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Cruise Ship Passenger 'Bill of Rights' Adopted

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has approved "Cruise Industry Passenger Bill of Rights" detailing members' commitment to the safety, comfort & care of guests in a number of important areas. The CEOs of CLIA North American member cruise lines are each immediately verifying in writing that they have adopted the Passenger Bill of Rights, which is a condition of membership in the Association. CLIA also will submit the Passenger Bill of Rights to the International Maritime Organization (IMO), requesting formal global recognition and applicability under the IMO's authority over the international maritime industry.  The Passenger Bill of Rights will be effective immediately for U.S. passengers who purchase their cruise in North America on CLIA's North American member cruise lines, regardless of itinerary. International Cruise Line Passenger Bill of Rights:    1.    The right to disembark a docked ship if essential provisions such as food, water, restroom facilities and access to medical care cannot adequately be provided onboard, subject only to the Master's concern for passenger safety and security and customs and immigration requirements of the port.     2.    The right to a full refund for a trip that is canceled due to mechanical failures, or a partial refund for voyages that are terminated early due to those failures.

Right Whale – Wrong Whale

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) issued a rule rescinding its 2003 rule that purported to separate the right whale into the North Atlantic right whale and the North Pacific right whale and make various other changes under the Endangered Species Act. The 2003 changes were made without proper authority. NMFS will commence analysis to determine whether the two northern right whales are related. Adding to the confusion, there is also a southern right whale

Potential Whale Breeding Grounds Discovered

A large number of North Atlantic right whales have been seen in the Gulf of Maine, leading right whale researchers at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center to believe they have identified a wintering ground and potentially a breeding ground for this endangered species. The NEFSC’s aerial survey team saw 44 individual right whales on Dec. 3 in the Jordan Basin area, located about 70 miles south of Bar Harbor, Maine

Zodiac Aids With New Self-Righting Design

Zodiac International has developed a new patented, self-righting technique to comply with the updated RoRo ferry liferaft regulations. Formulated by a team of technical engineers, the design is patented in both France and the U.S. - to be followed shortly by other jurisdictions. The self-righting design enables liferafts to automatically turn from a capsized position to an upright position on the surface of the water, regardless of whether they inflate in the inverted position underwater or on

CG Reminder, Slow for Right Whales

The Coast Guard reminds operators of vessels 65 ft or greater in length that the Right Whale Ship Strike Reduction Rule takes effect Nov. 1, requiring those vessels to slow down while operating in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic waters where North Atlantic Right whales are known to migrate, calve and nurse. The Coast Guard has worked closely with the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration and National Marine Fisheries Service division during the past decade to further both agencies’

Ship Passengers Granted New Legal EU Rights

A new European Union regulation gives passengers travelling by water improved rights to assistance in cases of cancelled or delayed departures. Passengers travelling by water are set to enjoy improved rights to assistance in cases of cancelled or delayed departures as a new EU regulation on maritime passenger rights enters into force.. These passengers will now benefit from similar rights to those travelling by air and rail.

Update on Omega's Chapter 11 Proceedings

Omega Navigation Enterprises Inc. has announced that, in connection with its Chapter 11 proceedings in Houston, Texas, the Court has granted all of the interim relief that Omega requested. This included the right to continue to operate and pay all operating expenses in the ordinary course; the right to continue to pay employees and crew in the ordinary course; the right to continue all cash management procedures in the ordinary course; and the right to continue to maintain all insurance in the

Sedative OKd To Help Free Entangled Whale

A federal judge in Boston on Friday cleared the way for rescuers to use a sedative to free a whale tangled in fishing line while fighting for its life off the coast of Cape Cod, Mass. District Judge George O'Toole rejected a motion by an environmental activist who said a sedative would kill the 50-ton North Atlantic right whale -- one of an estimated 100 to 500 of the endangered species remaining. The Center for Coastal Studies, a rescue group from Provincetown, Mass

Colombia Grants E&P Rights To 5 Oil Companies

The Colombian government Tuesday granted exploration and production rights on nine offshore areas on the Caribbean coast to five different companies in an effort to boost the country's oil reserves. In Tuesday's auction, Colombian state-owned oil company Ecopetrol SA, India's state-run oil company Oil and Natural Gas Corp. (500312.BY), Brazil's Petroleo Brasileiro SA (PBR), U.K.-based BP PlC (BP) and Hess Corp. (HES) won the rights separately or in partnership to explore the nine blocks

More Opportunities for U.S. Government Contractors

LeClairRyan attorney successfully establishes before Federal Cout the right to challenge Government pre-procurement decisions A recent precedent-setting U.S. Court of Federal Claims decision will result in more opportunities for contractors to bid on federal government procurement projects, according to LeClairRyan shareholder Thomas A. Coulter, who represented two software companies that claimed they were unfairly denied the right to compete for a large project under federal procurement laws