Fisher News

Maritime Authority of Jamaica’s Director General, Rear Admiral (ret’d) Peter Brady, has retired, with the position being accepted by Bertrand Smith, formerly the MAJ’s Director of Legal Affairs.Brady has served in this role since the Maritime Authority’s inception in 1999.As Director General, he was primarily responsible for elevating Jamaica’s maritime status regionally and globally. He spearheaded several major initiatives by the MAJ including the development of Jamaica as a shipping hub with attendant services such as bunkering and drydocking…

The 2023 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to Caleb Halle, Aviation Survival Technician Second Class (AST2) of the United States Coast Guard (USCG). He was recognized for the outstanding courage, endurance and determination he showed during the rescue of the seven-strong crew of the tugboat Legacy in January 2023.AST2 Halle, based at the Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City, received the award at the annual IMO Awards Ceremony in London. The ceremony…

Britain's Princess Anne will on Friday officially open Port of Aberdeen’s £420 million South Harbor expansion project on Friday. The project is expected to catalyze a multi-billion-pound economic and job boost for Scotland.According to a press release issued by the port, independent analysis forecast that when the expanded Port of Aberdeen reaches its full potential the port’s Gross Value Added contribution will jump 60% to £2.4 billion and increase the number of jobs supported by 45% to 17…

Voluntary near-miss reporting scheme CHIRP Maritime is celebrating its 20th anniversary by introducing a new fishing sector safety newsletter alongside its regular 'Maritime FEEDBACK' editions.Adam Parnell, CHIRP Director (Maritime), says: “We hope to create a safe and non-judgemental learning environment where fishers can share, and learn from, the experiences of others. This helps to prevent similar incidents in the future and contributes to a safer maritime environment overall.”The…

James Fisher Subtech has chartered the multipurpose offshore vessel Olympic Taurus from Olympic Subsea with plans to use it in the UK offshore energy industry.The Olympic Taurus has already been mobilized for work from Montrose Port, Aberdeenshire, and fitted with a work class remotely operated vehicle (WROV), in support of an unexploded ordnance (UXO) identification, survey, and disposal campaign in the North Sea with an unnamed client.The campaign is expected to end in early May.This is JF Subtech's second chartered vessel for 2023 after Edda Savanah…

Marine services provider James Fisher Subtech (JF Subtech),  part of James Fisher and Sons plc, has signed a charter agreement with Østensjø Rederi AS for the exclusive use of its inspection, repair, and maintenance (IRM) and construction vessel, Edda Savanah.JF Subtech will start using the vessel in April 2023 for work in the North and Irish Seas on IRM projects for JF Subtech’s customers, utilizing remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and multiple diving methods."The charter comes as the UK’s offshore energy industry faces supply chain crunches…

James Fisher and Sons plc and Uptime International have signed a memorandum of understanding to partner for the use of motion compensated gangways in the development of the pioneering Ulstein SX221 Diamond SOV. The duo said that the agreement would ensure the safety and efficiency of offshore personnel through autonomous and intelligent operations.The news is related to the Diamond Consortium’s ULSTEIN SX221 Diamond SOV concept, announced in June 2022. With James Fisher representing the Diamond Consortium…

Offshore services firm James Fisher and Sons has appointed Neil Sims as its new Head of Energy. Sims will report to Chief Executive Officer, Jean Vernet, as part of the James Fisher executive team.Sims joins James Fisher from Expro, where he most recently served as Product Line Vice President and was responsible for their well flow management portfolio and sustainability and ESG transitional strategy.

James Fisher and Sons plc announced it has taken delivery of its second 6,000dwt LNG dual-fuel tanker, Lady Maria Fisher, which will be traded by James Fisher Everard (JFE) alongside its existing fleet.Built and launched at China Merchants Jinling (CMJL) shipyard in Yangzhou, China, the vessel is currently transporting cashew nut shell oil from Vietnam to Europe, where it will then be processed into bio-diesel.The newbuild and sister vessel Sir John Fisher delivered in November 2022 will replace two of James Fisher’s existing tankers and will be able to carry more cargo.

Marine services company James Fisher and Sons said it has sold another one of its dive support vessels (DSV) to India-based Seamec Limited.The U.K.-based firm announced on Wednesday it entered into a memorandum of agreement for the sale of the 2007-built, 103.7-meter-long DSV Subtech Swordfish for $24 million.The deal remains subject to completion of the formal sale process, including issuing of notice of readiness and completion of flag requirements, James Fisher said.Under the agreement, James Fisher will maintain access to the Swordfish until the end of Q3 2023, enabling it to complete existing and potential customer commitments, the company said.

Dutch shipbuilder Damen Maaskant said it has signed a contract with New Zealand based seafood company Sanford Limited for the design and build of a new scampi vessel for operations in the Southern Ocean.The vessel, based on the Damen Sea Fisher 3210 will be built to the latest standards in terms of sustainability, comfort and safety, the shipbuilder said. The unique design was created as a result of cooperation between Sanford and the management and technical teams of Damen Shipyards…

James Fisher and Sons plc and Graig Shipping PLC unveiled a new service operation vessel (SOV) design concept, the Ulstein Twin X-Stern named ULSTEIN SX221 Diamond SOV to support the UK’s target of 50GW of offshore wind energy generation by 2030.The concept is the result of collaboration by the Diamond Consortium, a collaboration between James Fisher and Graig with support from DNV and design partner, Ulstein Design Solutions. The result will provide a future-proof design to address…

U.K.-based marine services company James Fisher and Sons plc announced it has appointed Jean Vernet as chief executive officer.He will take up this position on September 5, 2022, succeeding Eoghan O’Lionaird who will step down from his position on the board and as CEO. O’Lionaird will  remain employed by the group until June 13, 2023, to ensure a smooth and effective transition of responsibility.Vernet has considerable experience working in the offshore energy sector in both the U.K. and around the world. Most recently, he was CEO of Smiths Group’s largest division, John Crane.

SUNY Maritime College on Monday announced three major construction projects totaling $24.8 million that will enhance and build on the campus’s state-of-the-art facilities for students pursuing the global marine transportation industry. Ground-breaking and ribbon-cutting ceremonies today with state and local leaders celebrated Maritime College’s new Student Learning Center and its fully renovated Marine Engineering Systems Laboratory, made possible through significant New York…

New legislation introduced in Congress aims to create a federal entity dedicated exclusively to advancing solutions to the challenges faced by the eight states of Great Lakes region.Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin together, contain a large core of the United States’ commercial and defense industrial base, as well as the largest freshwater system anywhere on Earth, but lawmakers say the Great Lakes region lacks the support present in other regions where the federal government has an array of commissions…

Subsea services provider James Fisher has chartered Go Marine Group's multi-purpose service vessel Go Electra for UXO identification services and IMR projects in the North Sea.The vessel will be used by James Fisher group companies James Fisher Renewables (JF Renewables) and James Fisher Subtech (JF Subtech) for the rest of 2022."The long-standing agreement will see quicker response times and tailored health and safety standards implemented, as well as stabilized and reliable day rates for customers.

Eagle LNG marked a series of firsts when it fueled the 7,500-car carrier SIEM Aristotle from its Talleyrand LNG Bunker Station at the Jacksonville Port Authority (JAXPORT) in Jacksonville, Fla. It was the first time SIEM has refueled the vessel from a landside bunkering facility and the first ship that Eagle LNG refueled of that size from the bunkering facility.SIEM Aristotle is the first deep-sea pure car, truck carrier (PCTC) equipped with dual-fuel engines, designed to operate on LNG and marine gas oil (MGO).

The Port of Beaumont announced its Board of Commissioners have approved a $57.3 million construction bid for a project aimed at increasing the port’s general cargo handling capacity by more than 15%. Phase II of the Main Street Terminal 1 project, awarded to McCarthy Building Companies, includes demolition of a failed dock structure and construction of a new state-of-the-art general cargo dock. The Main Street Terminal 1 project, funded in part by 2017 General Obligation Bonds, a 2019 U.S. DOT BUILD grant, and Port revenues, is expected to be complete by June 2024.

UK-based offshore services provider James Fisher and Sons has agreed to sell its dive support vessel [Subtech] Paladin.The company has sold the DSV to the Indian offshore services provider Seamec for $17.3 million."This announcement is in line with the Group's newly stated capital allocation policy to reduce leverage, in the short term, through the sale of non-core assets," James Fisher said.The 104 meters long vessel, previously known as Toisa Paladin was built by Kleven in 2008. Seamec has confirmed the acquisition of the vessel in a statementon Thursday.

Power and propulsion solutions company Fairbanks Morse Defense (FMD) announced that Robert Starr is joining the executive team as chief financial officer. In this role, he will lead the corporate finance team and oversee all financial reporting for the company.“Rob’s background working with commercial and military customers makes him a great fit for the Fairbanks Morse Defense team,” said George Whittier, CEO of FMD, an Arcline Investment Management portfolio company. “His ability…

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee on Tuesday approved $1 billion for U.S. Coast Guard shore side infrastructure nationwide and $350 million for a heavy Great Lakes icebreaker as part of its budget reconciliation bill, an action that the Great Lake Maritime Task Force (GLMTF) called “great news for the Great Lakes.”The GLMTF described the heavy Great Lakes icebreaker as desperately needed and expects that a portion of the infrastructure funds will go to good…

Marine and offshore services provider James Fisher and Sons on Tuesday announced the appointment of Duncan Kennedy as Chief Financial Officer and as an Executive Director with effect from May 4, 2021, when he will join the Board.Group Finance Director Stuart Kilpatrick in March informed the James Fisher Board of his intention to step down from the Board on April 29, 2021, following the Company's Annual General Meeting.Kennedy joins James Fisher from BTG plc ("BTG"), previously a FTSE250 international specialist healthcare company…

Sea ice predictions have improved markedly since the founding of an international forecasting and monitoring network 14 years ago.“These forecasts are quite encouraging in their increasing accuracy,” said Uma Bhatt, an atmospheric sciences professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute. Bhatt spoke about the Sea Ice Prediction Network at the American Geophysical Union’s annual meeting last month.As the amount of sea ice in the Arctic declines, thins and becomes more mobile…