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Nicaragua News

14 Jul 2023

World Court Backs Colombia in Maritime Border Dispute with Nicaragua

Credit:  prehistorik/AdobeStock

The World Court on Thursday rejected a lawsuit by Nicaragua seeking to define and expand its deep sea economic rights beyond those previously established in a long-running maritime border dispute over a trio of Caribbean islands with Colombia.Judges at the United Nations-linked World Court, or International Court of Justice, found that Nicaragua's offshore rights to 200 nautical miles (370 km) had previously been established, and rejected its call to extend the boundaries."Irrespective of any scientific and technical considerations…

05 Oct 2022

Putin Ally Compares Nord Stream Sabotage to CIA-backed Attacks of 1980s

The gas leak from the Nord Stream gas pipeline measured over 950 meters in diameter - Credit: Swedish Coast Guard

One of President Vladimir Putin's top allies said on Wednesday that the sabotage of the Nord Stream offshore gas pipelines resembled the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency-backed attacks on oil infrastructure in Nicaragua in 1983.Nord Stream 1 and Nord Stream 2 offshore gas pipelines, which run from Russia to Germany on the bed of the Baltic Sea, were ruptured last month in what Moscow said was an act of "international terrorism".President Vladimir Putin on Friday blamed the United States and its allies for blowing up the undersea Nord Stream pipelines, allegations rejected by Washington.

19 Sep 2022

Eastern Pacific Shipping Orders Four LNG Containerships for Crowley Charter

From L-R: Fredrik Gloersen, MD Newbuilding Clasrksons; Thoger Bering, Charterting Containerland Chartering; Shin Hyun-Dae, Chairman, President & CEO HHI Mipo; Tucker C. Gilliam, VP Marine Assets Crowley; Dean Sahr, Manager of New Constructions and LNG Engineering Crowley; Thomas Preben Hansen, Commercial Director Containerships EPS; Capt. Gardiner F. Nealon, Director Crowley; Dan Kwek Manager of Sales & Purchase EPS; Sei Heung Won, SEVP Production Management Department HHI Mipo (Photo: EPS)

Singapore-based Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) said it has secured a contract from U.S.-based Crowley for the charter of four dual fuel liquified natural gas (LNG) powered containership newbuilds.The 1,400-TEU vessels, which will be built by South Korea’s Hyundai Mipo Dockyard for delivery in 2025, will be deployed on Crowley’s U.S.-Central America trade connecting U.S. markets to Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Each ship will feature 300 refrigerated unit plugs.Using LNG significantly lowers vessel greenhouse gas emissions…

26 Oct 2020

Noncomprehensive Sanctions: Venezuela, Global Magnitsky, Hong Kong

© STOCKSTUDIO / Adobe Stock

This article will focus on “noncomprehensive sanctions,” which target “Specially Designated Nationals” (SDNs), but otherwise do not prohibit most trade between the U.S. and the target country (if any). While there are multiple noncomprehensive sanctions programs, we will focus on three: Venezuela (which can be thought of as quasi-comprehensive), Global Magnitsky (human rights) and Hong Kong. Russia also has a substantial noncomprehensive sanctions program, which we will address in a later article.NONCOMPREHENSIVE SANCTIONS PROGRAMS: IN GENERALThe U.S.

05 Mar 2020

MCT Completes 1st Year of Operations

The container port in the Limón province of Costa Rica, Terminal de Contenedores de Moín or Moín Container Terminal (MCT), operated by APM Terminals, completed its first year of operations on February 28.A press release from the international container terminal operating company headquartered in The Hague said that during the year the terminal serviced more than 1,100 ships, around 1.2 million TEUs and achieved important improvements in productivity, sustainability and the training of 1,000 employees from the province of Limón.“During this time, we’ve reached very important milestones, such as the opening of new direct trade routes, increased port efficiency…

27 Nov 2019

Training for L. American Maritime Leaders

A regional workshop organized by International Maritime Organization (IMO) has provided senior maritime administration officials in Latin America with the latest information on current and future developments at the Organization.The workshop for the regional maritime authorities networks, ROCRAM and ROCRAM-CA was held at IMO Headquarters in London (26 November) in the margin of the 31st IMO Assembly.The 28 participants received detailed information about the activities within the IMO's Integrated Technical Cooperation Program (ITCP) aimed at building capacity in the region to comply with international rules and standards related to maritime safety and the prevention of maritime pollution.Participants also heard from technical officers on issues such as the IMO Audits Scheme.

05 Nov 2019

SOLAS Training in S. America

International Maritime Organization (IMO)’s most important ship safety treaty – SOLAS – provides for safe merchant shipping, covering a wide variety of topics, from ship construction to fire protection, to life-saving appliances and cargo carriage.SOLAS generally applies only to ships above a certain size which make international voyages, but IMO’s efforts to improve ship safety go further – extending to so-called “non-SOLAS” vessels. These include fishing vessels, domestic ferries, private yachts and small cargo vessels under 500 gross tonnage.To help enhance safety of such vessels in Central and South America, IMO organized a regional training course on non-SOLAS ship inspections…

05 Nov 2019

Maritime History & the Panama Canal

Grace Lines COLOMBIA transit of Panama Canal. Source: U.S.Merchant Marine Academy Maritime Museum.

The Panama Canal is a strategic crossroads for maritime traffic, and is arguably one of the most important maritime developments in the past century. Here we take a deeper dive into the history behind that famous strip of waterway.The present canal, which saw its first vessel transits in 1914, along with possible alternatives through Nicaragua and Mexico, had actually been on the minds of merchants, explorers and military/political strategists since the Age of Exploration in early 1500’s.

04 Nov 2019

IMO Organizes Training on SOLAS

International Maritime Organization (IMO) ’s most important ship safety treaty – SOLAS – provides for safe merchant shipping, covering a wide variety of topics, from ship construction to fire protection, to life-saving appliances and cargo carriage.According to the UN body, SOLAS generally applies only to ships above a certain size which make international voyages, but IMO’s efforts to improve ship safety go further – extending to so-called “non-SOLAS” vessels. These include fishing vessels, domestic ferries, private yachts and small cargo vessels under 500 gross tonnage.To help enhance safety of such vessels in Central and South America…

21 Oct 2019

46 Countries Support Torremolinos Declaration

The Cook Islands and Sao Tome and Principe have become the latest States to become Party to the Cape Town Agreement on fishing vessel safety.These small nations deposited their instruments of accession during the Torremolinos Ministerial Conference on Fishing Vessel Safety and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing (21-23 October).At the same time, they joined 44 other countries (46 in total) signing the Torremolinos Declaration, a non-legally binding political instrument.By signing the Declaration, the 46 States publicly indicate their determination to ensure the Cape Town Agreement reaches entry into force criteria by the tenth anniversary of its adoption (11 October 2022).

13 Oct 2019

Workshop on Safe Handling Dangerous Goods

A  variety of important measures must be applied to transport dangerous goods in packaged form and solid bulk by ship safely, says  International Maritime Organization (IMO).According to the UN body, these include correct identification, classification, packaging, labelling, handling, storage, loading, stowage, unloading and transport.These measures are covered by IMO’s International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG) and the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargo Code (IMSBC) – the subject of an IMO training workshop underway in San José, Costa Rica (7-11 October).The training is enabling participants from a number of Central and South America countries - Costa Rica…

24 Sep 2019

Latin America Empowers Maritime Women

International Maritime Organization (IMO), with support from Malaysia, has given fresh impetus to an important regional network helping to promote women in the maritime community in Latin America.At a meeting in Colombia, (18-20 September 2019), the network of Women of the Maritime Authorities of Latin America (MAMLa) was put on a firm foundation. Maritime Authorities include Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Paraguay, Panama and Peru.Some forty participants from 17 Maritime Authorities from the region established a governance and membership structure…

28 Aug 2019

ICTSI in Talks with Honduran Govt

The global port management company, International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI) said that its Honduran unit  Operadora Portuaria Centroamericana (OPC) is in talks with the government of Honduras to improve the facilities at Puerto Cortes, Central America 4’s (CA-4).Puerto Cortes, Central America 4’s (CA-4) largest port operated by OPC, can expect faster cargo movement in and around the terminal with OPC beefing up its partnership with Honduran authorities for improved and more efficient port services, said a statement."OPC is working with the Honduran government and Puerto Cortés authorities to enhance the port’s competitiveness and better serve its customers in the four-nation CA-4, comprising Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua.

26 Mar 2019

ION Bags Multi-Client Job in C. America

ION Geophysical Corporation has announced a new 2D multi-client reimaging program off the Pacific coast of Central America.According to the provider of acquisition equipment, software, planning and seismic processing services, and seismic data libraries to the global oil & gas industry, the Maya Reprocessing program covers unexplored open acreage that has not had E&P activity in 40 years. Previous exploration wells along the margin suggest the presence of an active petroleum system in the Pacific forearc basins. E&P companies can use these data to evaluate the prospective areas identified from the reimaged data. The program covers ~9,000 km of data that extend from the Tehuantepec Basin of Southern Mexico to the Sandino Basin of Western Nicaragua and creates a calibrated data set.

08 Mar 2019

Workshop on Maritime Admin in C. America

A regional workshop has provided senior maritime administration officials in Central America with the latest information on current and future developments at International Maritime Organization (IMO).The training was organized by IMO and the Central American Commission on Maritime Transport (COCATRAM) in Medellin, Colombia (4-6 March), said a press note from the UN Body.The 24 participants received detailed information about the activities within the IMO’s Integrated Technical Cooperation Programme (ITCP) aimed at building capacity in the region to comply with international rules and standards related to maritime safety and the prevention of maritime pollution.The participants were from Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama.

21 Feb 2018

UK to Sell HMS Ocean to Brazil

HMS Ocean heading for the Caribbean. Crown copyright.

The MOD has agreed to sell HMS Ocean to the Government of Brazil after 20 years of service. Sold to the Brazilian Navy for around £84M ($117m), the profit generated from the sale will be reinvested in defence at a time when the Royal Navy is being strengthened with two types of brand new frigates and two huge aircraft carriers. HMS Queen Elizabeth, which will eventually take on the role as the nation’s new flagship, recently set sail from the port of Gibraltar carrying two Chinooks and four Merlin helicopters as she readies for helicopter trials at sea.

16 Feb 2018

Coast Guard Cutter Northland Returns After Counter-Drug Patrol

Coast Guard Cutter Northland patrols the Eastern Pacific during an 81-day mission spanning December 2017-February 2018. During the patrol, the crew interdicted five smuggling vessels, detained 16 suspected traffickers and seized a combined 7,564 kilograms of cocaine. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Lt.j.g. Samuel N. Williams/Released)

The crew of Coast Guard Cutter Northland returned to Portsmouth Thursday following an 81-day, counter-drug patrol in the Eastern Pacific. The crew of the Northland interdicted five vessels, detained 16 suspected drug traffickers, and seized a total of 7,564 kilograms of cocaine, worth approximately $252 million. The crew conducted exercises with the Naval Forces of the Army of Nicaragua and participated in multiple events to help improve diplomatic relations between the U.S. and Nicaragua.

14 Feb 2018

Global Seaborne LPG Volumes Grow: Epic Gas

Global seaborne LPG volumes saw continued growth in 2017 reaching 91.9 million tonnes, 4.3% higher than the 88.1 million tonnes shipped in 2016, says Epic Gas. Epic Gas loaded 2.8 million tonnes in 2017 and was involved in 2,486 cargo operations in 266 different ports. LPG cargoes made up 80% of the cargoes lifted with the balance being petrochemical. At the year end, we had 4 vessels operating in the Americas, 18 in the Europe/Middle East/Africa (EMEA) belt and 19 in Asia. Propylene imports into China reached a record high of 3.1 million tonnes, a 6.8% year on year increase despite a 16% increase in domestic Propane DeHydrogenation (PDH) capacity. Monthly imports in the last quarter averaged 295,000 tonnes indicating strong downstream demand.

11 Jan 2017

LPG Carrier Rescues Sailor off Nicaragua

Photo: NYK

A LPG carrier operated by NYK, Linden Pride, rescued a seafarer from a boat in distress 100 nautical miles off the coast of Nicaragua. While Linden Pride was sailing from Balboa, Panama, to Sendai, Japan on December 4, the ship came upon a disabled boat with one survivor requesting assistance, and immediately initiated the rescue. The rescued sailor was in good health and disembarked from Linden Pride off the coast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on December 8 as directed by the U.S. Coast Guard. Ship management: NYK Shipmanagement Pte. Ltd.

18 Jan 2017

OPC, CHEC ink deal for Puerto Cortes expansion

Operadura Portuaria Centroamericana SA de CV (OPC) has signed a contract with China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) for the first phase of the expansion of the Specialized Container and Cargo Terminal in Puerto Cortes, Honduras. The first phase covers the construction of a 350-meter long berth with a controlling depth of 15.5 meters, two trestles that will be connected to the existing yard, and dredging of the bay up to 14 meters deep. The new berth will be equipped with two super post-Panamax quay cranes, bringing OPC’s total number of quay cranes to six. Scheduled for completion by mid-2018, the terminal expansion will position Puerto Cortes as the most competitive port in the Caribbean.

24 May 2017

CMA CGM, Hamburg Sud Launch Americas Service

French container shipping company CMA CGM announced the launch of its new service between the west coast of the United States, Central America and South America, to be operated in collaboration with the German shipping company Hamburg Sud. Starting May 24, CMA CGM will offer a weekly service with coverage to/from the west coast of the United States, Central America and South America, enabling the agri-food industry in Central and South America to export to North American markets. The service also has the possibility of fast connections with the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Colombia through the hubs of Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico and Buenaventura, Colombia.

06 Oct 2017

T/S Nate Kills 22 in Central America, Bears Down on U.S. GoM

Tropical Storm Nate killed at least 22 people in Central America on Thursday as it pummeled the region with heavy rain while heading toward Mexico's Caribbean resorts and the U.S. Gulf Coast, where it could strike as a hurricane this weekend. In Nicaragua, at least 11 people died, seven others were reported missing and thousands had to evacuate homes because of flooding, said the country's vice president Rosario Murillo. Emergency officials in Costa Rica reported that at least eight people were killed due to the lashing rain, including two children. Another 17 people were missing, while more than 7,000 had to take refuge from Nate in shelters, authorities said.

19 Dec 2017

New Women in Maritime Network Launched

Central and Latin America celebrated the launch of a new women in the maritime network in Valparaíso, Chile (13-15 December), which joins the International Maritime Organization (IMO)  family of regional Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs), giving visibility and recognition to the role women play as key resources for the maritime sector. Sixty two women from 18 countries (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Columbia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela) came together to set up a framework for the newly formed network as well as share ideas and knowledge about the industry.