Ultimately, the Marine Board report warned the coast guard not to cede something as critical as ship inspection work to third parties. “For the purpose of enforcement of Federal Statutes and Regulations, [inspections] should be conducted by an impartial governmental agency having expertise in that field, with no other interests and/or obligations other than assuring compliance with applicable requirements. By virtue of its relationship to the vessel owners, the ABS cannot be considered impartial.”
