Maritime Exchange News

Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay President Dennis Rochford has announced the tristate port vessel arrival statistics for the first six months of 2016. “On top of last year’s increase in vessel arrivals over 2014 activity, we continue to see steady growth through the first six months of 2016,” Rochford said. According to Maritime Exchange records, 1,234 ships arrived at Delaware River port facilities compared to 1,127 arrivals for the same six-month period last year, a 9.5% increase in vessel activity throughout the port.

The Mariners’ Advisory Committee for the Bay and River Delaware, the Pilots Association for the Bay and River Delaware, and the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay applaud the inclusion of a $4.6 million request for aids to navigation, or ATONs, in President Obama’s FY17 U.S. Coast Guard budget justification. "Thanks to efforts last year by Sens. Cory Booker, Robert Casey, Christopher Coons, and Robert Menendez, the president's FY17 budget includes a proposal for an additional $4.6 million for U.S. Coast Guard to improve safety and navigation aids on the Delaware River," said Jonathan Kemmerley, chairman of the Mariners’ Advisory Committee. "I was encouraged to see the president's budget request include $4.6 million to be used for improving navigation on the Delaware River.

Dennis Rochford, president of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, announced that President Obama’s FY17 proposed budget includes $33 million for the Delaware River Deepening Project. In addition to the Administration’s funding, an additional $22 million was included for the project in the FY16 Army Corps of Engineers' current fiscal year work plan. This combined funding of $55 million, and a 35 percent match from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, will move this project toward completion by the end of calendar year 2017. Completing the project allows the Delaware River regional port community to take full advantage of expected opportunities due to the expansion of the Panama Canal.

The Captain of the Port (COTP), Delaware Bay, has set a modified Port Condition WHISKEY due to the anticipated arrival of a severe winter storm that will impact the Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware area in the next 72 hours. The COTP has determined the ports of Philadelphia, Camden, and Wilmington and surrounding areas will likely experience high winds, increased seas, and excessive tide variations. Members of the port community should take adequate precautions and review the Severe Weather Contingency Plan. * Vessels must have effective mooring and anchorage arrangements for anticipated storm surge and winds; vessel agents are asked to notify vessel masters of this requirement. * Facilities must minimize debris that could become missile hazards.

The Coast Guard Marine Industry Training Program offers incredible opportunities for Coast Guard employees to intimately learn specific facets of the marine industry. Participants of the program work directly for industry partners for up to 1 year. In addition to building superior government/industry working relationships, the program affords industry sponsors an opportunity to share detailed business considerations and limitations, so that Coast Guard regulatory activities most effectively promote safety, while limiting undue burden on the maritime industry.

Delaware River Port Community schedule a one-day donation drive. Organizers from private and public sector port businesses and agencies throughout the tri-state region have scheduled a one-day donation drive for Saturday, November 17, 2012, from 8:00am – 5:00pm, to help those affected by Hurricane Sandy. There are drop-off locations at Philadelphia's Wholesale Produce Market, Gloucester's Marine Terminal, and Wilmington's Chase Center on the Riverfront. The efforts will support several New Jersey charitable and relief organizations, such as the Salvation Army, and the United Way of Monmouth County. “We in the Delaware River Valley were extremely lucky that Sandy caused little to no damage in our area,” said Kurt Ferry, of Greenwich Terminals.

Capt. Jeffrey Monroe, MM, Chairman of the United States Department of Homeland Security Secretary’s National Maritime Security Advisory Committee, and former Chairman of the US Coast Guard’s National Maritime Safety Advisory Council, completed the first seminar for US port executives at the Philadelphia Maritime Exchange in Pennsylvania. This was the first program offered in the US by Canadian interests. Capt. Monroe, a licensed master mariner with a Master’s Degree in Transportation management…

Silt accumulation and dredging that's been postponed for years have prevented the full use of U.S. waterways and ports, maritime industry leaders said last month. Hundreds of U.S. ports and harbors are meant to be maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to foster navigation. But many of the country's channels are not kept at their authorized depths, and last year the backlog of needed dredging projects swelled. Meanwhile, just over half the fees charged to shippers through the federal Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund are spent on maintenance and operations…

The Seamen’s Church Institute of Philadelphia and South Jersey announced that Dennis Rochford and Lisa B. Himber will be honored at its annual Spirit of the Port luncheon March 30. Rochford is president and Himber is vice president of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, a nonprofit trade association. This is the first time two people have been honored in the same year, said the Rev. James D. Von Dreele, SCI’s executive director and chaplain to the port. “Our selection committee wanted to honor both Dennis and Lisa for their individual work in the maritime community -- Dennis for his long contributions to port development and Lisa for her important role in enhancing port security,” Von Dreele said. The award luncheon activities will begin with a reception at 11:30 a.m.

Peter I. Keller, President of NYK Line (North America) Inc., has been selected the 2009 Person of the Year by the New York/New Jersey Foreign Freight Forwarders and Brokers Association, Inc. "Peter Keller has significantly impacted the global trade community and demonstrated great leadership in the international transport industry," said Matthew Brauner, Association President. The award will be presented during the 92nd annual dinner at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York on January 28, 2009. This event draws nearly 900 guests. The dinner will also feature a sports and entertainment memorabilia auction. Peter Keller was elected to the Governing Board of NYK in Tokyo in April of 2007.

Jersey at a industry-wide luncheon on April 10, 2008. Longshoremen's Association (ILA). He is a co-founder of the Maritime Stakeholders Group (MSG), a group that represents labor, management and other affiliated maritime businesses that promotes the maritime interests in the Delaware River Region in preserving maritime land for maritime use instead of residential and other commercial uses. An active member in the Philadelphia Maritime Community, Uwe has served as President of the Board of Governors of the Philadelphia Maritime Society, Board of Directors of the Maritime Exchange, Seamen's Church Institute and Chilean/American Chamber of Commerce and as a Trustee of the PMTA-ILA Funds.

The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, in a coordinated effort with business leaders and local longshore unions, today called on President Bush to repeal the Section 201 tariffs imposed on steel imports in March of last year. This action was taken following the release of the International Trade Commission (ITC) report on the effects of the steel tariffs on domestic steel-consuming industries and domestic steel producers. In a letter to President Bush, Maritime Exchange President Dennis Rochford, cited the adverse economic impact these tariffs have had on the tri-state regional port complex. "Steel ship arrivals will drop from 210 last year to 150 by the end of this year.

At their fall meeting, members of Maritime Information Service of North America (MISNA), a non-profit association dedicated to promoting safe, secure, efficient and environmentally sound maritime operations, elected Lisa B. Himber, vice president of the Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, to serve as the organization's president for 2004. Other officers include: Immediate Past President - Liz Wainwright, Merchants Exchange of Portland, OR; Vice President - Ed Page, Marine Exchange of Alaska; Lynn Korwatch, Marine Exchange of San Francisco Bay; and Alastair MacNab, Marine Exchange of the West Gulf. The Maritime Exchange…

The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, a not for profit trade association representing the interests of maritime-related businesses in the tri-state region, announced the completion of a major project to convert its community based port information software to a new Internet-based platform. Known as Maritime On-Line (MOL), the system includes a collection of applications to assist maritime and law enforcement personnel with the day-to-day operations of vessel, cargo, and crew processing through U.S. seaports. The Maritime Exchange has been in the business of tracking vessel movements on the Delaware River since it was formed in 1872.

The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay and its sister organization, the New Orleans Board of Trade, signed an agreement in June to partner on the implementation of the Exchange’s Maritime On-Line (MOL) Ship Reporting program at Mississippi River ports. The Exchange, which upgraded its Maritime On-Line system last year, entered into a similar partnership with the Jacksonville (FL) Maritime Transportation Exchange in 2002. Ship Reporting, the Exchange’s vessel tracking module of Maritime On-Line, is used by trading partners to monitor anticipated and historical ship movements on the Delaware River. The Exchange collects vessel traffic data through a variety of means, which in turn is made available via the Internet and through published reports to the maritime community.

Sixty-Nine prominent shipping industry executives have been elected as new members of ABS. In addition, Rear Admiral David L. Brewer III, Commander, Military Sealift Command, U.S. Navy, was appointed as a member. This brings the ABS worldwide membership to 803. The members, each eminent in their maritime field of endeavor, provide broad governance and oversight of ABS. Members are drawn from various sectors of the marine, offshore and related industries worldwide. M.A. Marcelo P. S.A. Ghazi A. Al-Ibrahim, President, Mideast Shipmanagement Ltd. Giovanni Barbaro, Owner, Pietro Barbaro S.p.A. S.p.A. Giuseppe Bottiglieri, Managing Director, Bottiglieri Di Navigazione, S.p.A. Jae Cheol Byun, President, JSM International Ltd. Dr. Mauro Fernando Orofino Campos, President, Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.

At a recent meeting of their board of Directors in Vancouver, British Columbia, the Maritime Information Services of North America (MISNA) elected a new slate of officers for 2001. Stepping down as president after three consecutive terms is Capt. Manny Aschemeyer, executive director for the Marine Exchange of Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor. Aschemeyer is a founding director for MISNA and has been responsible for bringing the organization through a new period of growth and industry outreach. Aschemeyer, a graduate of the California Maritime Academy, has had a long career within the maritime industry and holds an active Master Mariners License (unlimited). Before joining the Marine Exchange, Aschemeyer was vice president of customer service and marketing with Stevedoring Services of America.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security today announced the appointment of the following individuals to serve on the National Maritime Security Advisory Committee. "On behalf of Secretary Ridge, I am delighted to welcome these advisors to our team," said Admiral Thomas H. Collins, commandant of the Coast Guard. The advisory committee has been established to provide advice to the Department of Homeland Security via the U.S. Coast Guard on matters such as national maritime security strategy and policy, actions required to meet current and future security threats, international cooperation on security issues, and security concerns of the maritime transportation industry as mandated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002. Joseph H. Thomas E. John C.

Chairman Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-2) precides over a hearing into the cause of the recent oil spill on the Delaware River. Chairman LoBiondo heard testimony from the U.S. Coast Guard, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Departments of Environmental Protection from both New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the Maritime Exchange from the Delaware Bay and River, and the New Jersey Audubon Society. Rep. Frank A. LoBiondo (NJ-2), Chairman of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee…

The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay, a non- profit trade association representing port businesses in the tri-state region, announced yesterday the completion of a major Maritime Domain Awareness electronic reporting program. Known as eNOA/D On-Line, the electronic Notice of Arrival/Departure system serves as a link between vessels destined for the United States and the Department of Homeland Security and provides vessel operators with a user-friendly mechanism to comply with new Customs and Border Protection regulations which went into effect Monday. In April, Customs published a rule that requires all air and ocean carriers to transmit detailed crew and passenger information electronically…

The Maritime Exchange for the Delaware River and Bay recently completed a major Maritime Domain Awareness electronic reporting program. Known as eNOA/D On-Line, the electronic Notice of Arrival/Departure system serves as a link between vessels destined for the U.S. and the Department of Homeland Security and provides vessel operators with a mechanism to comply with new Customs and Border Protection regulations which recently went into effect. In April, Customs published a rule that requires all air and ocean carriers to transmit detailed crew and passenger information electronically. In order to incorporate the new functionality into Maritime On-Line…

The House Committee on Homeland Security conducted an oversight hearing on the Implementation of the TWIC Program. In his prepared remarks, Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) expressed his concern that the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program is far behind schedule and that the estimates of the number of workers affected are much understated. Testimony was for the record, as the hearing was interrupted by a floor vote. Rear Admiral Brian Salerno, USCG, explained how the program is being rolled out on a port-by-port basis and that progress is being made with regard to the card reader technology. Ms. Cathleen Berrick…

Governors Ed Rendell and Jon Corzine are to be commended for reaching an agreement to move forward on the Delaware River Main Channel (45-ft.) Deepening Project. This accomplishment is expected to propel regional port development and allow all Delaware River port facilities to competitively attract the emerging class of larger cargo vessels. Because of growing congestion problems experienced by West Coast ports, the reality today is that ocean carriers operating in the trans-pacific route are diverting larger cargo vessels through the Suez Canal to East Coast ports. The proposed Philadelphia Regional Port Authority Southport Project…