Shopper Nautical Commission

The Shops Island Commission on Nautical Affairs, often referred to as the 'Shopper Nautical Commission and abbreviated as the SNC, is Shops Island's governing body which presides over sea travel throughout Shops Island and its territories.

The Shopper Nautical Commission works jointly with the navy, the coast guard and the Bureau of Infrastructure to ensure safe passage of all Shopper vessels within Shopper waters and abroad. The SNC is also tasked with ensuring that foreign ships abide by the rules, and are responsible for forbidding entry to ships from unwanted countries. As an extension of this duty, the SNC directly oversees the imposition and collection of tariffs against foreign ships entering Shopper waters.

History
The Shopper Nautical Commission was formed in 2012 amidst a period of high political tension in Shops Island. Bro had just been elected president and the nation was still in the grasp of a deep depression. The founding of the SNC came as part of a package deal known as the Shops Island Transportation Plan, implemented by then-administrator Welcome00. The plan called for the creation of a maritime governing body as well as many other transportation-related oversight bodies and systems such as the Shops Island Subway.

Jurisdiction
The SNC has jurisdiction in all Shopper territorial waters and that of its colonies and territories. The SNC has a fleet of its own vessels to carry out their duties, but also often commission navy and coast guard ships to assist with the workload.

Patrols in Shopper Waters
The SNC works extensively alongside the Navy, and to a lesser extent, the Coast Guard, to patrol all territorial waters of Shops Island and to uphold standing maritime law. Most of these patrols are to ensure that pirates stay free of Shopper waters and that safe passage of domestic and foreign cargo ships is maintained.

SNC vessels and officers are very common in Shops Island's larger ports, such as those in San Vancelton, Vonkouver, and Goberna. In this area, the SNC ensures that all ships in port pay their required tariffs, and they work alongside customs officers to ensure that all people onboard are allowed to enter the country.

When dealing with vessels from forbidden countries, the SNC is often responsible for commanding the navy or coast guard to forcibly expel these ships from Shopper waters. In some cases, however, admirals and captains in the navy just use their better judgement and expel ships on their own initiative.

Foreign Involvement
The Shopper Nautical Commission has been ordered to perform its duties outside of Shopper waters on some occasions. In times of war, the SNC is responsible for organizing ship convoys, accompanied by navy destroyers to ensure safe passage of Shopper and allied ships through international waters even when under the threat of enemy attack. The most notable example of this occurred during the Frosian War, where the SNC organized most convoys and navy escorts to protect themselves from Puffalian U-Boat raids and state-sponsored piracy.

Tariffs

 * See Trade in the Frosian Islands for more information.

The SNC is responsible for enforcing Shops Island's stringent tariff regiment in all Shopper waters, and is also responsible for collecting said tariffs. The standard tariff rate is 25 WB$ per metric ton of cargo entering the country, although this number can increase for vessels entering from certain countries if the Shopper government so wishes. Given the tonnage of a standard cargo ship, this 25 WB$/ton tariff translates to a revenue of approximately 625,000 WB$ per ship. This rate only increases with steeper tariffs. As of 2018, the highest tariff the SNC enforces is 65 WB$ per ton (about 1,625,000 WB$ per ship); this tariff is levied exclusively against Duck Island.

Trivia

 * When the navy is not engaged in an active conflict, many sailors are transferred over to the SNC to help in their duties.
 * The SNC often works closely in conjunction with the Shops Island Bureau of Transportation when the latter bureau wishes to build bridges over large bodies of water, or when ferries are involved in the Shopper highway system.
 * Although the SNC patrols Shopper waters for piracy very strictly, it allows passage to some "good" pirates such as Rockhopper.