US Shutdown Impacts Shipping: North P&I Club
US Coast Guard and other federal agencies are operating at a reduced capacity following US government shutdown, said North of England Protecting and Indemnity Association (North P&I Club).Since 21 December 2018, the US Government has been in shutdown following the failure of Congress to agree federal funding. With no end in sight, it is the longest shutdown in US history, it said."We have not received any indications as yet that the shutdown is causing significant disruption to shipping," said a statement from North P&I Club.
Denmark, India Sign Maritime Pact
The Danish Ministry of Industry, Business and Financial Affairs and the Indian Ministry of Shipping have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to strengthen the cooperation in the maritime sector between the two countries.With the conclusion of this agreement, the two countriesâ mutual commitment and interest in cooperating to ensure good conditions for the maritime sector is underlined.Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, Rasmus Jarlov said: âIndia is a major growth economy that plays a key role in the global maritime sector.
U.S. Government Shutdown: Assessing the Impact on Maritime
On December 22, 2018, a continuing resolution passed by Congress to fund a portion of the U.S. Government into the 2019 fiscal year expired and was not renewed resulting in a partial federal government shutdown. Among the affected Executive Departments are the Department of Homeland Security (which includes the Coast Guard and Customs and Border Protection), the Department of Transportation (which includes the Maritime Administration), the Department of Interior (which includes the Bureau of Environment and Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM))âŠ
Paris and Tokyo MoUs Warn on Sulfur Cap Compliance
The Maritime Authorities of the Paris and the Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will start issuing a letter of warning from 1 January 2019 on the sulphur content of marine fuels during inspections in order to increase awareness of and to encourage timely compliance with the new requirements.According to a release from the Paris MoU, the requirement of maximum sulphur content of 0,50% m/m for marine fuel oil will enter into force on 1 January 2020, whichâŠ
Caribbean Ship Inspector Training course Held
Performing a vessel inspection is an important task. Inspections by flag and port States are key to keeping ship standards high and in turn reducing accidents and pollution to the maritime environment.To maintain a high level of safety in the region, a Regional Caribbean Ship Inspector Training course (CASIT) (29 October â 16 November) has been held in Trinidad and Tobago, said a press release from International Maritime Organization (IMO).The objective of the course is to prepare ship surveyors to be able to work in a Caribbean maritime administration.
Intercargo Asks IMO to Address Challenges of 2020
In addition to progress made on a number of important issues, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) at its recent Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73) listened to the concerns raised by the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo) and others and offered a constructive way forward to potentially address them.The association of shipowners, managers and operators of dry cargo vessels and represent better this shipping sector said that it is criticalâŠ
U.S. Coast Guard Clarifies U.S. Citizenship Requirement for U.S. Flag Vessels
Rules regarding 'Employment of Non-U.S. Credentialed Personnel On board Certain U.S.-Documented Vessels' defined.An analysis of recent arrival notifications has revealed several cases of U.S.-documented vessels calling on U.S. ports with non-U.S. credentialed personnel in lieu of U.S. citizens. The intent of this MSIB is to provide information and guidance regarding the provisions for employment of non-U.S. credentialed personnel on board certain U.S. documented vessels. PleaseâŠ
Carriage Ban Adopted to Implement Sulphur 2020 Limit
An amendment to support consistent implementation of the forthcoming 0.50% limit on sulphur in ships fuel oil was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on Friday (26 October), during the current session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 73).The new 0.50% limit (reduced from 3.50% currently) on sulphur in ships' fuel oil will be in force from 1 January 2020, under IMO's MARPOL treaty, with benefits for the environment and human health.The complementaryâŠ
Training Caribbean Maritime Women
A new mentorship scheme to encourage the next generation of women into the maritime sector has been launched at the annual conference of the Women in Maritime Association, Caribbean (WiMAC), which is being held in Belize City, Belize (October 16-19).This type of scheme is consistent with International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s Women in Maritime program, which supports the participation of women in both shore-based and sea-going posts, in line with the goals outlined underâŠ
Fines for Cruise Ship Grounding Total $100,000
A French cruise company and shipâs Master have been fined $70,000 and $30,000 respectively for endangering human life and entering a prohibited zone following a grounding incident in the remote New Zealand Subantarctic islands.French company Compagnie du Ponant and Captain Regis Daumesnil, a French citizen, were sentenced Tuesday in the Wellington District Court after pleading guilty to charges following the January 2017 grounding of the cruise ship LâAustral on an uncharted rockâŠ
IMO Member State Audit Summary Goes to Sub-Committee
The first consolidated audit summary report from mandatory audits conducted under the IMO Member State Audit Scheme will be considered this week, when the Sub-Committee on Implementation of IMO Instruments meets for its fifth session (III 5, 24-28 September).The mandatory audit of all Member States commenced in 2016, with the aim of determining the extent to which they give full and complete effect to their obligations and responsibilities contained in a number of IMO treaty instruments.TheâŠ
ICS Guidance on Preparing for 2020 Sulphur Cap
To assist shipping companies prepare for implementation of the UN IMO global sulphur cap for shipsâ fuel oil, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has produced â free of charge â some comprehensive guidance on implementation planning, to help ensure compliance across the shipping industry with this regulatory game changer. The free ICS guidance has been prepared for the vast majority of ships that will comply after 1 January 2020 using fuel oils with a sulphur content of 0.50% m/m or less.ICS Secretary GeneralâŠ
IMO for Protecting Oceans and High Seas
Ships plying their trade across the worldâs oceans are subject to stringent environmental, safety and security rules, which apply throughout their voyage. The comprehensive regulatory framework developed by International Maritime Organization (IMO) for international shipping has been highlighted during a United Nations oceans conference in New York, United States (4-17 September).A press release from IMO said that the conference is taking the first steps towards developing aâŠ
Somalian Maritime Administration to be Fully Operational Soon
Somaliaâs Department of Maritime Administration is planned to become fully operational by the end of the year, enabling the country to discharge its flag, port and coastal responsibilities effectively in line with International Maritime Organization (IMO) instruments.Somalian Government officials met at an IMO-sponsored workshop, held in Kigali, Rwanda (27-31 August) and agreed that the newly-established department, part of the Ministry of Ports and Marine Transport, should be restructured by 31 December 2018.The next stepsâŠ
ICS-UN Negotiation on Future Ocean Governance
International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) is representing shipowners at the start of a major negotiation to agree a new legal instrument for the protection of the ocean under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) â which will apply to âhigh seasâ areas âbeyond national jurisdictionâ.Addressing government negotiators in New York today (5 September), ICS Chairman, Esben Poulsson, highlighted the need to ensure that this UN initiative will not âunwittinglyâ impact on the effective future governance of global shippingâŠ
Qatar Signs Pact to Expand Maritime Transport Sector
Qatar signed the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding (IOMOU) on Portal State Control during its participation in the 21st Port State Control Committee Meeting held last week in Australia, where a delegation from Qatarâs Ministry of Transport and Communications took part.âQatarâs membership in the Indian Ocean Memorandum of Understanding will take Qatarâs maritime transport sector from local arena to the international one, leading the region in portal state control field,â said Dr.
Liberia Introduces Electronic Certificate Security Features
Liberia continues to deploy significant improvements to its state-of-the-art web-based client interface system, WayPoint, by enhancing certificate security features, introducing a QR Code symbol for electronic certificates and streamlining the procedure for document verification.WayPoint was launched in late-2016 to provide the owners and operators of Liberian-flag ships with secure, real-time, user-friendly access to their fleet details, as well as to facilitate International Convention certification applications.
ICS Encouraged by 2020 Global Sulphur Cap Progress
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) says it is encouraged by efforts made by IMO Member States to resolve some pressing practical challenges ahead of the global implementation of the 0.5 percent sulphur in fuel cap on January 1, 2020.Speaking after an IMO working group meeting last week, to which the industry submitted a number of constructive proposals to help ensure smooth and consistent implementation, ICS Secretary General, Peter Hinchliffe, remarked, âAlthough there is still much work to be done, last weekâs IMO discussions were positive.
OP/ED: The 2020 Sulfur Cap â Growing Pains or Mass Hysteria?
At the stroke of midnight on January 1, 2018, the global shipping industry will be expected to comply with the IMO agreed upon 0.5% sulfur cap for bunker fuels with few waivers available.For vessels which have installed scrubbers, higher sulfur fuels may continue to be used. IMOâs recent agreement on the ban of carriage of non-compliant fuel assures that cheating will not be allowed providing that port states integrate this ban into their respective port state control inspection programs.All that saidâŠ
ClassNK Releases Annual Report on Port State Control
Leading classification society ClassNK has released its annual report on Port State Control. The report aims to assist ship operators and management companies in maintaining compliant operations by providing information about ships detained by PSC as well as deficiencies that were found on board from many port states in 2017. In line with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, PSC inspections ensure that vessels departing the port meet international standards and have proved to be highly effective in eliminating substandard ships that are in operation.
Marine Environment Protection for Southeast Asia Seas Project Launched
Seven ASEAN countries have formally launched an ambitious initiative aimed at improving the environmental health of the seas in the region, through the implementation of key International Maritime Organization (IMO) marine environment protection treaties. Senior decisions makers of maritime administrations of the beneficiary ASEAN countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam) met for their first high-level regional meeting in Bali, Indonesia (25-27 June), to kick-start the âMarine Environment Protection for Southeast Asia Seas (MEPSEAS) Projectâ.
Ballast Water Testing: B-QUA Test Kit
Maritech Ltd. signed a sales and distribution agreement with French water microbiology company aqua-tools to meet âsignificant interestâ in onboard ballast water testing from Greek shipowners.The agreement, which covers the training and supply of aqua-toolsâ B-QUA test kit, was inked during the Posidonia 2018 event, in early June.âGreek shipowners are looking at the use of indicative-based monitoring as a means of assessing the efficiency of their shipsâ ballast water treatment systemsâŠ
Maritime Cook Islands Highlights âPositive Progressâ to Tokyo MOU White List
The Cook Islands flag, operated by ship registry Maritime Cook Islands (MCI), has shown positive flag state performance, as reported in the latest report on Port State Control in the Asia Pacific Region by Tokyo MOU. The data and figures were published in the new report on Port State Control in the Asia Pacific by Tokyo MOU. The Tokyo MOU is âone of the most active regional port State control (PSC) organisations in the worldâ and consists of 20 member authorities in the Asia-Pacific region.
