Livestock Carriers Delayed in Middle East
The NGO Robin des Bois is concerned about the thousands of seafarers currently stuck in the Middle East and about the approximately 70,000 animals on livestock carriers in the region.The livestock has been exported from South America, the European Union, and the Horn of Africa to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, and Jordan.âUnder normal circumstances, the conditions of confinement on board are deplorable. In times of war, global pandemics, epizooticsâŠ
"Green" Vessel Investments Continue Despite Delays
The shipping industry's biggest players are shrugging off Trump administration opposition to a global carbon price and are forging ahead with billions of dollars in emissions-reducing investments, according to company officials and a Reuters analysis of data.Europe, Brazil and a host of other nations are pushing the sector, which is responsible for nearly 3% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, to go green. But, in October, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, the world's two largest oil producersâŠ
Global Shipping Industry Sticks with Green Investments
The shipping industry's biggest players are shrugging off Trump administration opposition to a global carbon price and are forging ahead with billions of dollars in emissions-reducing investments, according to company officials and a Reuters analysis of data.Europe, Brazil and a host of other nations are pushing the sector, which is responsible for nearly 3% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions, to go green. But, in October, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia, the world's two largest oil producersâŠ
Teamwork Required to Thwart Illegal Wildlife Trade
Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California had disrupted several major wildlife trafficking operations, including seizing hundreds of illegal products made from ivory, rhino horn, walrus tusks, suspected bear gall bladders, saiga antelope, and turtle shells.âThe international illegal market for these products encourages poaching and threatens global biodiversity â California wants no part of it. Weâre using every tool at our disposal to catch and shut down these trafficking ringsâŠ
Somalia Ends Port Deals, Security Cooperation with UAE
Somalia's government said on Monday it is annulling all agreements with the United Arab Emirates, including port deals and defence and security cooperation, accusing the UAE of undermining its national sovereignty."This decision is based on credible reports and compelling evidence concerning hostile actions undermining national sovereignty, territorial unity, and the political independence of the country," Somalia's Council of Ministers said.The decision "applies to all agreements and partnerships relating to the ports of Berbera, Bosaso, and Kismayo ...
CMA CGM Vessels Navigate the Suez Canal, Hinting at Easing Tensions
Two vessels from CMA CGM, the world's third-largest container shipping line, have travelled through the Suez Canal, the authority that runs the waterway said on Tuesday, in a sign the disruptions linked to the Gaza war could be easing.While the Suez Canal provides the fastest link between Asia and Europe, since November 2023, shipping companies have had to take much longer routes because Yemen's Iran-aligned Houthi militants attacked commercial vessels, saying they were acting in solidarity with Palestinians during warfare in Gaza.CMA CGM did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ATDM Program Delivers Skilled Workers to the Maritime Industrial Base
The U.S. Navy needs to dramatically increase the fleet, especially submarines, but the available pool of skilled workers is not keeping pace.Submarine construction is ramping up. The Navy continues to build Virginia-class submarines, striving for two per year, and is gearing up build the new Columbia-class of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. At the same time, the industry needs to support the ambitious Australia-U.S.-U.K. AUKUS program to make the Royal Australian Navy a nuclear submarine navy.Qualified workers are not only needed to build submarinesâŠ
EU Warship Secures Tanker Crew After Somali Pirate Attack
An EU warship secured the crew of an oil products tanker on Friday after it was attacked by pirates off Somalia, its operator and a European Union naval mission said, as worries grow over a resurgence of piracy after years of calm.Just hours earlier, in a separate incident, another vessel successfully outran a pirate skiff in the same area, maritime sources said.A recent spate of attacks on vessels off the Horn of Africa, including the first involving suspected Somali pirates in a yearâŠ
Over 50 Migrants Die off Yemen
At least 54 migrants died when a boat carrying around 150 people sank off Yemen's coast in bad weather on Sunday, with dozens still unaccounted for, health officials said.The boat capsized off the Ahwar district in Yemen's southern Abyan province on the Arabian Sea, security sources said.Abdul Qadir Bajameel, a provincial health official, said 10 of the around 150 people on board were rescued - nine Ethiopians and one Yemeni - but dozens remained missing. Two medics said rescuersâŠ
Shots Fired at Livestock Carrier in Red Sea Near Yemen
People in a wooden boat opened fire on a Comoros-flagged livestock carrier in the Red Sea near Yemen on Thursday, and the vessel was detained by the Yemeni Coast Guard, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO).A maritime security official in the Yemeni government told Reuters the vessel was released after being held on suspicion, with naval forces concerned because its AIS tracking system was turned off and it was sailing north from the Horn of Africa.British security firm Ambrey said the vesselâŠ
Houthis Claim Magic Seas Cargo Ship Attack
Yemenâs Iran-aligned Houthis said on Monday that a cargo ship they struck with gunfire, rockets and explosive-laden remote-controlled boats had sunk in the Red Sea, after their first known attack on the high seas this year.The ship's Greek operator Stem Shipping told Reuters it had no independent verification. Reuters could also not immediately verify whether the ship had sunk.The Houthis claimed responsibility for Sunday's assault and said they had allowed the 19 crew members to disembark from the Liberian-flagged bulk carrierâŠ
Lloydâs Register Verifies Performance of Anemoiâs Wind Propulsion System
Lloydâs Register Advisory has verified the performance of Anemoi Marine Technologiesâ wind-assisted rotor sails on TR Lady Kamsarmax following a year-long, multi-voyage testing period.In a Statement of Fact, Lloydâs Register Advisory confirmed the methodology Anemoi used for calculating fuel and emissions savings from the three 24 meters high Rotor Sails installed on TR Lady - a Kamsarmax bulk carrier owned in funds managed by Tufton Investment Management and chartered by Cargill.TheâŠ
Schmidt Ocean Institute Successfully Concludes Inaugural Antarctic Expedition
After a year of preparing the ship and crew, Schmidt Ocean Instituteâs research vessel Falkor (too) has completed its first science expedition to Antarctica. The three-week expedition, which ended in early January, was ambitious in its science scope and required operational refinements to navigate safely in unfamiliar environmental conditions.âOperating our ship in the Southern Ocean marks a significant milestone in Schmidt Ocean Instituteâs history,â said Eric King, senior director of maritime infrastructure.
Panama Canal Transits Drop in Favor of Alternatives
Between September 2024 and January 2025, ship capacity in deadweight tonnes transiting through the Panama Canal was 10% lower than the 2019-22 average.Although there were no transit restrictions during this period, transits of dry bulk, LNG and, to a lesser extent, tankers have not recovered to their historical levels, says Filipe Gouveia, Shipping Analysis Manager at BIMCO.Between June 2023 and September 2024, transits through the Panama Canal were restricted due to low water levels in the Gatun Lake.
Trump Designates Houthis a âForeign Terrorist Organizationâ
U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday re-designated Yemen's Houthi movement, known formally as Ansar Allah, as a "foreign terrorist organization", the White House said.The move will impose harsher economic penalties than the Biden administration had applied to the Iran-aligned group in response to its attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea and against U.S. warships defending the critical maritime chokepoint.Proponents of the move say it is overdue, though some experts say it could have implications for anyone seen as aiding the HouthisâŠ
Panama Canal Slots Going Unfilled
The average number of vessels that passed through the Panama Canal in December increased to 34.2 per day, according to a notice from its authority seen on Monday, but the waterway did not fill all the slots on offer, a sign that some ships continue taking alternative routes.The canal, the world's second busiest and the only interoceanic way that operates with freshwater, between August and September lifted passage restrictions following a severe drought that forced a limit toâŠ
On the Bookshelf: Managing Risks of Stowaways on Vessels
Stowaways are an ongoing issue for the security of ships and the safety of crew members, as well as incurring substantial associated costs for shipowners and insurers. Worldwide, information about stowaways is incomplete and incidents are under-recorded, but the financial cost per incident is known to be rising, costing the industry millions of US dollars every year. In recent years, increasing global migration by sea has meant that encountering people in difficulty in small orâŠ
Pirates Take Control of Chinese Fishing Vessel Off Somalia
A Chinese fishing vessel is under the control of alleged pirates in Somalia's waters in the semi-autonomous Puntland region, the European Union's anti-piracy naval force said on Thursday.The anti-piracy force said the vessel with up to 18 crew members on board had been taken over by pirates, some armed with AK-47s and machine guns. It classified the incident as a robbery at sea.No crew members were injured in the incident, the anti-piracy force added.Somali pirates caused havoc in the waters off the Horn of Africa nation's long coastline between 2008 and 2018.
CMB Tech Eyes India, Ship Disposals as Q3 Results Shine
Belgian oil tanker company CMB Tech says it will focus on the fast growing market in India as it reported third quarter results above market expectations on Thursday, boosted by vessel disposals as it diversifies its fleet.After last year's Euronav-Compagnie Maritime Belge takeover, the group shifted strategy by selling 24 tankers to Frontline and acquiring CMB.Tech's fleet. It now operates a diversified fleet of around 160 vessels, including dry bulk, container, and chemical tankers, rather than focusing solely on oil transport with Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCC) and Suezmax tankers.CMB Tech shares fell 1.3% at 0817 GMT, extending a 7.1% decline over the past year.
India, Ship Disposals boost CMB.Tech Q3
Belgian oil tanker company CMB.Tech says it will focus on the fast growing market in India as it reported third quarter results above market expectations on Thursday, boosted by vessel disposals as it diversifies its fleet.After last year's Euronav-Compagnie Maritime Belge takeover, the group shifted strategy by selling 24 tankers to Frontline and acquiring CMB.Tech's fleet.
CMB.TECH Profits Rise, VLCC Outlook Good
Belgian oil tanker company CMB.TECH posted third-quarter profit above market expectations on Thursday, powered by a long-term strategy of decarbonization and diversification of its fleet."From a supply-side perspective, the outlook for the tanker fleet remains generally favorable for Very Large Crude Carriers (VLCCs)," the group said in a statement.It cautioned about the Suezmax segment, where the order book has grown significantly, with an orderbook-to-fleet (OB/F) ratio of 16.3%, more than double that of VLCCs.The group, formed after last year's Euronav-Compagnie Maritime Belge takeover, ack
UK Firm Orders New Aquaculture Vessel
Donegal, Ireland-based Seabound Engineering has been awarded a contract to build a new vessel for one of the largest mussel farming companies in the U.K.The 25-meter mussel harvester, designed by Rockabill Marine Design (RMD), is expected to be delivered by June 2026.âWe are proud to collaborate with a major U.K. mussel producer and bring Rockabill Marine Designâs vision to life,â said Thomas Havlin, Managing Director of Seabound Engineering. âThis is an exciting opportunity for SeaboundâŠ
US Gulf Coast-bound Fuel Oil Cargoes Hit Five-year Low
Fuel oil exports bound for the U.S. Gulf Coast slumped to their lowest level since January 2019 last month, a sign of weakened refinery demand as margins have softened, analysts said.Feedstocks like high sulfur fuel oil and other heavy residues can be refined into higher value products such as gasoline and diesel using secondary units.But loadings of those products to the Gulf Coast, America's largest refining hub, fell by a third in August from the prior month to 260,000 barrels per day (bpd)âŠ