The Danish Maritime Authority (DMA) has decided to increase the number of flag State inspections of ships abroad which are flying the Danish flag to 60 in 2017.

The announcement comes on the back of the Danish Maritime Authority’s two-week campaign in the USA to promote Danish quality shipping.

The purpose of the campaign was to promote quality shipping under the Danish flag, inter alia to create good relations with the Port State Control authorities in the USA and with other players who are in contact with Danish shipping, the authority said. The campaign also covered surveys of Danish ships calling at the two port areas during the said period.

During the surveys of the ships, focus was on the work performed by the classification societies on behalf of the Danish Maritime Authorities (RO monitoring), occupational health, the ships’ safety level and general condition as well as a forward-looking dialogue with the crews about how to perform well in future Port State Control inspections.

“The Danish Maritime Authority performs control inspections of Danish-flagged ships abroad in order to assist Danish shipowners so that they can improve their performance and get an idea of what other countries’ port State control officers are looking for,” Annemette Knagaard, Chief Ship Surveyor, Danish Maritime Authority, said.

During the campaign in the USA, ships from four different shipowners were surveyed.

In 2016, the Danish Maritime Authority has carried out similar inspection campaigns in Singapore, Gothenburg, Algeciras and Rotterdam as well as in the Chinese cities of Yan Sang Shanghai, Ningbo and Shenzhen. A total of 44 control inspections have been made on board Danish ships abroad.