Isle of Man Marine Administration to Change Name

With effect from 1 February 2007, the Isle of Man Government’s organisation responsible for the registration and regulation of international shipping will change its name and image to:

The new name and image has been designed to provide:

• Greater clarity of message– the name Ship Registry, describes exactly what the organisation does. Its business activities involve the registration of ships and yachts and the technical regulation of, and jurisdiction for, those vessels on the register.

• Improved search capability – increasing use of internet search engines in business requires organisations to optimise their potential for accurate results when requested in a search. The new name will enhance the prospects of the Ship Registry being easily indexed and found by potential clients and organisations.

• Fresh Image – the Marine Administration has traditionally been associated with a variety of images. It has used the Red Ensign with the three legs symbol and the Isle of Man Government crest, either individually or in combination to great effect. Whilst the flag will still be flown from the stern of Manx ships and the crest will be used to verify official documentation, this will present an entirely new identity which is unique to the Isle of Man Ship Registry.

• Market presence – the new image will provide the Isle of Man with a readily identifiable and distinct image when exhibiting at marketing and promotional events. It sets it apart from other British Flags and competitors.

The ship registry has developed since its introduction as an international register in 1984 to where it is today. The register now boasts over 450 merchant vessels and commercial yachts, representing 9.2 million gross tonnes, with a client base which includes some of the major shipping organisations of the world. It is placed highly in terms of the size of the world’s ship registers but more importantly it punches well above its weight in terms of quality. The Isle of Man Ship Registry has recently been voted as the ‘best in the world’ by a round table of international shipping industry organisations, who have recently published their annual flag state performance table which sees the Isle of Man at the top.

Since the introduction of the Ship Registry, the Island has enjoyed steady growth in maritime business. Current levels provide for some 400 full time employees directly involved in shipping and a further estimated 100 indirectly employed in support industries such as legal, financial, insurance and corporate service provision. The Island has now developed into a centre of excellence offering: ship registry; ship management; crewing; legal services; corporate services; tax expertise; accountancy; insurance; ship finance; and commercial yacht management. This provides a significant contribution to the Island’s economy and employment opportunities within an international industry.

The Hon. David Cretney, Minister for Trade and Industry, said:

“I welcome the new name and image and feel certain that this will provide better opportunities for marketing and promotion of the Isle of Man flag and further success for the registry. The recognition that the Ship Registry has achieved as the very best of the world’s ship registers reflects strongly on the international image of the Island as a whole. The value of this should never be underestimated”.

For further information, please contact: Dick Welsh, Director, Isle of Man Ship Registry at dick.welsh@gov.im or on 688500.