Just some thoughts
Mike mentioned that MSC has a say how the vessel is run, Actually they do not, the route,
cargo and rotation but not the manning, upkeep etc of the vessel. This is usually done through the owners who usually employ manning agencies very often from the Philippines and often also from Poland/Ukraine/russia,former East block counties. Some manning agencies are really good some others are not so good. However, everybody aboard has to be STCW certified, which is a international training standard.
Someone mentioned only NZ/Australien crews, thats a good thinking, unfortunately not practicable, because for the salary of a Master on those ships another owner can sail half a crew. On top of that, often it is forgotten that EVERyBODY wants the cheapest possible prices at Wal-Mart and at the gas pump, that would be not possible with expensive crews. Think about, why seafaring nations like UK/Germany/US/AUS/NZ do not have significant fleets anymmore with their flags and their nationals, very easy because they can not compete international with the
sailors from other nations. All those countries allowed foreigners on their financed/subsidised vessels until the point that no nationals were anymore there. (Not the US)
On top of all that, as long as the human element is still on the ships accidents will happen.
Nobody cries about dozens of accidents ashore daily, but the moment a ship grounds it is not a accident. Of course there are situations where "accidents" could have been prevented, but nevertheless they will happen again, like it or not.
The problem nowadays is also, the Captain of the ship is usually arrested right away, for the sole reason to present to the world the guilty guy, like we have the "bad guy" already.
Remember the tanker ( ERIKA?) which sank off the spanish coast, the Master notified the authorities that he has a leak, he wanted to go into a port and repair/off load etc, instead they closed all ports,,dragged the ship away until it broke apart and created a real oil spill
by doing that. Who was arrested and in the media cruzified, the Capt, not the IDIOTS who refused to help and closed the ports.
Almost same situation about same time in the North Sea (Phallas ? was the name) the german authorities had inside misshaps and authority discussions until it was too late, but the Capt
who asked for help was then cruzified. He grounded close to Amrum I think tghere it was.
There is more to it then increase regulations and training standards, if the industrialised nations want cheap as possible goods they will have to live with the idea that those groundings
will happen now and then with foreign crews in their territorial waters.
btw MSC = More Scrap Coming is a know proverb in the shipping for that shipping line