The Bahamas Maritime Authority (BMA) is an authority that registers vessels in the Bahamas and enforces safety standards on Bahamian-registered craft.

Seafarer statistics 2010 Estimates of UK seafarer numbers and some statistics of non-UK seafarers qualified to serve on UK registered vessels.

As mentioned above he countered by registering vessels on Bermuda; the island required no taxes, the only inconvenience being that he had to employ a British captain, chief engineer and radio officer.

Reporting of accidents to the MAIB is mandatory for all commercially operated vessels in UK waters and for all UK registered vessels worldwide.

China said earlier this week that it, too, was considering a request by Kuwait to register vessels under the Chinese flag.

For example, the Liberian Registry registers seagoing vessels of more than 500 net tons that conduct foreign trade.

The Cambodia Shipping Corporation registered foreign vessels - many of them North Korean - for Cambodia, until 2002, when the French Navy seized the Winner, a Cambodia flag cargo ship, for cocaine smuggling.

Critics say that safety is the victim of an international shipping system that leaves enforcement of international rules to the countries that register vessels and to the ports where they drop anchor.

This guide explains how to register commercial and fishing vessels in the UK, including the appropriate fees and forms.

This series provides estimates of UK seafarer numbers, including some statistics of non-UK seafarers qualified to serve on UK registered vessels, and indicative projections of the future number of UK certificated officers.