In the second episode of the "Ganado Meets Transport"
podcast, Matthew Attard met with Michael Sillato, former Registrar
of Shipping and Seamen and a key figure in the development of the
Malta Flag at a time when the Malta Ship Register was still in its
infancy, to discuss the history behind the Malta Flag and how this
has developed over the years to become a highly reputable and
internationally recognised ship register.
The Birth of the Malta Ship Register
Talks by the government of the day to launch the Malta Ship
Registry first began in the 1970s. At the time, Malta was still a
British port operating under the British Flag. Thus, while there
were vessels that were registered in Malta, none of which were yet
registered under the Malta flag. "The birth of the Malta Ship
Register was an initiative of the then Prime Minister Dom
Mintoff" Michael Sillato claimed. As the first steps towards
establishing the Malta flag were made, the process of drafting
