Maritime Regulations

What the ISM Code requires of shipping companies and ships: SMS elements, the DPA, DOC and SMC certification, ISM audits and PSC detention risks explained.

What the 2008 IS Code requires: GZ and GM criteria, the weather criterion, special rules for passenger ships, tankers and timber carriers, and inspections.

SOLAS is the IMO’s core ship safety treaty. This guide breaks down what each of its fourteen chapters actually covers and how it gets enforced at sea.

MARPOL is the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships. It’s the IMO treaty governing oil, chemical, sewage, garbage, and air pollution at sea. Adopted in 1973 and in force since 1983 as MARPOL 73/78, it’s split into six Annexes, each covering a different pollution source. This guide breaks down what each Annex…

The Maritime Transportation Security Act is US federal legislation that sets mandatory security requirements for vessels, port facilities, and the people working in them. It is not about overseas travel in any general sense — it is about what happens when a ship enters American waters, ties up at an American berth, or handles cargo…

An STCW certificate is a document that proves a seafarer has met the minimum training requirements set by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW). The STCW Convention, established in 1978 by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), sets the global standards for the training and certification of seafarers. The…

The Grain and Feed Trade Association (Gafta) is an internationally recognized trade organization established to promote and facilitate global trade of agricultural commodities, spices, and general produce. With over 1,900 members in 100 countries, Gafta is dedicated to protecting the interests of traders, brokers, superintendents, analysts, fumigators, arbitrators, and other professionals in the international grain…