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Belize News

06 Mar 2024

Rubymar Sinking Puts Coral Reefs At Risk

(Photo: U.S. Central Command)

When the Rubymar sank in the Red Sea after a Houthi attack, the ship went down carrying 21,000-tonnes of fertiliser which could trigger massive algal blooms that could create "dead zones" for marine life and starve coral reefs of light.Alongside a slick of leaking fuel, the ammonium phosphate sulphate fertilisers could deliver an extreme pulse of nutrients into waters harbouring rare corals, marine mammals and reef fish, creating a spread of foamy scum on the water.According to a maritime warning circulated to ships in the area…

04 Mar 2024

War Insurers Shrug off Rubymar Sinking in Red Sea, Rates Stable

On March 2 at approximately 2:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier, sank in the Red Sea after being struck by an Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18. The ship had been slowly taking on water since the attack. (Photo: U.S. Central Command)

The cost of war risk insurance through the Red Sea remained stable on Monday despite the sinking of the Rubymar cargo ship as underwriters had already factored in the casualty after it was first hit by a missile last month, industry sources said.The cost of insuring a seven-day voyage through the Red Sea has risen by hundreds of thousands of dollars since Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthis began attacking shipping in the area in November in a show of solidarity with Palestinians in…

02 Mar 2024

Bulk Carrier Rubymar Sinks After Being Struck by Houthis it the Red Sea

On March 2 at approximately 2:15 a.m. (Sanaa time), Rubymar, a Belize-flagged, UK-owned bulk carrier, sank in the Red Sea after being struck by an Iranian-backed Houthi anti-ship ballistic missile on Feb. 18. The ship had been slowly taking on water since the attack. (Photo: U.S. Central Command)

The UK-owned Rubymar, attacked by Houthi militants last month, has sunk in the Red Sea, Yemen's internationally recognized government said on Saturday, warning of an "environmental catastrophe" from the ship's cargo of fertilizer.The vessel is the first lost since the Houthis began targeting commercial shipping in November, forcing shipping firms to divert vessels on to the longer, more expensive route around southern Africa.The Iranian-backed Houthis, who control the north of Yemen and other large centers…

21 Feb 2024

Ship Hit by Missiles and Abandoned in Red Sea Faces Unknown Fate

© Eugene / Adobe Stock

A cargo ship abandoned four days ago in the Gulf of Aden after it was hit by missiles fired by Yemen's Houthis is still floating despite taking in water, and could be towed to nearby Djibouti, industry sources said on Wednesday.Shipping risks have escalated due to repeated drone and missile strikes in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait by the Iran-aligned Houthis since November. U.S. and British forces have responded with several strikes on Houthi facilities but have so far failed to halt the attacks.The crew of the Belize-flagged Rubymar abandoned the vessel after it was hit on Sunday…

19 Feb 2024

Houthis Say Ship Attacked in Gulf of Aden May Sink

© Eugene / Adobe Stock

Yemen's Houthi militants said on Monday they had attacked another cargo vessel in the Gulf of Aden which was at risk of sinking, raising the stakes in their campaign to disrupt global shipping in solidarity with Palestinians in the Gaza war.The Iran-aligned Houthis have made repeated drone and missile strikes since November in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, drawing U.S. and British bombing against them.Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea said in a statement that the Rubymar's crew was safe but that the ship was badly damaged and at risk of sinking.

18 Feb 2024

UK-Registered Ship Reported Under Attack in Bab al-Mandab Strait

A UK-registered cargo ship reported being under attack in the Bab al-Mandab Strait off Yemen on Sunday, said British maritime security firm Ambrey, while UK Maritime Trade Operations agency reported crew abandoning a ship off Yemen after an explosion.Ambrey said on Sunday that a Belize-flagged, UK-registered and Lebanese-operated open hatch general cargo ship had reported being under attack in Bab al-Mandab Strait.The ship was heading north during its journey from Khor Fakkan in the United Arab Emirates to Varna…

03 Oct 2023

Belize to Make Biofuel from Problem Seaweed

© ENRIQUETA / Adobe Stock

Belize is developing a pilot project to convert the masses of foul-smelling sargassum seaweed swamping its pristine beaches into biofuel, its prime minister said in a statement published by regional Caribbean bloc CARICOM on Tuesday.Many Caribbean countries depend economically on drawing travelers from around the world to their white sand beaches, but since 2010 heaps of rotting seaweed have been massing on the shores for reasons scientists do not yet fully understand but suspect are related to climate change.Floating sargassum provides shelter and food for marine animals but as it washes asho

29 Jul 2022

Norwegian's First Prima Class Cruise Ship Delivered

Norwegian Prima (Photo: Fincantieri)

Norwegian Prima, the first of six vessels from Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) new Prima Class of ships was delivered at Fincantieri's shipyard in Marghera on Friday.Along with her sister-ships, Norwegian Prima will form the backbone of the future NCL fleet, at more than 142,500-tons, almost 300 meters long, and accommodating 3,215 guests. Deliveries are scheduled through 2027.Starting in the summer of 2022, Norwegian Prima will offer itineraries in Northern Europe with voyages from Amsterdam…

21 Jan 2022

ABS Withdraws Certification for Two Oil Tankers Over Iran Sanctions

Two tankers have had their environmental and safety classification withdrawn by a U.S. company that provides such certification, after accusations by a U.S. advocacy group that they had shipped cargoes of Iranian oil, documents seen by Reuters show.Countries targeted by tougher U.S. sanctions, including Iran and Venezuela, have responded to the mounting pressure with elaborate strategies to circumvent restrictions on their oil exports.Top oil shipping companies say they have in turn responded by tightening guidelines and deploying technology to prevent accidental sanctions breaches, which U.S. officials have said could lead to them being…

06 Dec 2021

Norwegian Cruise Ship Detects Probable Case of Omicron Variant

© RedBridge / Adobe Stock

A probable case of the Omicron variant has been identified in a crew member of a Norwegian Cruise ship that reached New Orleans on Sunday after detecting COVID-19 among some crew and guests, the Louisiana Department of Health said.The probable case was found among 10 people who tested positive for the virus on Saturday, the health agency said in a tweet on Sunday.Another seven cases have since been reported, it added, taking the total number of cases among passengers and crew of Norwegian Breakaway…

13 Aug 2021

VIDEO: Norwegian Cruise Line's New Ship Floated Out in Italy

Credit: Fincantieri

Norwegian Cruise Line’s new cruise ship Norwegian Prima was floated out at the Fincantieri shipyard in Marghera (Venice) this week.The Norwegian Prima is the first of six vessels of the Norwegian Cruise Line’s (NCL) new Prima Class of ships. NCL is part of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.Along with her sister-ships, “Norwegian Prima” will form the backbone of the future NCL fleet, being more than 142,500-tons, almost 300 meters long, and accommodating 3,215 guests, Fincantieri said Friday.

04 May 2020

Tropical Shipping Enters Suriname Market

(Photo: Tropical Shipping)

Tropical Shipping announced it will serve the Port of Paramaribo with once-weekly sailings beginning May 14.The carrier will ship everything from small packages to refrigerated cargo, dry goods, building supplies and vehicles via its new eight-day transit between Florida and Suriname.Southbound service to Suriname will depart the Port of Palm Beach every Thursday and arrive in Paramaribo each Friday of the following week. The northbound 11-day service will depart Suriname on Friday and arrive in the U.S. on a Tuesday.

21 Oct 2019

46 Countries Support Torremolinos Declaration

The Cook Islands and Sao Tome and Principe have become the latest States to become Party to the Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety.These small nations deposited their instruments of accession during the Torremolinos Ministerial Conference on Fishing Vessel Safety and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing (21-23 October).At the same time, they joined 44 other countries (46 in total) signing the Torremolinos Declaration, a non-legally binding political instrument.By signing the Declaration, the 46 States publicly indicate their determination to ensure the Cape Town Agreement reaches entry into force criteria by the tenth anniversary of its adoption (11 October 2022).

24 Jul 2019

Caribbean to Enhance Maritime Capacity

International Maritime Organization (IMO) has signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Chile, to extend Chile's technical assistance to countries in the Caribbean region, in addition to Latin America.According to the UN body, the MoU on Technical Cooperation, signed by the Directorate General of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine (DIRECTEMAR) of the Republic of Chile, replaces earlier MoUs (signed in 2002 and 2005) and strengthens the collaboration between IMO and DIRECTEMAR for the provision of technical assistance in the Latin America and the Caribbean Region."This will particularly support the provision of experts (including Spanish-speaking experts) to deliver training in Latin America and the Caribbean…

03 Jul 2019

IMO Movie Promotes Gender Diversity

A new film from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) shows how IMO's Women in Maritime program is helping to support gender diversity in the maritime sectorThe maritime world is changing - and for the better. With help from the International Maritime Organization (IMO), exciting and rewarding career opportunities are opening up for women and a new generation of strong and talented women are responding.They are proving that, in today's world, the maritime industries are for everyone. It's not about your gender, it's about what you can do."We see more women involved in different departments within the maritime industry, we don't see them in the conventional roles anymore…

01 Mar 2019

Caribbean Commits to IMO Standards

Caribbean States and Territories have re-affirmed their commitment to implementing International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards for safe, secure and sustainable shipping.According to the UN body, this is part of wider efforts to intensify investments and harness the full potential of the oceans, rivers and lakes to accelerate economic growth, create jobs and fight poverty.Ministers responsible for maritime transport and other participants representing the Governments in the region met at a High Level Symposium (27 February) in Montego Bay, Jamaica, under the theme, “Maritime Transportation: Harnessing the Blue Economy for the Sustainable Development of the Caribbean”.The participating countries are Anguilla…

10 Dec 2018

GREAT WORKBOATS: The Very Best 10 of 2018

MarineNews showcases the ten best of North America’s 2018 workboat deliveries. Domestic shipyard production is robust, innovative and getting greener. And, that translates into two kinds of ‘green.’As the domestic offshore energy support sector slowly awakens, other sectors have been happy to take the spotlight in its absence. As always, and if a hull was delivered in 2018, we took a look at it, with several areas as a focus for inclusion into this edition. For my part, I’m always excited when the U.S. boatbuilding sector can deliver for a foreign buyer. We’ve checked that box here. And, that’s because we can compete on price, quality and when we do…

22 Nov 2018

IMO to Empower Port Women

International Maritime Organization (IMO) is supporting a training course aimed at female officials from maritime and port authorities entitled to encourage more women to join the maritime ranks in many aspect of the industry.Twenty-seven women from 18 developing countries are taking part in the two-week "Women in Port Management" course, hosted in Le Havre, France (12 – 23 November). The countries are Antigua & Barbuda, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Dominica, Guyana, Jamaica, Kenya, Mauritius, Mongolia, Pakistan, Philippines, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, the Sudan, Uganda and Viet Nam.The course includes lectures on subjects such as port management, port security, marine environment, facilitation of maritime traffic, marketing, port logistics and other topics.

13 Nov 2018

NBBB Delivers for Linblad Expeditions

The M/V National Geographic Quest (CREDIT NBBB)

Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB) was contracted by Lindblad Expeditions in December 2015, to construct two (2) new 100 guest passenger cruise vessels for exploratory cruising in Alaska; Baja, California; Pacific Northwest; Costa Rica & Panama, and Belize. Both vessels have joined the Lindblad Expeditions fleet.The first vessel, National Geographic Quest, was delivered in July 2017 and has voyaged to Alaska, Costa Rica and Panama. The National Geographic Venture was delivered on November 1…

22 Oct 2018

Marshall Islands Confirms No Class Certificate Surcharge

International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) announced that the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry will not levy surcharges and commissions on vessel documents and certificates issued on its behalf by the classification societies."The RMI Registry will continue to provide its clients with a transparent pricing structure for the issuance of key certificates needed by shipowners," it said in a statement.Bill Gallagher, President of IRI, which provides administrative and technical support to the RMI Registry, said, "Over the past days, we have had discussions with several of the major classification societies concerning flag state surcharges on the issuance of class documents and statutory certificates.

22 Oct 2018

Training Caribbean Maritime Women

A new mentorship scheme to encourage the next generation of women into the maritime sector has been launched at the annual conference of the Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC), which is being held in Belize City, Belize (October 16-19).This type of scheme is consistent with  International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Women in Maritime program, which supports the participation of women in both shore-based and sea-going posts, in line with the goals outlined under the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: "Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls".The mentorship model will be used as a blueprint throughout the IMO-supported regional Women in Maritime Associations.The WiMAC meeting also discussed ways to increase the visibility of the network…

11 Oct 2018

Marshall Islands Confirms No Class Certificate Surcharge

International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) has announced that the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Registry will not follow competitors by levying surcharges and commissions on vessel documents and certificates issued on its behalf by the Classification Societies.The RMI Registry will continue to provide its clients with a transparent pricing structure for the issuance of key certificates needed by shipowners.Bill Gallagher, President of IRI, which provides administrative and technical support to the RMI Registry, said: "Over the past days, we have had discussions with several of the major Classification Societies (Class) concerning flag State surcharges on the issuance of Class documents and statutory certificates.

14 Sep 2018

M/V National Geographic Venture Launched at Nichols Brothers

Photo: Nichols Brothers Boat Builders

The expedition cruise sector has been one of the fastest growing parts of the passenger vessel market, driven by a growing group of wealthy clientele willing and able to take the time and pay the money for an exclusive, once-in-a-lifetime journey to some of the world's most remote and exotic locales.Linblad Expeditions has been a clear leader in the sector, and recently its latest vessel --  M/V National Geographic Venture -- was launched at Nichols Brothers Boat Builders (NBBB).Nearly…