Mr. J. C. Lyras, Speaks at CMA Annual Conference

March 20th, 2001

“The CMA Annual Conference takes place at a time when much adverse publicity has been given to recent maritime accidents creating negative feelings among the public and officials about the shipping industry as a whole. This in turn undermines the importance of shipping worldwide to the extent that no other of its vital features (strategic, economic, even cultural) are visible any longer. I am referring to the accident of the tanker “Erika” in December 1999 off the coast of France as well as the more recent accident of the vessel “Jessica” in the Galapagos Islands.

“Undoubtedly, no one is allowed to underestimate the damage caused to the marine environment by the above casualties as well as the legitimate economic damage. Nor is anyone in the industry allowed to be complacent about the need to constantly look for ways to improve safety standards and to eliminate as far as possible the causes of such accidents. At the same time it is necessary to put such accidents in the right perspective not only in the interest of objectivity but also in order not to introduce hasty measures which may be politically expedient but which are inappropriate or ineffective though invariably costly.

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