Ship Insurance

Australia to Inspect All Single-Hull Tankers

All single-hulled oil tankers visiting Australian ports will be subject to increased inspections, under new measures to protect the marine environment announced today. The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, John Anderson, said further protection would come through the introduction of legislation to increase the amount of compensation following an oil spill to $480 million. Anderson said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has upgraded its inspection regime after the sinking of the Prestige off Spain and the European Commission's subsequent crackdown on certain vessels. Anderson said AMSA's target inspection rate would move from 50 percent for single-hulled tankers built since 1987 and 80 percent for single-hulled tankers more than 15 years old to a blanket 100 percent rate. "This will mean Australia's inspection regime, already one of the toughest in the world, will become even tougher," Anderson said. Anderson said this strengthening of AMSA's current Port State Control inspection regime is consistent with actions being considered by the European Commission, which has previously had a less strict inspection regime. "The EC's actions have raised worldwide concerns that aged single-hull tankers will be forced out of Europe to trade in alternative markets, including our region.

Noble Denton Honored

Noble Denton Group has joined an elite group of British businesses as it secured 59th place in this year’s Sunday Times Deloitte Buyout Track 100 list. Now in its second year, the prestigious league table ranks Britain’s top 100 private equity-backed mid-market companies with the fastest growing profits (EBITDA) over two years. The research analyses the profit performance of private equity-backed companies, rather than just the buyout deals.

Trawlercat Introduces Anti-Piracy (PEV) Design

Trawlercat Marine Designs of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada is seeking joint venture partners to join them in building their purpose-designed anti-piracy personal escort vessels (PEV). Trawlercat Marine’s president, Captain Graham Pfister states that “Individual PEV’s can chase pirates away from unarmed and even armed ships. They can prevent groups of pirates from “swarming” and getting close enough to fire their weapons and cause injuries

Mitsui Marine, Sumitomo To Merge By April 2002

Sumitomo Marine & Fire Insurance and Mitsui Marine & Fire Insurance agreed to merge by April 1, 2002, in a move that would create Japan's largest non-life insurer. With combined assets of $51.7 billion, the merged company will outstrip current industry leader Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance, whose assets stand at $48.5 billion. Analysts say the merger will accelerate consolidation in the sector, where competition is intensifying, due mainly to the deregulation of insurance premiums in July 1998

PVA Advises On Terrorism Insurance

The Passenger Vessel Association (PVA) recently distributed the following to advise its members regarding terrorism insurance. The shocking events that occurred on September 11 took all of us by surprise. Since then, we've all started to ask ourselves some basic questions that will help us to protect our companies, property, and employees from further harmful situations, if they should occur. One of these important protective elements is insurance.

American P&I Club 100 Day Initiative

The American P&I Club is this month launching an ambitious initiative aimed at feeding 100 needy families for 100 days in embattled Greece, as well as supporting children with special needs. In a link-up with three long-established charities in Greece, the club will launch its campaign at an evening roof garden reception in central Athens on Thursday, May 31, to mark the start of Posidonia 2012 that will take place the following week.

MARAD To Sponsor Seminar

The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) is sponsoring a seminar in New York on May 31, 2002 entitled Issues regarding Terrorism Insurance in the Maritime Industry. The keynote address will be given by MARAD Administrator William Schubert. Items on the agenda include Terrorist Insurance Legislation Proposals and Status and Insurance and Beyond.

WQIS Strengthens Underwriting Department

John Moy has joined the team at Water Quality Insurance Syndicate as Vice President of Underwriting. John will lead the WQIS underwriting department. John came to WQIS from Crum & Forster where he served as the Vice President of United States Fire Insurance Company for the past five years. Previous to his tenure there, he was the Regional Underwriting Manager at XL America, working in marine and offshore energy insurance

Moore Stephens Strengthens Regulatory Advisory Team

Moore Stephens has further strengthened its regulatory advisory capability with the appointment of John Westlake as compliance manager. John Westlake has a broad perspective of the insurance industry acquired through a variety of roles, which has enabled him to support insurers and brokers in establishing effective compliance solutions. He has a strong commercial background, having acted as operations director with a personal lines insurer

Port Operators Risk Inadequate Insurance Cover

Speaking at the Panama Maritime VI World Conference, Dan Negron, vice president at Through Transport Mutual Services (Americas), stated that port operators face significant liability risk unless they are properly advised by specialist insurers and are in possession of a bespoke port and terminals policy. The devastation caused to New York in the September 11 terrorist attacks has inevitably led to repercussions in the insurance markets