The Maritime Economist Magazine Spring 2015 | Page 57

THEMARITIME Economist

comments & praises

I have always greeted new maritime publications with excitement since I believe our industry needs to have a
stronger voice and a higher awareness level within. The arrival of the new Maritime Economist Magazine
augmented such excitement with enthusiasm as well due to the prospects of having a much needed
publication expertly researched and written with a clear, incisive analysis of matters related to commercial
side of shipping and allows all readers of various backgrounds to apprehend the bigger picture in a way that is
at times denied to non-economists. Moreover it has the greatest potential to serve as a platform where
scholars may benefit by seeing different viewpoints of the industry professionals, and vice versa, thus reducing
the gaps between their perceptions of the facts. These are important gaps that we need to bridge for a
sustainable future.
Maritime Economics is by definition a multidisciplinary field. Commercial Shipping, in turn, is one of the most
multifaceted and multinational businesses anyone has ever come across. Our industry is undeniably going
through arduous times, especially on the Dry bulk side. The Baltic Dry Index (BDI) has reached the historic
low of 509 on 18 February 2015, and our plight might have been caused, in part, by the above mentioned
gap. Converting academic works, research and analysis into clear depictions with concise explanations will
surely be of great value and I believe the Maritime Economist Magazine will be successfully carrying out this
vitally important task for our industry.

“Converting academic works, research and analysis into clear depictions with concise explanations will surely be of great value,
and I believe THEMARITIME Economist will be successfully
carrying out this vitally important task for our industry.

Ulas Durali
Director, Dry cargo Lorentzen & Stemoco
(Singapore)