By
Michele Witthaus |
The 38th Interferry conference kicked off in Malta on 7 October with an introduction by Joseph Muscat, Prime Minister of Malta.
Muscat said his country had much to offer the ferry sector. “Like all other islands, we are dependent on frequent ferry services to the mainland. We have a solid regulatory framework and a respected maritime flag,” he said.
Current president of Interferry, Virtu Ferries’ Francis Portelli, said: “This year’s focus is safety and the environment. It is important that progress does not come at the expense of safety or the environment.” Portelli will be succeeded by Mike Corrigan, president and CEO of BC Ferries in 2014.
Interferry’s regulatory representative Johan Roos said the organisation had done a good job of advocating on behalf of its members for more realistic regulation. “The EEDI requirements as originally proposed did not work well at all for our kind of ships. Interferry pushed to introduce a new coefficient.” The result is that starting from 2015, new ships must be five per cent more efficient than the existing fleet, a less stringent demand for the industry than the original proposals, he said. “We should be pleased with the outcome as we will not be limited in the design of new ships, but will have to be more energy efficient.”
This year, Interferry accepted 13 new members and represents ferry operators in 37 countries.