87% of vessels meet July 1 IMO safety deadline

SOME 87% of the world fleet of passenger vessels, tankers and bulk carriers met the July 1 deadline for introducing the new IMO (International Maritime Organisation) safety management code.
Despite fears that many would fail, only 13% (about
1 650 ships) have still not been passed by the IMO. These are expected to be forced to comply with the new standards by pressure from port safety organisations, their trade organisations and from ship charterers - or be barred from most of the world's ports.
The ships covered by the July 1 deadline include cruise liners, passenger ferries, oil and chemical tankers, bulk carriers, gas carriers and high-speed cargo craft of 500 tons and above. This is a total of some 12 700 ships sailing the world's oceans.