Cyber security awareness on board ships plays an important role in ensuring the safety and security of shipping around the globe. International Maritime Organization (IMO) has issued Guidelines on maritime cyber risk management, in addition to a resolution on Maritime Cyber Risk Management in Safety Management Systems – adopted by the Organization's Maritime Safety Committee in June this year. To help spread knowledge and use of these high-level recommendations – IMO has taken…

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL) has announced the publication of its Safety, Environmental and Social Report 2017 on September 21, 2017. The Safety, Environmental and Social Report 2017 proactively discloses the MOL Group's initiatives on environment, society, and governance (ESG). This year's report contains special features on the materiality (issues to address) that the group should emphasize. Special Feature 1: CSR Dialogue, Special Feature 2: MOL Group Environmental Vision 2030…

China launched world's largest bulk carrier 'Ore Tianjin' in the port city Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, reported China Daily. The mammoth ore ship, built by the Wuhan subordinate of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), can carry 400,000 metric ton deadweight (DWT). It will go into service for ore transportation between China and Brazil upon delivery, which is expected in April 2018. At 362 meters long, 65 meters wide and 30.4 meters deep, and a deck equivalent to three soccer fields, it's 25 meters longer than the world's largest aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford.

Trade association Interferry stages its 42nd annual conference in Split, Croatia, next month with an agenda highlighting the income and savings potential in three key areas – the customer experience, ship technologies and safety issues including cyber security. The event runs from October 7-11 and is on course for record attendance with some 300 delegates already registered among member and non-member operators and suppliers. “I think the high level of interest is a response to the pace of change in our industry,” suggests Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan.

Transas has introduced a new Survival Craft Simulator (SCS) to prepare crew for the multitude of possible scenarios that can occur during lifeboat drills, aiming to address one of the most notorious sources of accidents in shipping without exposing personnel to physical danger. Effective survival craft training is essential to prepare crew for a disaster at sea but practical lifeboat drills have a troubling track record for causing fatalities. By shifting some elements of training to a simulated environment…

Hunter Marine's Operations Division has selected MarineCFO’s Vessel 365 fleet optimization technology, along with Endurance Personnel for managing time cards, scheduling and personnel reporting functions, and Endurance Maintenance, a complete maintenance solution from scheduling, outside services and capacity planning to quality control. Darrick Lee, Hunter Marine Purchasing Manager said the company will use MarineCFO's suite of products to achieve Subchapter M compliance and to help streamline existing business processes.

Satellite AIS data services provider exactEarth Ltd. announced that its exactTrax small vessel monitoring technology is now incorporated into Alltek Marine Electronic Corp’s (AMEC) AIS Tracking Beacon (TB560). The AMEC TB560 is a simplified Class B AIS device that offers an efficient and cost-effective vessel monitoring solution within AIS VHF transmission range. Now outfitted with exactTrax technology from exactEarth, which extends small vessel tracking beyond traditional coastal surveillance, the AMEC TB560 can reliably be detected from space. exactTrax allows for the secure transmission and reliable detection of signals from the millions of artisanal and small-scale commercial fishing boats and small commercial work boats currently operating around the world.

Passing out ceremony of Basic Submarine Courses for Sindhughosh and Shishumar Class was held at Submarine School, INS Satavahana on 22 Sep 17. A total of 39 officers and 47 sailors successfully completed their training and will now be moving to submarines at Mumbai and Visakhapatnam for Sea Training. Rear Admiral V Srinivas NM, Flag Officer Submarines was the Chief Guest for the ceremony and gave away the book prizes and awards to the meritorious trainees. Sunny Verma, ERA4 , stood first among sailor's while Lt Jose Babu was adjudged best overall officer of the course.

An International Maritime Organization (IMO) film showing how the IMO Polar Code supports safe and environmentally-friendly shipping in the Arctic and Antarctic waters is being screened at the NEVA 2017 International Maritime Exhibition and Conference (19-22 September), in St Petersburg, Russia. IMO's Assistant Secretary-General Lawrence Barchue delivered the opening address, updating the audience on regulatory standards affecting the safety of international shipping, fishing and offshore operations and the protection of the marine environment.

A national table-top exercise on maritime security in Lima, Peru (18-19 September) has supported the country to implement the United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004), which imposes binding obligations on all States to adopt legislation to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and their means of delivery and establish appropriate domestic controls over related materials to prevent their illicit trafficking. The Lima exercise focused…

A new integrated ‘Full Picture’ technology delivery is set to enable significant operational efficiencies for the MEXMAR owned Platform Supply Vessel (PSV), SEACOR Maya. Mantenimiento Express Marítimo SAPI de CV (MEXMAR) is SEACOR Marine’s joint venture in Mexico, which operates 15 offshore supply vessels. The contract, signed this September for delivery in January 2018, focuses on the integration of a sophisticated new hybrid power solution designed by Kongsberg to assist SEACOR Marine and MEXMAR in meeting strict environmental regulations by decreasing CO2…

Palfinger Marine said its new generation FRSQ 630 fast rescue boat offers optimal working conditions in rough sea conditions – at competitive pricing. In 2016, Harding Safety and Palfinger Marine merged into one company. Now the first product combining the lifesaving systems expertise of former Harding and the boat expertise of Palfinger Marine's professional boats division is introduced to the market: The new generation FRSQ 630 fast rescue boat. “FRSQ 630 features the best of both our worlds.

The Board of Directors of the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has appointed Martin Cresswell, Technical Director of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association, as the new Chairman of the ICS Marine Committee. He succeeds Peter Bond (Cyprus Shipping Chamber) who recently stood down following four years of service as Chairman of ICS’s principal technical committee. “The Marine Committee is very much the engine room of ICS, overseeing the work of the many ICS technical committees and the development of policy positions which we represent at IMO meetings…

The Government of India signed a loan deal worth USD 76 million with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), for a project to upgrade the environment management plan at Alang-Sosiya ship recycling yards. The total cost of the project will be $ 111 million, out of which $76 million will be provided as soft loan from JICA. Out of the remaining amount, $25 million as taxes and fees will be borne by Government of Gujarat and the balance $10 million will be shared by Ministry of Shipping & Government of Gujarat.

Lloyd’s Register (LR) has issued a global call for partners active in the area of innovative digital technologies related to the safety and performance of marine vessels. In 2016 LR set out to materially increase the role it plays in accelerating the development and safe adoption of digital solutions addressing the growing complexity and operational challenges facing the global shipping industry. The strategy focused on creating a network of innovation partnerships able to collaborate with LR clients to rapidly test new concepts and scale these to commercially ready solutions. To date, LR has successfully built a portfolio of investments and partnerships to tackle the challenges and opportunities of Industry 4.0.

More than 80 maritime professionals attended two one-day events focused on the sub IMO / sub 80-ft. sector in Southampton, U.K. this Spring. The Man Overboard Prevention & Recovery Workshop brought together an international group of experts armed with the latest knowledge to identify problems that affect the maritime sector worldwide. Workshop lead John Haynes opened the day saying said, “Expectations, requirements and capabilities are changing for many maritime organizations. High profile roles are evolving close to shore and offshore in U.K., European and international waters.

​Search and rescue (SAR) is a humanitarian process, aimed at assisting persons in distress, without regard to the nationality or circumstances of the persons in distress. International Maritime Organization (IMO) 's Chris Trelawny highlighted this global responsibility, during the first Coast Guard Global Summit, jointly hosted by the Japan Coast Guard and Tokyo-based Nippon Foundation, in Tokyo (14 September). He also outlined the international legal framework for SAR; the implementation of effective SAR systems…

The U.S. Coast Guard identified locations and dates for the Hudson River Ports and Waterways Safety Assessment (PAWSA) Workshops. Dates in November have been identified for two groups of waterway users and stakeholders to participate in two-day structured workshops to ensure the PAWSA process is a joint effort involving waterway users, stakeholders, and agencies to identify ways to improve the safety of the Hudson River. The Coast Guard has completed 52 PAWSA studies nationwide since the program’s inception in 1999. On November 7-8, a workshop will be held in the Mid-Hudson region.

Interferry CEO Mike Corrigan explains the Stronger Together vision behind the trade association’s drive to extend its networking and lobbying influence. Over the past four decades, Interferry’s reach and purpose has evolved with increasing effect from its U.S. origins in 1976. Back then, it was formed as the International Marine Transit Association with a focus on networking among its members. Now it is highly respected and influential as the only body representing the ferry industry worldwide.

A new portfolio of tug designs, to be known as the Wärtsilä HYTug series, place emphasis on environmental sustainability. Since tugs typically operate in or close to harbors and populated areas, they are particularly affected by environmental considerations, and the need for regulatory compliance is an increasing concern for tug owners and operators worldwide. Having already introduced tug designs featuring liquefied natural gas (LNG) fuel technology as an efficient means for complying with environmental legislation…

Fishing continues to be considered the most hazardous occupation in the world, and despite the improvement in technology, the loss of life in the fisheries sector is unacceptably high. To address the issue, International Maritime Organization (IMO) has held a regional seminar in Rarotonga, Cook Islands (28 August - 1 September) on the ratification of an important IMO legal instrument called the Cape TownAgreement, providing Member Governments with the assistance needed to implement the treaty.

UK P&I Club, a provider of P&I insurance and other services to the international shipping community, has launched Risk Ahoy, a new gaming app that highlights in an engaging and interactive manner the hazards face by those on board ships on a daily basis. Risk Ahoy has been developed by the loss prevention department of UK P&I Club, is available on iTunes and Google Playstore, and has been intuitively designed to allow users to dip in and out of the action, with short, medium and long modes available. Players navigate their ship through 38 colorful levels of increasingly challenging difficulty, working their way through the various mini-games, while identifying and avoiding common onboard hazards.

What is the legal basis for removing a hazardous wreck at sea? Who bears the liability? These and many other wreck removal questions were addressed by IMO’s Jan de Boer at the ACI’s Maritime Salvage & Casualty Response conference in London (13-14 September). Speaking to a wide variety of stakeholders (Participants from salvage companies, tug & towage companies, authorities, ship owners, ship managers, P&I clubs, maritime lawyers and consultants) concerned with wreck removal, Mr.