The Ghost Ship: A Tanker That Changed Its Flag Nine Times to Evade Justice

How do you prosecute a ship that keeps changing its identity? This was the problem facing Swedish authorities after an oil spill. The tanker involved, the *Flora 1*, had used up to six different names. More importantly, it had flown the flags of nine different countries. A ship's flag shows which nation's laws it follows. By changing flags so many times, the *Flora 1* made it extremely difficult for investigators to establish legal responsibility. This tactic is known as "flag-hopping." In the end, Sweden could not gather enough proof to link the specific ship to the pollution. The case shows a major weakness in international maritime law. Vessels can avoid punishment by constantly changing their registered nation, or "flag state."