Royal Carribean Cruises to pay fine for pollution

The International Maritime Organization has authorized an independent review of a British study into the safety of high-speed catamaran ferries. The review will be led by Italy and will report to the Maritime Safety Committee in May. The British review concluded that risks to people aboard such vessels "are higher than previous accident experience which this type of vessel has revealed." The report called for the organization to consider new requirements for such vessels as part of a review of the International Code of Safety for High-Speed Craft. The British study was confined to collision and other contact-type accidents, fire and loss of hull integrity. Total risk for the accidents was put at 0.077 equivalent fatalities per vessel operating year, or about one death on each ferry every 13 years. One-hundred minor injuries or 10 major injuries are equivalent to one death. However, historical information places the figure at 0.017. In the British report, collisions at high speed in confined waters provided 84 percent of the risk, while loss of hull integrity is 8 percent, fire is 5 percent and contact is 3 percent. Courses of action that were recommended include enhanced vessel traffic management, revision of collision regulations and identification of high-speed craft and development of improved operating procedures. The report was first presented to the Subcommittee on Ship Design and Equipment in March.