Hubel Marine once again made headlines, ranking in the top three best-performing ship registration offices for the Belize Ship Registry, known as IMMARBE, out of a total of 34 offices worldwide. This accolade marks yet another impressive achievement for Hubel Marine, known for their commitment to efficiency, meticulous compliance, and client satisfaction.
With an increasing number of vessels seeking registration under Belize’s flag, the managing director Erik de Koning and his team has consistently delivered top-notch service, upholding high standards for speed, accuracy, and reliability. This recognition places them alongside the finest in the industry and reaffirms their reputation as one of the best registration offices globally.
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Panama, the second largest ship registry, has embarked on an ambitious journey to further enhance its maritime services and fleet growth and age under its new flag administration. This shift marks a significant change in direction for Panama’s maritime sector, aiming to reinforce its position as a global maritime hub.
As a result, 57% of ships registered in 2024 have an average age of four years. These vessels come mainly from the Asian market, a region in which the Panamanian Registry has dominated their strong position for decades through loyal supporters.
Among the strategies to improve the PMA indicators is also the recruitment of new built vessels. The latest figures reveal indicators of 105% in compliance with this goal, meaning that Panama has exceeded its own expectations at the end of the first week of July 2024.
The fleet debugging process is also part of the PMA’s plan to continue positioning itself worldwide. This consists of ensuring that the vessels of the Panama Ship Registry comply with current international regulations, which is why this year more than 5 million gross tonnage has been deleted.
The PMA, through the General Directorate of Merchant Marine, carried out 771 new flag registries this year, which translates into 16.8 million gross tonnages (GT).
The Panama Ship Registry has 8,606 vessels, which represent more than 247.7 million of GT, according to IHS Markit . In addition, Panama accounts for 15% of the world’s tonnage, as seen in the “World Fleet Monitor” report, published at the end of June 2024 by Clarkson Research.
Industry Response: Hubel Marine’s Support
Hubel Marine, a prominent player in the ship registration industry, has welcomed the new direction taken by Panama’s flag administration. Hubel Marine congratulates the administration on its forward-thinking approach and expressed confidence that these changes would benefit the global shipping community.
“Panama’s new fleet growth strategies are a testament to its commitment to maintaining its leadership in the maritime sector. We are particularly pleased with the focus on regulatory enhancements, safety, and sustainability, which align with our values and operational standards,” said Erik de Koning on behalf of Hubel Marine.
Hubel Marine congratulates José Raúl Mulino on his inauguration as 39th President of the Republic of Panama. Mulino won 34 percent of voters and a nine-point lead over his nearest opponent during the May 5 elections in Panama. Mr Mulino is a 65-year-old graduate in maritime law from Tulane University in New Orleans, and previously served as minister of security and minister of foreign affairs. Mr Mulino promised the Panamanian people a return to economic prosperity and high employment.
Mr Mulino will have to manage one of the world’s key trade routes, the Panama Canal, which was forced to limit traffic this year by persistent drought.
He raised eyebrows during his campaign by promising to “close” the Darién Gap, the expanse of jungle on the Panamanian-Colombian border which more than half a million migrants crossed by foot on their way to the United States last year.
Shortly after Mulino’s inauguration, the Panamanian government already released a statement saying that the U.S. government committed to covering the cost of repatriation of migrants who enter Panama illegally through the Darien.
Besides the Canal and the migrants, there is another imperative task: revitalizing the Panama Ship Registry and returning it to its former glory as the world’s largest and most respected registry.
For decades, the Panama Ship Registry had been a symbol of maritime excellence, a beacon that attracted vessels from around the globe. But recent years had seen its reputation tarnished, its position usurped by competitors. The registry had also been relegated to the grey list of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris MoU), a demotion that signalled declining standards in safety and environmental performance. Now with his background in Maritime law, it is President Mulino’s duty to bring Panama back to the top and ensure the registry’s return to the white list of the Paris MoU, signifying its compliance with the highest international standards.
Erik de Koning, the director of Hubel Marine, has been closely collaborating with the Panama Ship Registry for 30 years, representing a significant fleet of ships flying the Panama flag. He has expressed his intention to visit Panama frequently in order to discuss and monitor the new modifications implemented by the Panama Maritime Authority. De Koning recognizes that the new government is well aware of the necessity for changes within the Ship Registry.
Newsflash: Head of Belize Ship Registry Retirement Announcement
Belmopan, Belize – June 21, 2024
With a mix of emotions, we were informed about the retirement of Mrs. Annette Garel, Senior Deputy Registrar, as of June 21, 2024. Mrs. Garel has been an invaluable part of IMMARBE (Belize Registry) for over thirty years. Throughout her remarkable tenure, she has dedicated herself to building and maintaining the registry with unwavering commitment and expertise.
Her leadership and commitment have left an indelible mark on the organization, setting high standards for professionalism and service excellence. Colleagues and industry peers alike commend Mrs. Garel for her invaluable contributions and wish her well in her future endeavors.
Hubel Marine expresses its deepest gratitude to Mrs. Garel for her outstanding service and wishes her a fulfilling retirement.
Athens, Greece – The management staff of Hubel Marine recently attended the Posidonia Shipping Expo, a premier event in the global maritime industry held in Athens. The expo brought together key players from around the world, providing a platform for networking, knowledge exchange, and showcasing the latest innovations in shipping and maritime technology.
During the event, the Hubel Marine team engaged with numerous industry professionals, fostering valuable connections and strengthening relationships with long-standing partners and friends. The expo provided an excellent opportunity for Hubel Marine to discuss industry trends, share insights, and explore new business opportunities.
“The Posidonia Expo in Greece has always been a significant event for us,” said Erik de Koning, director of Hubel Marine. “Meeting with our industry peers and valued friends in such a vibrant setting allows us to stay ahead in the rapidly evolving maritime sector.”
Hubel Marine’s presence at the Posidonia underscores its commitment to maintaining strong industry ties and staying at the forefront of maritime advancements. The company looks forward to leveraging the insights gained and relationships strengthened during the expo to continue driving excellence in their operations.
On the 1st of January as most of us were sleeping off New Year’s Eve, Storm Zeetje was battering the Dutch and German North Sea causing the MSC Zoe to lose over 300 containers overside. Ardent were very quick to react by chartering in several vessels including the by Hubel Marine in Panama flagged Atlantic Tonjer to assist with the salvage of the floating and sunken containers.
The Atlantic Tonjer was ready to set sail within 24 hours of receiving the contract, including mobilising a Multi-Beam Echosounder Survey spread provided by Ultrabeam. Once in IJmuiden, Ardent attached their large salvage grab to the 50t AHC crane on the Atlantic Tonjer, loaded on the tracked excavator along with some complete open topped containers.
Due to the height the containers fell from before hitting the water and the rough waters caused by the storm, none of the containers were found intact. Once they had sunk to the bottom they were tossed around on the seabed by the rough weather, spilling their contents far and wide.
Due to the complicated nature of the salvage operations the ROVOP owned Triton XLS WROV (now permanently installed on the Atlantic Tonjer) was quickly brought into action to assist with finding and identifying the containers and cargo, then assisting with the grab operations for the recovery. After 118 days on charter the salvage operation was complete for the Atlantic Tonjer as the focus moved to the shallow water targets requiring shallower drafted vessels.
During the project the Atlantic Tonjer and the Geosund recovered over 2,200 tonnes of cargo between them and over 4,000 sq km of seabed was surveyed.
See enclosed an interesting video released by the managers Atlantic Marine & Aviation LLP.
Hubel Marine is a long-established Netherlands based firm. Its focus lies on three departments, which contain the full range of advise: Registration of Vessels, Flag State Crew Endorsements and Flag related Classification Surveys.
Hubel Marine B.V. 