Antigua And Barbuda News

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…

A successful International Maritime Organization (IMO) project promoted by Norway to establish a maritime "single window" in Antigua and Barbuda has been completed – and the source code for the system will now be made available to other countries who need it.A maritime single window enables all information required by public authorities in connection with the arrival, stay and departure of ships, people and cargo, to be submitted electronically via a single portal, without duplication.

A new global rule mandated by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for national governments to introduce electronic information exchange (EIC) between ships and ports took effect from Monday (8 April 2019).The aim is to make cross-border trade simpler and the logistics chain more efficient, for the more than 10 billion tons of goods which are traded by sea annually across the globe, said a press note from the UN body.The requirement, mandatory under IMO's Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL Convention)…

International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s Facilitation Committee addresses the efficiency of shipping by dealing with all matters related to the facilitation of international maritime traffic, including the arrival, stay and departure of ships, persons and cargo from ports.The Committee is meeting for its 43rd session (8-12 April), coinciding with the entry into effect of new requires for all public authorities to introduce electronic exchange of information between ships and ports.Alongside other agenda items…

International Maritime Organization (IMO) has conducted a Level 2 Training Course on OPRC (Convention on Oil Pollution Preparedness, Response and Co-operation) in St Kitts and Nevis  for oil spill response managers in the wider Caribbean region.Participants from 15 countries attended the IMO-funded event, which is focused on tactical aspects of spill preparedness and response, and applying incident management systems to assist effective coordination of spill response.The countries were Anguilla…

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…

Cruise port operator Global Ports Holding (GPH) has signed a 30-year concession agreement with the government of Antigua and Barbuda for cruise port operations in Antigua on an exclusive basis.The concession also includes certain retail outlets in the project area. This concession marks GPH’s second step in its expansion into the Americas, after the signing of Havana in 2018.Under the terms of the concession agreement, the Group will use its global expertise and operating model to manage the cruise port operations in Antigua.In addition…

An exciting new phase in a project to develop a maritime single window for Antigua and Barbuda has begun, with the installation of the first, basic system platform, said a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO). Testing and implementation will now begin and if successful, the system, developed by Norway, could potentially benefit other countries of the Caribbean region and to other regions of the world. A technical team from Norway has explained the basic platform…

The build-up of aquatic organisms on a ship’s underwater hull and structures is known as biofouling. This can introduce potentially invasive non-native aquatic species to a new area. Fouling can also slow down a ship and impact on its energy efficiency. An International Maritime Organization (IMO) regional workshop in  Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago (20-22 June) aims to provide participants with a greater understanding of the requirements and implications of ratifying, implementing and enforcing the anti-fouling systems (AFS) convention and implementing biofouling guidelines.

Verifavia, the world’s leading emissions verification company for the transport sector (aviation and shipping), announced that it has become the first independent verifier authorised by the Panama Maritime Authority to conduct the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Data Collection System (DCS) verification services for vessels registered in Panama. Through this authorisation granted by Panama, Verifavia will offer its IMO DCS and EU MRV verification services to the world’s largest ship registry – with over 8…

Antigua and Barbuda is getting ready to implement a maritime single window for ship notifications relating to stay and departure of the vessel, under a project facilitated by IMO technical cooperation programme. Norway is financing the project as well as providing technical expertise. The first phase of the project has been initiated with a kick-off week in St. John's (9-13 October). This week provided an opportunity for stakeholders to discuss the scope of the project, identify existing facilities and conduct a needs assessment.

At least half of Puerto Rico's island without power; storm likely to hit Florida Saturday or Sunday. Hurricane Irma killed eight people on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and left Barbuda devastated on Thursday as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida. Television footage of the Franco-Dutch island of Saint Martin showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. Power was knocked out on Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy and in parts of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. "It is an enormous disaster, 95 percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock," Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International.

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, churned across northern Caribbean islands on Wednesday with a potentially catastrophic mix of fierce winds, surf and rain, en route to a possible Florida landfall at the weekend. Irma is expected to become the second powerful storm to thrash the U.S. mainland in as many weeks but its precise trajectory remained uncertain. Hurricane Harvey killed more than 60 people and caused damaged estimated as high as $180 billion when it hit Texas late last month. The eye of Irma, a Category 5 storm packing winds of 185 miles per hour (295 km per hour), moved away from the island of Barbuda and toward the island of St. Martin, east of Puerto Rico, early on Wednesday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami reported.

A three-day National Maritime Transport Policy (NMTP) workshop has been held in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda (16-18 May). The event provided valuable knowledge and skills to those involved in the development, adoption and review of a NMTP in the country. The exercise is part of a series of workshops and seminars being delivered in various regions of the world to provide training to interested International Maritime Organization (IMO) Member States in the development, adoption and updating of such policies, which are key to a coordinated and integrated approach to maritime transport.

The first ocean vessel of the year arrived at the Port of Indiana-Burns Harbor marking the official opening of the international shipping season. Port officials welcomed the 413-foot general cargo carrier BBC Mont Blanc and presented the captain with the Ports of Indiana Steel Stein. "The arrival of the first ocean ship of the new year is an exciting time not only for our port, but also for our port companies and numerous other regional businesses that rely on the cargoes these vessels carry," said Port Director Ian Hirt. "For northwest Indiana, the opening of the St.

Turkey is strategically located, straddling both Europe and Asia with substantial number of Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea ports, thus making maritime trade and shipping of great importance to the country’s economy. Its extensive coastline running for 8,483 km, (1,067 km of which is island shores) has greatly contributed to the growth of Turkey’s maritime sector. Turkish shipyards have a tradition spanning eight centuries. At the time of the Ottoman Empire, shipyards were able to build large…

Greece is considered to be the world’s first ship-owning country in terms of tonnage. The Greeks are known to control 17.7% of world fleet and gaining share except in crude tankers. Even recession in the dry bulk market has not had much effect on the Greek-owned fleet with the fleet size touching 5,226 vessels last year with a total DWT of 334 million. For debt-laden Greece, shipping – a key element of Greek economic activity since ancient times – is considered a knight in shining armor at this crucial juncture.

Global maritime welfare charity The Mission to Seafarers outlines emergency support work with surviving crew members of the Thorco Cloud – a general cargo vessel which sank in the Singapore Strait after a collision on December 16. The other vessel involved, chemical tanker Stolt Commitment, received only minor damage and is in a stable condition. Cayman Islands-registered Stolt Commitment and freighter Thorco Cloud bearing the Antigua and Barbuda flag collided in the eastbound lane of the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) in the Singapore Strait.

Six crew members are still missing after a general cargo freighter sank in the Singapore Strait following a collision with a chemical tanker at 8:14 p.m. (1214 GMT) on Dec. 16. The 10,385 deadweight tonne (dwt) cargo freighter Thorco Cloud, operated by Danish shipper Thorco Shipping and registered in Antigua and Barbuda, had a crew of 12. Singapore's Police Coast Guard, supported by the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), rescued five of the crew members, while the chemical tanker picked up a sixth, the MPA said. The rescued seamen were sent to Singapore General Hospital for observation, it said. Search and rescue operations continued for the six missing crew members, said an MPA spokesman in an update.

The Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks enters into force on Tuesday, April 14, 2015. The Convention places strict liability on owners for locating, marking and removing wrecks deemed to be a hazard and makes State certification of insurance, or other form of financial security for such liability, compulsory for ships of 300 gt and above. It also provides States Parties with a right of direct action against insurers. The Convention fills a gap in the existing…

The Malta Ships Register has become the sixth largest maritime flag in the world, according to statistics for 2014, says a report in Fenech & Fenech Advocates. Malta has moved up from seventh place in 2013 and has retained its position as the largest in Europe. The Maltese register has not only registered an increase in gross tonnage but has also continued to attract younger vessels to its fleet whilst retaining high standards. Malta has a centuries old Maritime tradition. The strategic location of the Maltese Islands at heart of the Mediterranean Sea…

A general cargo vessel experiencing mechanical issues near the Great Barrier Reef is under tow, the response coordinator Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) reported. Antigua and Barbuda flagged general cargo vessel, Thor Commander, reported on Sunday night it had damaged its main engine, and a towline was established Monday evening between the disabled vessel and an assisting Chinese flagged merchant vessel, Xinfa Hai. Xinfa Hai is towing the vessel slowly in an easterly direction ahead of the tug’s arrival on Tuesday morning. AMSA directed the owners and Master of Thor Commander under the Protection of the Sea (Powers of Intervention) Act 1981 to accept a tow to prevent it drifting further.

The Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Center for Seafarer’s Rights conducted its thirteenth annual Seafarer Shore Leave Survey during the week of May 18-24, 2014. Port ministries in 27 U.S. ports visited 416 vessels with 9,184 crewmembers (representing 60 nationalities). A total of 1,030 seafarers on 97 vessels were denied shore leave. An overwhelming majority (86%) of these seafarers were denied shore leave because they did not have visas. Other reasons for shore leave denials included terminal restrictions (7%), vessel operations (7%) and U.S.