We should all be careful at knee jerk regulation based on one bad actor and quickly determined “root causes”.
Bouchard has had all of its units (Tugs and Barges) certified under ISM code (they all carried SMCs and the office a DOC) even though it was not required of the barges for many many years. And the ABS and Coast Guard allowed BTC to operate in many substandard ways over many many years.
This is not a simple loophole issue, this is a flag state and class society oversight issue. BTC should have been held accountable to the requirements of the existing regulations and ISM code… throwing MLC at industry with the same lackluster oversight will not change anything.
The USA in many respects is a rogue state, refusing to comply with international agreements, especially where working folks are concerned.