Port & Maritime Security Plenary Session
Moderator and Panelist: Arthur Bowring, Managing Director, Hong Kong Shipowners Association
Topic: “The Most Important Link in the Chain - the Seafarers”

March 28, 18.00 – 18.45

Abstract:
The world's most global workforce, made up of almost every nationality, ethnicity and religion, sailing on ships that trade to ports in every maritime country. Quite possibly, the real front line in our work to counter maritime terrorism. If there was a list of the best intelligence resources for maritime security, then the individual seafarer must surely be amongst the most important. And yet, many port officials and security officers treat seafarers as if they were terrorists. Encouragement, not sanction, has to be the answer to proper development of this under-recognised intelligence resource.

Biography:
Arthur Bowring has eight years seagoing experience during which time he commenced his Degree studies. Armed with an honours degree from UWIST Cardiff, Arthur joined Lloyds Register of Shipping as a Ship Surveyor. While at Lloyds Register, Arthur took a three month sabbatical to upgrade and prepare a Polar Expedition ship for the three year Transglobe Expedition, led by Sir Ran Fiennes.

In 1980, Arthur joined Tradax Ocean Transportation, Geneva, which later became Cargill International SA, Geneva Branch, as Operations Superintendent. He moved on to be Owning broker, and then a Chartering broker, handling oil and dry bulk cargo requirements for various Cargill product lines. Arthur then took responsibility for Fleet Insurance and developed an internal consultancy role, which included the handling and resolution of various disputes arising through the oil and dry shipping activities of Cargill.

In 1994, Arthur transferred to Orient Ship Management, Hong Kong. On the closure of the company’s business in 1995, Arthur became a Marine Consultant, handling Investigative work, Legal, Marine Claims and Project Management. In 1997, Arthur was appointed Managing Director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association. In this role, he has contributed many papers to general and industry media, regularly spoken at various conferences and championed the many issues that have given the Association a high international and regional profile. He is a part time Arbitrator for Shipping and Commercial disputes and is a Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC) Accredited Mediator.

Arthur is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, the Nautical Institute, the Royal Institute of Navigation, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators and the Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators, and a Member of the Hong Kong Mediation Council.