Interview with Professor Haralambides on Pilotage Business

When Professor Hercules Haralambides of the Center for Maritime Economics & Logistics (MEL) of Erasmus University Rotterdam is asked about the relationship of MEL with the Dutch Pilots’ Organization (Loodswezen), he affectionately talks about his contacts with President Rein van Gooswilligen. “..we’ve met with Rein many years ago. Since then, he has given lectures at MEL and his organisation has accepted students for internships. One of them even joined Loodswezen.

His name is Martin Manni, who wrote a thesis about pilotage when finishing the Class of 2001. Manni surveyed the changing environment of pilotage. The title of his dissertation: Safe Navigation through the Dangerous Waters of Economics and Safety  is 'pregnant' Manni observes: “The green paper (of the European Commission, issued in 1997) on sea ports and maritime infrastructure and the subsequent directive on market access to port services sparked a lively discussion, especially on the issue of opening markets in Pilotage.” The discussion on a privatised organisation with public tasks is still going on.

Haralambides and his staff can offer help, when needed, in doing research on the safety aspects, the costs and profits of pilotage. To Haralambides’ mind pilotage charges must at least cover direct costs. Haralambides added: “An important development in the Netherlands was the privatisation of pilotage (in 1988).

“The question really is ‘is the total package of pilotage services profitable or not’ in this arrangement. It is evident that the government wants to protect consumers’ interests, hence the controlling of rates and other measures taken. There are considerable safety aspects to be taken care of as well in the case of pilotage. It is a rather complex matter. ”

The MEL director will tell more in the magazine Navigator NL, which will be published in September.

Source: Navigator NL, a publication by Dutch Pilots' Corporation