Athough the Bermuda Shipping Register has seen some crests and troughs in recent years, there appear to be a number of forces combining to add to the register which already has an excellent reputation worldwide.

From conventions extended to Bermuda in the past to a competitive fee schedule as well as the recent incorporation of the Bermuda International Shipping Association (BISA), the register certainly has "every opportunity to go forward'', Bermuda Registrar of Shipping Mr. Ron Bulling said yesterday.

Up slightly from a year ago, there are now 97 vessels with 3.2 million gross tons as well as 374 yachts with 46,000 gross tons on the register.

A year ago, there were 94 vessels with just over three million gross tons as well as 363 yachts with 43,000 tons.

Highest tonnage was in 1988 when 4.25 million gross tons were registered.

"The tonnage of the register fluctuates,'' said Mr. Bulling. "It can rise or fall substantially where very large crude carriers (VLCCs) and ultra large crude carriers (ULCCs) are either registered or leave the register because of sale or going to the breaker's yard.'' "In the early 1970s, Government recognised the potential for expanding the register to attract tonnage, however, at that time principal international conventions were not applicable to Bermuda and following discussions with the UK government on the matter, certain safety conventions were extended to Bermuda,'' he said.

"Since that time additional conventions have been extended and we are close to being up to date with the UK with regard to safety and related maritime legislation, we continually monitor UK maritime legislation.

"Our fees are competitive to other registers in the world and attractive to owners of large tonnage ships because of the fee structure,'' said Mr.

Bulling, who joined the Register from Customs when it was formed in 1974.

But the first consideration must be ship safety as well as the health, welfare and safety of those persons serving on those ships, he said.

"Our merchant shipping legislation is equivalent to that of the UK and is enforced rigorously,'' said Mr. Bulling. "The Registry has a good reputation in worldwide shipping.

"A number of ships now being built will be Bermuda registered and Government has given full support to the expansion of the register in the past,'' said Mr. Bulling.

Among the potential additions could be three British Petroleum charter tankers to be ordered from South Korea.

On August 30, Lloyd's List reported the three tankers to be ordered from South Korea in a British Petroleum charter deal will be Bermuda registered.

The three ultra-high specification tankers, each of 150,000 dead weight tons, would be ordered from Samsung Heavy Industries at a contract price of $56.9 million each. Delivery would be in 1997.

Funding for the tankers is to be raised through a new company, Bermuda-based-Nordic American Tanker Shipping, said Lloyd's List.

BP put together the deal with investment house Lazard Freres & Co. The addition of these tankers as well as other ships should result in higher revenues for Government.

When Hong Kong reverts to Chinese rule there is also potential for ships to come on board the Bermuda register.

But because ship registration can be done quickly, it may be some months before Hong Kong-registered ships add to the Bermuda register and to the Island's foreign exchange earnings.

Mr. Bulling estimated the shipping register has earned Government, on average, about $500,000 per year over the past decade.

To promote the Bermuda register, BISA, incorporated as a local company on August 2, 1995, will later this year host its first global shipping conference.

The forum, to be held at the Sonesta from October 25-28, will cover a number of aspects of the global shipping industry as well as insurance.

BISA's forum is one of the newest moves to promote the Island's shipping industry whose register dates back over 200 years.

The Bermuda Register of British Ships, or as it is now commonly called, the Bermuda Shipping Register, has been in existence since 1789 as a part of the British Register.

The British Shipping Register consists of the UK, Anguilla, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibralter, Hong Kong, (until 1997 when that jurisdiction reverts to Chinese rule), Isle of Man, Montserrat, Pitcairn Islands, St. Helena, Turks & Caicos and the British Virgin Islands.

Under the UK Merchant Shipping Act 1988, the Bermuda Register, similar to the Cayman and the Isle of Man, have been categorised as Class A registers by the UK government, allowing for acceptance of all types of vessels. There is no age or tonnage limits in class A.

Other categories are B and C, restricted to the registration of ships up to 150 gross tons and no register respectively.

But Bermuda does not accept fishing vessels.

In 1974 the Registry of Shipping was set up in its present form when a Government Marine Administration was established.

Prior to registry, a ship is required to be initially surveyed by the registry's survey section, this is done regardless of where the vessel is located, after which an annual safety survey is carried out by qualified authorities on behalf of the Bermuda Administration, followed by and inspection every five years by a Bermuda Government surveyor.