(Still) Reflecting: COSCO BUSAN Debate Rages On

Maritime Industry and Regulatory Bodies weigh in on the ultimate consequences – if any – of the COSCO BUSAN Allision. Last week’s lead editorial entitled, “Game Changer: Reflecting Back on the COSCO BUSAN Debacle,” was, far and away, the most widely opened article in this e-newsletter in more than two years. Not surprisingly, the article also triggered a flood of mail in similar volumes. To say that the legal aftermath of the COSCO BUSAN incident is one of the most closely watched maritime stories since the EXXON VALDEZ and the advent of OPA-90 would probably not be overstating the case. There are good reasons for that. But don’t take my word for it; our readers prove this point far better than I could ever hope to put it into words. This week, I thought long and hard about what to focus on in this column. In the end, I knew that I couldn’t hope to top last week’s effort in terms of reader interest and response. So, I’m not even going to try. Instead, I will point your attention elsewhere to see what industry leaders, pilots and just plain-old-observers had to say about the changing landscape of the business of marine pilots – here and around the globe. Not everyone is in agreement as to what, if anything, will be the most significant impact of COSCO BUSAN. You should know, however, that the United States Coast Guard has advised me that, as far as they are concerned, nothing has changed. This week, they said in an E-mail to MarEx, “The simple answer is there has been no change in the relationship between the pilot and the master.” (*) The virtual flood of mail that came in this week also included a .pdf file that outlines a July 15th letter (reportedly) sent to agents in the Gulf Coast area. The letter, dated July 15, 2009 and sent by the Pascagoula Bar Pilots Association LLC, lays out the (Tariff and Pilot Liability) conditions under which these pilots will provide service in the future. The letter included a form whereby agents are being asked to indicate by their signature that they agree to these conditions. It would be fair to say that this development, if deemed legal, will impact pilot matters here and elsewhere. If you don’t always open our regular MarEx Mailbag feature, then this week would be a good time to change that habit. Usually the second article in any one of our MarEx e-newsletters, this feature allows MarEx readers the opportunity to provide feedback and insight on our articles and the hot-button issues of the day. This week’s entries come from a wide range of experts who tell it like it is. As such, they can do the talking this week. We’ll hit the ground running with another hard-hitting editorial in next week’s MarEx e-newsletter. Until then, check out the MarEx Mailbag feature that immediately follows this entry. – MarEx. (*) Good tip for those of you getting ready to take your Rules of the Road license exams.

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Joseph Keefe is the Editor in Chief of THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE. He can be reached with comments on this editorial at [email protected]. Join the Maritime Executive ‘Linked In’ group at by clicking http://www.linkedin.com/e/gis/47685