The Red Ensign Group is comprised of the United Kingdom, UK Crown Dependencies (Isle of Man, Guernsey and Jersey) and UK Overseas Territories (Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St Helena and the Turks & Caicos Islands) who operate shipping registers.

Any vessel registered in the UK, Crown Dependency or UK Overseas Territory, is a “British ship” and is entitled to fly the Red Ensign flag.

The 1995 Merchant Shipping Act provides for British possessions to be categorised according to the tonnage, size and type of vessel which can be registered. Under the Merchant Shipping (Categorisation of Registries of Relevant British Possessions) (Amendment) Order 2008 (Statutory Instrument 2008 No. 1243), these registers are divided into the following categories:

Category 1 administrations may register ships of unlimited tonnage, type and length. Category 2 administrations may register ships of up to 150 gross tons (GRT) and pleasure vessels, that is, those note operated commercially of up to 400 GRT (pleasure vessels, by definition, refer to ships used for sport or pleasure, which are not operated commercially).

Red Ensign Group Conference

In order to strengthen relations and promote best practice within the Red Ensign Group, a conference is held annually. The conference provides the forum for discussion of maritime policies, technical issues in respect of regulation, marine safety, pollution prevention and the welfare of seafarers for ships on their registers worldwide and for visiting ships in their waters.