Imif News

A Chief Engineer who was held by Somali pirates for eight months will be the main speaker at a session on piracy at the WISTA UK Forum, running as part of London International Shipping Week, 9-13 September 2013. Chirag Bahri, now the India and South Asia regional representative for the Maritime Piracy Humanitarian Response Program, who will give a unique insight into his experience of surviving captivity by Somali pirates. Mr Bahri had worked on bulk carriers and oil and chemical tankers since he went to sea in 2004.

The industry-led Steering Group running the inaugural London International Shipping Week (LISW) has established an official Board of Advisors which will act as guardians of the event to ensure it maintains objectivity and furthers London’s role as a major global maritime center. The purpose of the Board of Advisors is to lend credibility and high profile support to the LISW event, its aims, objectives and international engagement; while also taking a strategic view of the impact of LISW’s focus, its activities and attractiveness of London’s role in the global shipping industry. The Board of Advisors will have responsibility and accountability for reviewing and assessing LISW’s progress in achieving its strategic aims…

First in Class to Hit 200 Million Gross Ton Record. ClassNK officially announced that its register had surged past the 200 million gross ton mark on 28 May 2012. ClassNK Chairman and President Noboru Ueda announced the historic achievement at a party celebrating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the London office, which was attended by many of the leaders of the maritime community, including IMO Secretary General Koji Sekimizu and IMIF Chairman Jim Davis CBE. This unprecedented…

Bulk shipping has been under the international microscope of late, with spectacular structural failures resulting in sudden loss of lives and ships, vexing designers, builders and owners alike as to the solution to structural and operational problems. Last week industry experts discussed another matter near and dear to bulk shipper's hearts, the future profitability of the depressed bulk shipping business. The overriding message: bulk shipping profitability is inextricably linked to safety and environmental controls. Removing poor quality operators through strict enforcement of international regulations could reduce the capacity oversupply that has caused low freight rates in the tanker and bulk shipping sectors, they said at a London Conference organized by the City University.