EDITORIAL - Good lessons learned

One of the best things that happened recently but which went largely unnoticed was the unilateral decision of some shipping companies to keep their vessels in port in face of rough seas despite the absence of any weather disturbance.

 The first weather disturbance to affect the country, Auring, had not yet materialized then, and the rough seas being experienced were simply the kind you encounter at this time of the year. Yet the shipping companies did not take their chances.

With lessons learned over the years, especially that which capsized the country’s largest ferry just a few months ago at a tremendous cost in human lives, prudence may have finally taken root in the shipping industry.

If so, this is a most welcome occurence in a country where maritime travel is the primary mode of moving people and cargo. This could be the start of the coming of age of the shipping industry as a truly responsible partner in national development.

Keeping ships in port during inclement weather in order not to tempt the fates will most certainly mean business losses for the shipping companies. But opportunities lost for a day have never been known to cripple companies the way unwanted tragedies do.

It is always better to be saddled with a day’s worth of unearned revenues that can be recovered some other day that be weighed down by far more costly expenses that come when tragedy strikes.

Indeed, far outweighing all monetary considerations is the loss of public confidence in those who get involved in tragedies, especially those that could have been avoided with more prudence.

Reputations, build painstakingly over the years, can be tarnished in a flash, and once so tarnished, can be very hard to repair and gloss over again. It is heartening to note that right now there have emerged shipping companies with stronger corporate responsibilities.