Owners Association News

Every year, 250 million containers are transported across the world with food, clothes, electronics and other goods. While crucial for the smooth functioning of the global supply chain, containers and their cargoes can also harbour and transfer contaminating pests.All parties in the supply chain have a shared responsibility for stopping the spread of pests by keeping cargo and containers clean, and the Prevention of Pest Contamination of Containers: Joint Industry Guidelines for…

A group comprising five offshore energy industry associations has called for the UK Government to exempt all offshore energy sector workers from the 14-day quarantine restrictions introduced on June 8.The group that calls itself the global Offshore Industry Group, comprises  International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC), International Association of Geophysical Contractors (IAGC), International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), International Association of Oil…

The Container Owners Association (COA) is providing an open standard (at the application layer level) to permit interoperability of telematics device data from shipping containers.The international organisation representing the common interests of freight container owners said that the open standard, which will start with refrigerated containers, but then be expanded to cover all container types, will pave the way for all container owners to have multiple choices of vendors and platforms for their container fleets when choosing telematics systems.This will reduce risk and provide a more competitive and innovative marketplace of solutions to be explored and deployed…

The Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) Information Sharing Centre and the Indian Coast Guard have commenced the 2017 Capacity Building Workshop in New Delhi, India. Themed “Striding Over Domestic Challenges,” this year’s workshop draws ReCAAP Focal Points from maritime enforcement and government agencies across Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, China, Japan, Korea, Laos, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Norway, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and the United States. Participants will pool case studies drawn from recent incidents from their respective countries, discuss challenges, and share best practices to effectively deal with the evolving patterns of piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia.

Promoting women's access to quality employment and senior management level within the maritime sector is a key priority for International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s gender and capacity-building program and was at the core of the 8th regional conference to support the Association of Women Managers in the Maritime Sector in East and Southern Africa (WOMESA), held in Mahé, Seychelles (September 26 to 29). Under the theme "A Decade of empowering Maritime Women - What does the future hold for Africa's Blue Economy?", the event, supported by the Seychelles Maritime Safety Administration (SMSA), focused on the key achievements made by the Association over the last decade, as it celebrates its milestone 10th anniversary.

Maritime pilots are a strong and essential link in the structure that underpins the safety of international shipping. This was the message delivered by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim to the 70th meeting of the International Maritime Pilots’ Association (IMPA) in Rome, Italy (11 April). Addressing an audience that included Italian pilots and Members of Government, Lim spoke about pilots as a vital part of the shipping’s human element – who use their local knowledge to help ships navigate safely into and out of ports or through dangerous waters. He also emphasized that just as pilots have a responsibility for the safety of shipping, so shipping has a responsibility for pilots’ safety.

The following are the salient features of the draft Inland Vessels Bill, 2016 of India. The Draft Inland Vessels Bill, 2016 covers the Preamble and has 16 parts i.e. Part I to Part XVI. 1.         Part I- enables the Central Government to enact the Bill either in whole or in Part or enact any of its provisions on different dates or in different areas or regions or State Governments or Union Territories by means of a notification to such effect. 2.         Part II- Administrative provisions; prescribes the powers of the Central Government and State Government and prescribes appointment of Competent Authority, Advisory Committee and Department of Local Self Administration.

Hanjin Shipping Co. has notified 560 shipping crew that their service with the company ends on Dec. 10, reports the Pulse. The rest of 2,000 on the company payroll are expected to get dismissal notice within next month. The troubled shipping giant has started laying off its employees as part of and ahead of measures to find a buyer for its Asia-US assets. Korea Ship Owners’ Association and Korea Maritime Institute estimate as many as 10,000 in related port, ship maintenance, and insurance industry would lose job when Hanjin Shipping goes under. Of them 23,000 jobs would be lost in the port city of Busan. Hanjin Shipping that had been…

The Commonwealth Enterprise and Investment Council (CWEIC) together with the Ship Owners Association of Nigeria (SOAN) have co-hosted an event on “The Future of the Maritime Industry in Nigeria” at Marlborough House in London on September 28. The event brought together investors, business leaders and government officials – representing maritime interests from across the Commonwealth – in a bid to stimulate discussion, increase cooperation and forge partnerships around the myriad opportunities of Nigeria’s maritime sector. The event was hosted as part of CWEIC’s Commonwealth Maritime Initiative (CMI), which aims to promote the maritime industry as a key driver of economic growth and trade (cargo carried by sea is set to quadruple by 2050)…

In a significant breakthrough for the container shipping business, the two criteria currently used when inspecting containers during the interchange process between operators and leasing companies are now to be harmonised. Until now, there have been two different interchange inspection standards: the “IICL-5” criteria (managed by the Institute of International Container Lessors); and the “Common Interchange Criteria”, administered by the CIC Group of leasing companies, comprising five of the world’s leading container lessors (Triton Container, Seaco, Florens Container Services, CAI and Blue Sky Intermodal) who represent over 50 percent of the world’s leased dry freight container fleet.

Greek cruise ship operators are worried of a lasting impact on the sector from an ongoing strike by port workers protesting against the sale of the country's biggest port Piraeus to Chinese shipping giant COSCO. Greece in April agreed the sale of a 67 percent stake in Piraeus Port to COSCO for 368.5 million euros under a third international bailout. Port workers have held 48-hour rolling strikes since late May, disrupting cargo operations and services provided to cruise ships docking at Piraeus over fears their jobs are at risk.

Following the Maersk Group's recent announcement of its long-term commitment to create more responsible recycling options in Alang, India an agreement has been reached for the landing of the first two vessels. Maersk Line is to deliver two of its containerships, the Maersk Wyoming and Maersk Georgia, for recycling at the Shree Ram yard, Alang in the Indian state of Gujarat later this month. Maersk says the market for ship recycling is dominated by practices unchanged for decades. Of the 768 ships recycled globally in 2015, 469 – or 74 percent of the total gross tonnage scrapped - were sold to facilities on beaches in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The market for ship recycling is dominated by practices unchanged for decades.

Following the Maersk Group’s recent announcement of its long-term commitment to create more responsible recycling options in Alang, India, an agreement has been reached for the landing of the first two vessels. The Maersk Wyoming and the Maersk Georgia, two Maersk Line container vessels, are expected in Alang late May 2016. The vessels will be recycled at the Shree Ram yard in Alang which is certified to the standards of the Hong Kong Convention. The market for ship recycling is dominated by practices unchanged for decades. Out of a total of 768 ships recycled globally in 2015, 469 – representing 74 percent of the total gross tonnage scrapped - were sold to facilities on beaches in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh with challenges to workers and the environment.

The Iranian Maritime Industry Knowledge Hub will be soon opened up and ready to use by public in the area of shipping and offshore industry. Reza Mohammad Alibeike, member of The Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology (IMarEST), said, "In order to promote culture and knowledge of common people and maritime activists with the maritime industry issues and related jobs, I decided to design and execute a simple, but smart and practical structure. The member of Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) emphasized that in his software maritime industry is defined and its different segments are distinct. Due to absence of a scientific and reasonable definition of maritime industry and lack of unawareness of the authorities…

Current issues in marine salvage: the ISU perspective. There have undoubtedly been great improvements in ship and operational safety in the past decades. SOLAS, the international Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, has been in force for more than 30 years and has played a large part reducing the incidence of marine casualty. But accidents and incidents cannot be entirely eradicated and the potential for marine casualty – and pollution – remains present in all territories.

GMS, a buyer of ships for recycling, has voiced its support of the Danish Ship Association (DSA) which refuses to ban beaching outright following the recent announcement by their Norwegian counterparts. GMS supports DSA’s position that ship recycling choice shouldn’t be based just on geography. A delegation from the DSA recently visited shipyards in Alang, India to see how some had upgraded their facilities to comply with the Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling. The DSA believes…

There are strong indications that the current economic crisis faced by Greece may truncate a vessel acquisition deal worth over $250 million with some Nigerian ship owners, reports BizWatchNigeria. Recently, some ship owners Association has signed a Memorandum of Understanding MoU with Greek ship owners whereby 40 ships of various tonnages and class will be brought into Nigeria’s Coastal and Inland Shipping Cabotage trade on a bareboat charter arrangement. This was part of the measures by the Nigeria Shipowners Association (NISA) to enhance indigenous fleet expansion and boost their participation in the shipping business in the country. Under the scheme the 40 ships would be transferred to Nigerians after two years.

Nigeria and Greece have signed a deal that will enable Nigerian ship owners to own vessels that would be transferred to them by their Greek counterparts, reports Channels Television. Nigerian ship owners have reiterated their preparedness to partner their Greek counterparts on coastal trade and ship building in the country. To this end, the ship owners, under the auspices of the Nigerian Ship Owners Association (NISA), have sealed a partnership with some ship owners from Greece to bring in 40 vessels into Nigeria. “We have signed the agreement between us and Greeks and Nigeria will acquire the 40 ships in not less than 24 months. NISA is providing a platform for younger and unborn generations and I wish the ships will be growing from 40 to 60 and to 100.

Our Offshore Annual edition of MarineNews headlines Jane Bugler, the Technical Director of the International Marine contractors Association (IMCA). Jane is a chartered chemical engineer who worked in the chemical industry for several years before joining the UK Health & Safety Executive (HSE), where she worked in a variety of roles (including work regarding pipeline regulation) before joining IMCA in 1997, when she became Technical Director. Today, Jane has overall responsibility for the extensive and varied technical program of IMCA and for liaison between IMCA and external organizations…

The Nigerian Ship owners’ Association (NISA) and Turkish Shipowners’ Association (TUSA) has flagged off a working rela­tionship to develop water transpor­tation and ship yards, in the Nigeria maritime sector. The Nigerian Shipowners’ Association (NISA), and the Turkish Shipowners’ Association (TUSA) have entered into a working relationship for the development of the Nigerian Maritime industry in the area of shipbuilding, repair and sharing of latest shipping technology. The TUSA President, Capt. Yu­nus Can explained at NISA’s sec­retariat in Lagos that the mutual working relationship between Nigeria and Turkey would lead to enhanced availability of pas­sengers boats, development of shipyards and blueprint for ship maintenance.

“In the last five years, pirates have killed at least 411 fishermen and wounded at least 1,000 more, suggested Mujibur Rahman, Chairman of Cox’s Bazar District Fishing Trawler Owners Association (DFTOA). According to the DFTOA, pirates attacked more than 1,000 fishing boats, abducting more than 3,000 fishermen, killed over 45 and collected more than $1.28 million in ransoms from fishery owners of two coastal towns – Chakaria and Maheshkhali, alone from late 2011 to late 2012,” reported a Bangladeshi paper in April 2013.

The International Support Vessel Owners Association (ISOA) has made an award to support maritime industry workers served by the Seamen’s Church Institute. The International Support Vessel Owners Association (ISOA) recognized the Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) service to the industry by conferring an award of £5,000 GBP (approximately US $8,541) to support the work of the Institute serving offshore workers in the Gulf of Mexico. An association representing the interests of shipowners and operators of vessels providing support services to offshore installations, ISOA assembles members each year to discuss common interests in technical matters, safety and universally applied standards in the industry. At each annual meeting, ISOA makes an award to support the welfare needs of seafarers.

On June 20, a diverse coalition of 58 national and regional organizations representing a wide array of leading business, maritime and labor organizations signed on to a letter to Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee Chairman John Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) and Ranking Member John Thune (R-SD) urging that the committee mark up and approve S. 2094, a bill that would establish a uniform, science-based national framework for the regulation of ballast water and other vessel discharges. S. 2094, introduced on March 6 by Sens.