Concerning development for the Norwegian-registered Fleet
The figures for the first quarter of this year reveal a mixed picture. While the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) shows a concerning trend, the numbers for the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register (NOR) provide more grounds for optimism.
In the first quarter of the year, the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS) experienced a net loss of 21 ships. The fleet decreased from 744 at the turn of the year to 723 at the end of March. Four ships totaling 106,546 gross tons were registered, while as many as 25 with a combined gross tonnage of 592,392 were transferred to a new register. In comparison, 70 ships were registered, and 58 were deleted throughout all of 2024.
Two of the incoming registrations came from Panama, one from Barbados, and one from the Norwegian Ordinary Ship Register (NOR). Portugal's International Shipping Register of Madeira (MAR) emerged as the major beneficiary of ships being transferred out of the NIS.
As many as 11 ships were flagged out from the NIS and into MAR. Three ships reflagged to the Bahamas, three to Liberia, two to Cyprus, and two to Singapore. Chile, Isle of Man, Marshall Islands, and Oman each received one ship.
Which vessels are deleted, and why?
In the first quarter of this year, 25 vessels were flagged out of the Norwegian International Ship Register (NIS). Of the 25 vessels flagged out, 14 were tankers with significant tonnage, making this the vessel type we have lost the most so far this year. Only one of the four newly registered vessels belongs to the same category.
Norwegian-owned ships are required to be registered unless they are registered in another country's ship register.
– It is, of course, wanted for Norwegian-owned ships to sail under the Norwegian flag. We are, therefore, very concerned to see that, in the first quarter of this year, 18 ships owned by Norwegian shipowning companies were transferred to foreign flags," says Henning Lerkerød Rasmussen, Registrar and Head of Department of the Ship Registers. Seven ships were deleted by foreign owners, thus following the natural market fluctuations.
Smaller variations for the NOR register
Only three vessels separate the number of NOR-registered vessels from the end of December 2024 to the end of March 2025. The register went from containing 20,551 to 20,548 vessels. During the first three months of the year, we registered 107 new vessels and deleted 114.
– In this part of the register, all vessels that sail along the Norwegian coast are represented, and we divide them into three: the merchant fleet, leisure crafts and other commercial vessels, explains Lerkerød Rasmussen.
That half of the fleet consists of leisure crafts is something not everyone is aware of.
The number of vessels in the merchant fleet today is 893, three more than at the end of 2024. Other commercial vessels increased marginally by three, from 9,344 to 9,347. The number of NOR-registered leisure crafts also experienced a modest increase from 10,300 at the turn of the year to 10,308 today.
The Future of the Fleet: What's on the Horizon?
The Registrar at the Ship Registers is anxious to see whether the figures from the first quarter are representative for the development for the rest of the year.
I hope they are not representative for the NIS; that would not bode well for the Norwegian fleet or Norway as a maritime nation. Regarding the NOR, I am more optimistic. As we enter a new boating season, we see boat owners emerging from winter hibernation. Each year, more people recognize the security offered by registering their boat in a legal protection register—an option available to all owners of leisure boats with a length of at least 7 meters, he says.