Bourbon Crew Abducted off of Nigeria Freed
Bourbon announced that the two crew members abducted on board the Bourbon Liberty 251 off the coast of Nigeria on February 23, have been released and are in good health.
Savannah Handles Imported Grapes
The Port of Savannah is now handling grapes imported from Peru, adding to the list of cold-treated perishables using Savannah as a port of entry. "Savannah currently handles avocados, citrus and sweet onions from Peru," said Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz. The grapes, moved from Andean Sun Produce farms in Ica and Piura, Peru, are part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture program…
Diana Acquires Panamax Bulker
Diana Shipping Inc. today announced that through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has taken delivery of the m/v Selina (formerly “Sunshine”), a 2010 built Panamax dry bulk vessel of 75,700 dwt that the Company entered into an agreement to purchase in February 2016. As previously announced, the Company signed, through two separate wholly-owned subsidiaries, a term sheet with ABN AMRO Bank N.V.
Decade Old Waste Dumping Treaty
The 1996 "London Protocol" covering the dumping of wastes at sea entered into force ten years ago today (24th March). The Protocol modernized the original “London Convention” dumping treaty, bringing in a so-called “precautionary approach” that heralded a new era of prohibition of all dumping at sea with the exception of wastes commonly agreed by Governments and then put on an approved list. Find out more in our information leaflet.
Commander, Task Force 64 Established
U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa established Commander, Task Force 64, a command focused on Ballistic Missile Defense in Europe, in ceremony held in Naples Italy. Commodore Jeffrey Wolstenholme assumed command of the newly established Commander, Task Force 64 (CTF 64) during a ceremony held on U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples, Capodichino, in Naples, Italy March 24, 2016. U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa (NAVEUR-NAVAF) and U.S.
Turner Designs' C6P enables upto 6 Sensors
Turner Designs now offers a C6P Submersible Sensor package enabling up to six sensors in a corrosion resistant, highly durable, Delrin plastic housing able to withstand even the harshest of environments. Modeled after the popular C3, the C6P can be configured with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6 optical sensors ranging from deep UV to IR. An antifouling copper plate and a mechanical wiper are available as options to minimize bio-fouling on and around the sensors.
USCG Oversees Tug Specialist hoist near Tappan Zee Bridge
The Coast Guard monitored the hoist of the tugboat Specialist near the Tappan Zee Bridge today. The Specialist was part of a three-tug group that was pushing a crane barge south on the Hudson River. The 84-foot long vessel struck a stationary barge near the Tappan Zee Bridge at approximately 5:30 a.m., March 12, 2016 and sank in 40 feet of water within a short period of time. One crewmember was recovered from the water in the immediate aftermath of the collision but could not be revived.
Boston Harbor Dredging Project to get Underway
The Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport) Board today voted to approve to execute a Project Partnering Agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACOE) and MassDOT to start the Boston Harbor Dredging Project. A signed agreement allows the ACOE to bid contracts for construction on a Confined Aquatic Disposal cell (CAD cell), which is needed for the maintenance dredging of the Inner Harbor Main Ship Channel.
Hanjin Shipping Rely on Assets Sale
As part of its plans to ramp up debt restructuring and struggle to stay afloat amid the tides of trouble, the Korean shipping line Hanjin Shipping is looking at selling assets, reports The Korea Herald. Hanjin is looking at offloading an office building in London as well as terminals at home and overseas to cut its debt ratio. Hanjin Shipping's, one of South Korea's largest carriers, current debt ratio is about 600 percent.
The Big Risks for Shipping in 2016
With the threats facing shipping become ever more complex and diverse, Dryad Maritime's COO, Ian Millen speaks to CSO Alliance, a global digital network dedicated to serving Company Security Officers (CSOs), about the big threats CSOs should be focusing their attention on in 2016 and what regions they should be most concerned about from a security perspective. Maritime terrorism is obviously something that needs to be continually accessed at the moment.
Piracy Drives Toward Southeast Asia
Dryad Maritime's COO, Ian Millen says that when looking at the volume of maritime crime and piracy events, the numbers drive you toward Southeast Asia. With a 10% rise in 2015 incidents, when compared to 2014, the area leads the crime league table. It’s worth noting that much of the reported crime is of the less serious type (eg. theft of ships’ stores etc), but this does sit alongside more serious…
Philippines Releases North Korean Ship
Reuter reports that the Philippines has released a North Korean freighter it had seized. The North Korean freighter was covered by harsher United Nations' sanctions against Pyongyang over its nuclear program. The 6,830 deadweight tonne (dwt) cargo ship M/V Jin Teng was one of the first sanctioned North Korean ships to enter a foreign port since the tightened sanctions were passed unanimously by the U.N. Security Council. Thirty-one North Korean ships are on the list.
RINA Services Classifies the First Ships in Iran
RINA Services and the Asian Classification Society (ACS) recently classified the first two general cargo ships at 15,000 GT owned by IRISL, a major shipping company in Iran. This dual classification is the result of a partnership signed with the Tehran-based ACS shortly after sanctions in Iran were lifted. RINA Services’ marine classification in this area reflects Italy’s strong commitment to forging long-standing relationships with countries in the Middle East and now in Iran in particular.
Shipping Morale Suffers: Moore Stephens
Overall confidence levels in the shipping industry fell to a record low in the three months to February 2016, according to the latest Shipping Confidence Survey from international accountant and shipping adviser Moore Stephens. The average confidence level expressed by respondents in the markets in which they operate was 5.0 on a scale of 1 (low) to 10 (high). This compares to the 5.6 recorded in November 2015…
VLCC Segment Shows Modest Growth
In the Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) segment, which showed modest growth in overall volume from 2014 to 2015, the main changes were concentrated in the eastern hemisphere, says a report by Tanker Research & Consulting department at Poten & Partners. In the Middle East, there was a significant increase in movements from the Arabian Gulf to the Red Sea. Reported VLCC fixtures increased almost fivefold from 12 in 2014 to 56 in 2015…
