization of expensive new systems of treatment of the ballast waters that will be necessary in the next few years, for a cost estimated comprised between and five million dollars for each one ship"

Morooka has evidenced that the investments in environmental measures as the systems of cleansing of gases of drainage and the technologies greens in order to reduce the emissions of co2, let alone the installation of systems of treatment of waters of ballast and the distilled fuel use, could cost to the industry of shipping the hundred of billions. "As they will make the marine operators - the president has wondered for ICS - to face all these additional costs that are growing much to have a strong impact on the world-wide commerce or to force to bring back the goods on the roads or towards other more polluting modalities of transport"

"We are engaged in the protection of the atmosphere - has concluded Morooka - but I do not believe that the shipowners would not have to set these difficult questions. If the legislative authorities have the task to balance the interests of the shipowners with the need protect the atmosphere and the interests of the society in general terms, they must also be pragmatic and to be aware of the impact that their actions have in the long term on the sustainability of the field. Otherwise there is the risk to create a field in which the investor they do not want to invest".