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The shipping sector and its interconnected supply chains are facing unparalleled challenges as a result of recent crises and geopolitical tensions . A rapidly expanding shadow fleet , involved in illicit ship-to-ship ( STS ) transfers of Russian oil and liquified natural gas ( LNG ), has exacerbated the long-standing issue of ‘ dark shipping ’. This problem , characterized by illegal activities such as human trafficking , arms smuggling , drug trading , and unregulated fishing , poses serious threats to national security , vessel safety , and the environment , while also jeopardizing global supply chains .
In response to this crisis , the International Maritime Organization ( IMO ) adopted Assembly Resolution A . 1192 ( 33 ) in December 2023 , urging governments and all related stakeholders to take decisive action against the shadow fleet . However , continued reliance on automatic identification systems ( AIS ) for vessel tracking limits these efforts . AIS is too easily disabled , jammed , or spoofed , rendering it inadequate for addressing dark shipping and ensuring maritime security . To safeguard these vessels and supply chains effectively , the shipping industry needs to adopt an advanced , multi-layered tracking approach that integrates diverse data sources and realtime analytics to deliver reliable and accurate vessel positioning information .
Captain Steve Bomgardner , VP Shipping & Offshore , Pole Star Global , explains how a persistent tracking solution that overcomes the huge gaps in current positioning data is a vital next step in the safeguarding of vessels at sea .
Growing global risks and sanctions
The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS ), the cornerstone of global maritime order , is under increasing strain due to escalating geopolitical instability . Tensions in regions such as the Black Sea , Crimea ,
South China Sea , Spratly Islands , Red Sea , Gulf of Aden and Yemen , along with the Straits of Hormuz , Iran are seriously undermining maritime safety . Rising attacks on shipping in high-risk areas such as the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden have also prompted ship masters themselves to switch off AIS tracking to avoid being targeted . While this can help to reduce vulnerability in the short term , it also increases the risk of collisions and environmental disasters and creates supply chain uncertainty .
The lack of transparency in global shipping is now a critical concern for governments and stakeholders striving to maintain compliance . In response to the heightened sanctions from the United States , European Union and United Kingdom , Russian oil tankers have shifted away from the large open registries to smaller , less stringent flags , further complicating the efforts of the IMO and national regulators to restore order .
Shortly after the IMO Assembly Resolution , US authorities issued a Quint Seal Notice from their key regulators in December 2023 , urging vessel owners , charterers , exporters , brokers , shipping companies , freight forwarders , commodities traders , and financial institutions to assess risks and implement appropriate compliance-focused programs .
Persistent tracking : a new standard
Improving transparency in shipping is imperative , but achieving it is far from straightforward . It is generally outside the capability of a single organization for reasons of specialization , involving data selection , aggregation , management and storage , artificial intelligence ( AI ) and machine learning ( ML ) processing , and overall technical complexity and cost . Therefore , it is best to align with an established specialist application service provider .
Current regulatory demands for stakeholders to strengthen and utilize enhanced fleet tracking highlight the inadequacy of AIS as a
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