Page 14: of Marine News Magazine (January 2015)

INSIGHTS tives. Interferry recognizes the need to improve shipping’s Short sea shipping is well developed in Europe, particu- environmental performance, but seeks a more nuanced larly in the north, and there is a common political ambi- approach from regulators and governments – such as the tion to increase the market share of short sea shipping – al- stepwise, gradual improvements in the automotive indus- though preciously few functional policy instruments ever try over many decades. By comparison, recent maritime materialize. Since ferry services exist due to bodies of water regulations have tended to be aspirational and binary - as- separating local markets, the situation in North America pirational in the sense that the requirements have not been is quite different to that in Europe or the Far East. The anchored in what is feasible but in what is theoretically areas most conducive to short sea shipping in the US and possible with new technology; and binary in the sense that Canada are the Paci