What is a flag of convenience?
A ship is said to be flying a flag of convenience if it is registered in a foreign country “for purposes of reducing operating costs or avoiding government regulations” however, it might very well be simply to take advantage of a country’s infrastructure such as a world-wide network of consulates, fast service, etc.
Under the Law of the Sea, the duty to exert control over a vessel is primarily incumbent upon the Flag State. When Flag States are unable or unwilling to exert such control, their flags can be used by those whose intention is to evade fisheries law. A large number of fishing vessels, in particular those operating outside EU waters, are therefore registered in States which run open registers, better known as “flags of convenience”, and/or in States unwilling or unable to exercise proper control over their fishing fleet so as to ensure that they respect conservation and management measures. Registration in States hosting “flags of convenience” is generally a very simple and inexpensive operation. This then encourages flag-hopping, where vessels regularly change flags in order to benefit from the least demanding regimes and make it more difficult for inspection and control services to keep track of them. To deal with this phenomenon, both Port States and Market States have at their dispos
