The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry continues its commitment to excellence in maritime safety and compliance through its global nautical inspector seminars. In the second half of 2025, the RMI Registry’s global maritime personnel hosted two seminars, one in Roosendaal, Netherlands (21–23 October) and one in Mumbai, India (3 December). These seminars brought together both full-time and contracted inspectors to strengthen the Registry’s inspection practices to remain aligned with evolving best practices. More than 40 maritime professionals attended the seminars.
The three-day Roosendaal seminar focused on practical tools for nautical inspectors to support safety and standards. The first day included sessions on port State control trends and registry developments; a discussion on the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) and International Maritime Organization (IMO) Conventions; and deficiency and investigations training. Day Two included a session on Safe Air and Enclosed Spaces from guest presenter Marius van de Leur, Customer Application & Training Specialist, BW Technologies by Honeywell; as well as a training session on reporting procedures and seafarer documentation. Day Three focused on emergency drills and evaluations.
The one-day seminar in Mumbai focused on risk-based inspections and emerging regulatory trends. Both IRI President Bill Gallagher and Chief Maritime Officer Simon Bonnett addressed participants. Morning sessions included training on risk-based inspection techniques as well as a guest presentation by the Chief Surveyor to the Government of India, Ajithkumar Sukumaran, Chief Surveyor-cum-Additional Director General (Engineering), Directorate General of Shipping, Government of India. Hands-on case learning was presented by guest presenter Vishal Varma, Principal Surveyor, DNV- Oil & Gas, and Nautical Inspectors Aditya Kapoor and Dipak Mohan. The morning concluded with mock inspection and simulation activities to enhance nautical inspector competency and confidence. Afternoon sessions included training on conducting investigation interviews and the validity and licensing verification of seafarer documents.
Regional nautical inspector seminars are an important tool for ensuring alignment with the Registry’s standards and expectations while providing a forum for information sharing, best practices, and training.
