29. june 2022

Seafarers support digitalisation but wary of impact on jobs – report | Smart Maritime Network
A new report published by Inmarsat has suggested that seafarers are largely in favour of greater digitalisation of maritime operations, but that a sizeable proportion of those working at sea also fear shrinking job opportunities with increasing automation.

Study: Shipping is Set to Miss the IMO 2050 Target | Maritime Executive
The maritime industry is not currently on track to meet the IMO ambition for a 50 percent cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, even under favorable assumptions, according to a new study released by think tank Nordic West Office. The study suggests that this target could eventually be achieved on the industry's current trajectory, but it is likely to take several more decades than desired.

The Future of Shipping: We Are Nearing a Turning Point | Maritime Executive
Whether you like it or not, the maritime industry is the usual suspect when the talk focuses on environmental pollution and emissions. However, this is no surprise as this industry is carrying over 90 percent of world trade. The ships are massive and with most of them being powered by fossil fuels are anything but environmentally friendly. But that is changing.

Islanders say ‘worst in the world’ ferries are forcing people out of homes | Press and Journal
Furious islanders from the Hebrides to Shetland claimed locals are packing up and quitting their communities in a brutal verdict on Scotland's "utterly chaotic" ferry system.

Parting words for Biden as Engelstoft retires from Maersk | Lloyd’s List
Maersk executive board member defends container shipping after the US president accused lines of fuelling inflation
Container shipping companies, such as Maersk, have had a profound impact on the lives of people around the world by integrating countries into the global economy, creating jobs and opening up new opportunities, says Morten Engelstoft as he prepares to step down after 36 years with the Danish group

Box carriers should expect more European delays | Lloyd’s List
Labour shortages will keep ships waiting throughout the summer
The number of vessels waiting in northern European anchorages is steady, but labour disruptions mean port delays are here to stay


26. may 2022

Food crisis: Russia ready to allow bulkers back into Ukrainian ports | Trade Winds
Lifting of blockade will be in return for easing of some sanctions, deputy foreign minister says

Crew shortages are driving up seafarer wages | Marine Log
The Ukrainian conflict, sanctions against Russia, and new COVID-19 outbreaks in the Far East are all impacting global crewing levels, says Henrik Jensen, CEO of Danica Crewing Specialists. And with crew shortages pushing up wages, he urges ship operators to be quick to offer jobs to seafarers who apply with them or risk losing out to a higher bidder.

P&O: Third Channel ferry cleared to resume sailing by inspectors | BBC
A third P&O ferry on the English Channel route has been given safety clearance to resume sailing.

Risky business: How shipping boom, war and COVID impact safety at sea | Hellenic Shipping News
A ship full of Porsches, Bentleys and Lamborghinis catches fire and sinks in the Atlantic. A container vessel ignites and goes down off Sri Lanka. In a sequel to the Even Given accident in the Suez Canal, another Evergreen ship runs aground, this time in Chesapeake Bay. More containers full of goods topple off ships and vanish into the Pacific. Ships stuck in the queue off Southern California drag anchor in a storm and allegedly damage an oil pipeline.

Australian election update: National Fleet will boost Australia’s maritime industry | ITF Seafarers
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has again congratulated the Australian Labor Party on its win in the country’s election, saying it will be profoundly important for the nation’s seafarers. 

Better future for transport workers under Australian Labor | ITF Seafarers
The International Transport Workers' Federation has welcomed the election of a Federal Labor Government in Australia, describing it as an opportunity to lift standards for workers and improve workplace safety across the transport supply chain.

Shanghai Port Rebounds as Lockdown Loosens But Backlog Remains | Bloomberg
Port’s daily container throughput hits 95% of normal level. Road freight traffic still congested, G7 Connect data show

Maersk Warns Los Angeles and Long Beach May Begin Charging Container Dwell Fees | G Captain
For months, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have been threatening ocean carriers with exorbitant fees for long-dwelling containers at marine terminals, only to repeatedly postpone the launch of the program. But could continued congestion at the San Pedro Bay Port Complex mean these fees may actually come to fruition?
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Greek Ship Owner and Operator Plead Guilty to Environmental and Safety Crimes in U.S. | G Captain
The Greek owner and operator of a bulk carrier are facing a criminal penalty of $1 million each after pleading guilty in U.S. federal court on Tuesday to environmental and safety crimes related to illegal discharges from one of the their vessels.

Russia Ready to Set Up Humanitarian Corridor for Ships Leaving Ukraine, With Conditions | G Captain
Russia is ready to provide a humanitarian corridor for vessels carrying food to leave Ukraine, in return for the lifting of some sanctions, the Interfax news agency cited Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko as saying on Wednesday.

Three Seafarers Contend with the Trauma of a Five-Year Kidnapping in Somalia | New Yorker
A fellow former hostage visits Cambodia to talk about the struggle to recover from a harrowing shared experience.

Seafarer shortage – rising wages and fake CVs | Seatrade Maritime News
The availability of seafarers is under pressure due to the Ukrainian conflict, sanctions on Russia, and Covid restrictions in China.

Risky business: How shipping boom, war and COVID impact safety at sea | American Shipper
An in-depth interview with Allianz on evolving safety risks faced by shipping

Maersk concedes doubling of green fuel cost will hit freight rates | Trade Winds
Despite the cost, Maersk ‘will not build ships that cannot sail on green fuel’
 

Seafarers win commitment to mandatory internet access in international law | ITF Seafarers
Seafarers’ groups have won the right to mandatory social connectivity for crews –including internet access – in updates to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC), but are disappointed that shipowners and governments may seek to charge for it.

US Admiral Refuses To Send SASH Report To Congress | G Captain
Last month gCaptain reported NY Maritime College president Rear Admiral Mike Alfultis, USMS attempted to hide an external review report that contains evidence of racism and sexual harassment at his college. The leaked copy of the report was subsequently released to the students but it contained numerous redactions. Today we learned that Alfultis, a federally appointed Rear Admiral in the US Maritime Service, has refused to share the report with Congress despite receiving over $1.6 Billion in Federal Aid for the college between 2018 and 2022.

COVID-19’s Impact on Seafarer Populations Will be Felt for Years to Come | G Captain
he crew change crisis is raging on, as changing Covid-19 restrictions complicate seafarer movements – and the ripple effects may continue to spread for the next five years. The crewing crisis and the increasing safety risks of operating in a tense geopolitical environment are harming morale. Operations and training institutes are impaired by increased restrictions. There are concerns that seafarer population growth, which is already lower than needed, will slow down even further.

How the Shipping Industry Sails Through Legal Loopholes | The Tyee
Inside the murky world of dodges that let firms harm workers and the environment. 

Ports start contract talks with dockworkers | LA Business Journal
 The talks between the Pacific Maritime Association, representing employers at 29 ports along the West Coast, and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, which represents 15,600 dockworkers at those ports, started last week.

World Bank to support BIWTA dredging 13 shipping routes | TBS News
The Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) and two contractors signed an agreement in this connection at a city hotel on Saturday, a press release said.

Fury as P&O Dutch staff get 5% pay rise weeks after firm sacked 800 UK workers | Mirror
More than 100 employees of the firm in the Netherlands will receive a 5% pay rise despite the company claiming it had been forced to replace UK seafarers with agency staff as it had no money

China’s state-owned shipping giant expanding global influence | The Print
China’s state-owned COSCO Shipping Corporation Ltd, the fourth-biggest player in the shipping industry, according to London-based data analytics company GlobalData, is increasingly expanding its operations throughout the world even as it conceals its association with the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), a media report said.

India to be next cruising destination for the world: Union ports minister Sonowal | Times of India
Union ports, shipping and waterways minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday announced a high-level advisory committee, that includes members from international cruise lines, to assist the Apex Level Committee on Cruise Tourism in order boost the industry across India including Mumbai.

Ningbo to probe misconduct by shipping industry | Lloyd's List
Chinese city is investigating misconduct by carriers, forwarders, shipping agents, storage yards and custom brokers since 2020
The move to investigate unfair pricing aims to support the sustainable development of small and mid-sized enterprises, according to a government statement

The Lloyd's List Podcast: Is AI really changing shipping? | Lloyd's List
Technology changes slowly at first and then very, very rapidly and there is a small window of opportunity before artificial intelligence becomes normalised in shipping. This week on the Lloyd’s List Podcast we are exploring whether the AI revolution really is changing shipping and why the answer to that question is less a story about technology and more about an industry that is rapidly evolving into a tiered structure of haves and have nots

Ukraine war pushes war loss and damages incidents to highest levels since 1991 | Lloyd's List
Analysis of first-quarter casualty reports shows uptick in war incidents, as well as the growing occurrence of fires and explosions and hull damage 
Lloyd's List Intelligence casualty report analysis reveals that war loss and damages casualties are now at a 30-year high

Inditex lobbies for Maersk to win contract to run new Bangladesh terminal | Load Star
As the construction of Patenga Container Terminal nears completion, to start handling cargo in July, AP Møller-Maersk appears to have engaged top apparel retailer Inditex to request the Bangladesh government to award the operating contract to Maersk.

Maersk launches seafarers' cadet programme for women in pact with AMET-Chennai | Trend Radars
Global container logistics major Maersk on Friday announced the launch of the country's first seafarers' cadet programme for women in partnership with Chennai-based Academy of Maritime Education and Training.
 

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Global Supply Chain Crisis Round Two Could Be ‘Bigger Than Last Year’ | G Captain
China’s stringent rules to curb Covid-19 are about to unleash another wave of summer chaos on supply chains between Asia, the U.S. and Europe.

Maersk Upgrades 2022 Guidance as Freight Rates Stay Elevated, But Headwinds Building on the Horizon | G Captain
A.P. Moller-Maersk, owner of the world’s second largest container shipping line, has upgraded its full year 2022 guidance, forecasting this year to be “stronger than previously anticipated.”

P&O ferry ‘adrift’ after losing power in Irish sea, with up to 410 passengers aboard | Independent
P&O blames a ‘mechanical issue’ in the latest in a series of unfortunate events for the operator

Filt Cgil, three days of discussion in Naples on Europe, work and transport: present Manfredi and Letta | Il Mattino
Three days of confrontation and debate by European trade unions in the progressive area on Europe, work and transport with the participation of politicians and scholars. Organizing the initiative, entitled “Progressive Think Tank. Let's go left ”, is Filt Cgil at the Hotel Terminus in Naples from tomorrow, Wednesday 27 April, to Friday 29 April.

IMO urged to act on sexual assault and harassment at sea | Trade Winds
Growing problem to be discussed at an upcoming safety meeting

ICS releases new training resource to address the technology gap on board | Safety 4 Sea
ICS has launched a new resource designed to help ship operators recruit and develop on board personnel who are fully prepared to meet the demands of today’s high-tech modern vessels.

No light at the end of the tunnel for crew abandonment  | Safety 4 Sea
The shipping pathogeny of crew abandonment does not seem to end with ILO’s dedicated database recording a total of 95 cases last year, continuing a growing trend of 85 reported in 2020 and 40 in 2019. Even worse, a total of 32 crew abandonment cases have been already reported within 2022, which could exceed the record number of 2021 cases.

One killed and six injured in oil tanker explosion off Hong Kong | Lloyd’s List
Six injured seafarers have been sent to hospitals by helicopters dispatched to the incident site
The 9,995 dwt tanker was about 300 km east of Hong Kong when it caught fire following the blast. The cause of the incident is not yet clear

Crew Member Killed in Containership Fire Off the Philippines | G Captain
The Philippine Coast Guard responded to a fatal containership fire off the Philippines on Sunday after a pipe allegedly exploded on board.

Ports of Auckland death: Maritime union wants national inquiry | NZ Herald
The union representing port workers wants a national inquiry into port safety following the death of a worker this morning at Ports of Auckland. 

Ever Forward refloated after a month-long salvage operation  | Lloyd’s List
Evergreen said the 12,000 teu boxship will return to the Port of Baltimore to reload cargo and then continue its scheduled voyage
The 2020-built ship is now going through underwater inspections in the nearby Annapolis anchorage, Lloyd’s List Intelligence data shows. Its next stop is Norfolk in the US east coast

Extended Shanghai lockdown expected to increase void sailings | Lloyd’s List
The Chinese metropolis remains on a city-wide lockdown as the government insists on imposing what it refers to as its ‘dynamic zero Covid’ containment strategy
Fewer shipments than usual can be loaded from and discharged into the port of Shanghai owing to a draconian lockdown. Although carriers have less operational incentive to call at the port, the Chinese government will not allow any arbitrary cutting of ship calls at Shanghai

Piracy incidents in Gulf of Guinea continue to fall | Lloyd’s List
Monitoring agency attributes drop in piracy incidents to the increased presence of international naval vessels and co-operation between regional authorities
‘Worldwide, this is the first quarter since 2010 where no crew kidnappings have been reported,’ says IMB

Stranded seafarers escape Ukraine, others trapped – ILO, sources | Hellenic Shipping News
Some of the estimated 1,000 seafarers trapped in Ukraine have escaped, the International Labour Organization (ILO) and industry officials told Reuters, while voicing concern for those remaining trapped onboard ships or unaccounted for. 

Union prepares case for US west coast labour negotiations | Lloyd’s List
International Longshore and Warehouse Union is confident of reaching an agreement
With supply chains still under extreme pressure, the upcoming west coast contract negotiation is being watched closely. The ILWU is confident of a resolution

Vietnam Plans $1.5B Investment to Build National Shipping Line | Maritime Executive
Vietnam is planning the launch of a national container shipping operation designed to combat the dramatic rise in freight costs and supply chain disruptions experienced during the pandemic. The Vietnam Logistics Business Association recently mapped out a plan for the development first of intra-Asia shipping operations that would later expand to international operations with the support of private capital.

Italian dockers say Genoa is centre of arms trafficking operation after tanks found on Saudi ship | Morning Star
DOCKERS in the Italian city of Genoa have warned of an arms trafficking operation being run through its port after the discovery of tanks and weapons in the hold of a Saudi Arabian ship.

More green pledges are welcome — but watch for the fine print | Lloyd’s List
Environment pledges increasingly represent money and prestige. While companies go about cutting emissions, they would do well to watch the hot air as well
The recent flurry of green pledges shows work is being done behind the scenes. But as we move from ideas to action, the devil is in the detail

P&O ferry on key route fails second safety inspection | Lloyd’s List
Dover-Calais service resumption scuppered after MCA finds ‘additional’ deficiencies on Pride of Kent
Hopes dashed of returning ship to service for the key Easter holiday tourist trade

RMT calls for economic sanctions against P&O - one month on from mass sackings | RMT
The Maritime union points out that several P&O Ferries have not been able to sail since the vicious and reckless act of sacking 800 skilled seafarers on the 17th March.

Australia received its first cruise ship after a two-year ban due to COVID-19 | Gal Times
A day after the end of the restrictions, the Pacific Explorer entered Sydney's so-called circular quay escorted by two tugboats that fired their water cannons and unfurled a banner with the “We are home” message

APM Terminals names woman to top post at expanding Mexico box port | Trade Winds
Marliz Bermudez set to take over the reins at APM Terminals Lazaro Cardenas from June 2022

Bolloré seeks to reassure on employment after the sale to MSC | archyde
The managers of Port of Pointe Noirein Congo, sought to reassure on the maintenance of jobs, after the announcement of the sale of the logistics activities of the French group Bolloré in Africa to the Italian-Swiss shipowner MSC.

CMA CGM buys Gefco ahead of sanctions threat | Automotive Logistics
Container shipping line CMA CGM has bought French logistics provider Gefco for an undisclosed sum. The buyout follows an earlier statement from Gefco that it was taking back the 75% stake in its business that Russian Railways bought in 2012 for €800m ($869m).

Mediterranean Shipping Company to launch new China-Bangladesh service | F2F
Switzerland-headquartered Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC) will launch in late April its Bengal service on the Intra-Asia trade, directly connecting South China and Bangladesh’s Chattogram. In addition, the service will enable connections for Bangladesh imports and exports via MSC’s transshipment hubs in Singapore and Tanjung Pelepas in Malaysia.

Ship industry companies are increasingly innovating in digitalisation | Ship Technology
Analysis of patent filings shows a growing level of digitalisation related applications in the industry over the past year

North America is seeing a hiring boom in ship industry cybersecurity roles | Ship Technology
Some parts of the world are investing more heavily in cybersecurity roles than others

Labor abuse and illegal fishing widespread in ports worldwide: New study | ICSF
Labor abuse is rampant in both legal and illegal fisheries, researchers found when they looked at conditions at some 792 ports in a new study published in the academic journal, Nature Communications.

Russian ships are ditching their flags and registering in the Marshall Islands and St. Kitts, a tactic that could be used to evade sanctions | Yahoo
18 vessels ditched their Russian flags in March — more than three times the normal rate. They're re-flagging under nations like the Marshall Islands, according to Windward AI. The tactic — while legal — could allow businesses to hide their connections with Russia.

Three livestock carriers reported abandoned in Atlantic | Trade Winds
Unions raise alarm over vessels tied to Jordan-based Arab Ship Management

Revised industry map for shipping sector targets $2 billion growth and 1,000 new jobs | Hellenic Shipping News
A revised road map to 2025 for Singapore’s shipping sector wants to grow the industry by $2 billion and create 1,000 new jobs, cementing the country’s reputation as a “catch-up” port acquired during the global port congestions amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Coast guard called after ship stranded off southwest coast | Taipei Times
A cruise ship lost power 2.5 nautical miles (4.6km) southwest of the Port of Kaohsiung on Monday afternoon.

Groggy Captain Led to Tow Striking a Lock Gate, NTSB Determines| G Captain
“Studies have shown that the effects of sleep inertia include reduced alertness, slower reaction time, less accuracy, degraded memory, and impaired decision-making ability,” the report said. “Sleep inertia generally lasts for about 30 minutes after waking but may last longer if a person is sleep deprived. Mariners should allow time to fully recover from sleep inertia before taking a watch and performing critical duties.”

New study reveals extent of labour abuse and illegal fishing risks among fishing fleets | Lancaster University
Monitoring the world’s fishing fleets for labour abuse and illegal fishing can be as challenging as the oceans are vast, but new data could help companies and countries intervene more effectively.

Merchant Ship Sank By Missiles in Mariupol, Flag State Confirms | G Captain
LONDON, April 5 (Reuters) – A Dominica-flagged cargo ship sank on Tuesday in the besieged southern Ukrainian port city of Mariupol after being targeted by Russian missile strikes, the vessel’s flag registry said.

CMA CGM set to buy Gefco and expand rail use | IRJ
GEFCO, the logistics arm of Stellantis (Peugeot-Citroën-Fiat-Chrysler group), is to return to French ownership by April 11 with French shipping line CMA CGM poised to acquire the business for €450-500m, according to reports in the French press.

Salvors to remove cargo after attempts to refloat Ever Forward fail | Lloyd’s List
Following two failed attempts to refloat the stranded Ever Forward salvors intend to lighten the ship
Two crane barges are to be deployed to lighten the Ever Forward in an operation expected to take two weeks

10,000 transport workers call for immediate reinstatement of illegally sacked P&O seafarers | ITF Seafarers
ITF General Secretary Stephen Cotton, who is leading the global unions’ delegation in Dubai, delivered the letter addressed to the CEO of DP World, Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem calling for the reinstatement of the sacked seafarers and a commitment to respect workers’ rights and engage with unions across their global operations.

Ukraine conflict welfare fund established | Lloyd’s List
Seafarers affected by the war in Ukraine can apply for support
A new fund will provide financial aid for seafarers and their families affected by the crisis in Ukraine. Grants can be applied for via charities and agencies

Tugboats Try to Pull Stuck ‘Ever Forward' Ship Out of Mud | NBC 
Five tugboats pushed and pulled a cargo ship stuck in the mud of the Chesapeake Bay for hours Tuesday without success.

Maersk Builds WTIV and Partners with Kirby for Empire Wind Install | Maritime Executive
Maersk announced its first newbuild investment for the offshore wind sector as part of an agreement with Kirby Offshore Wind that will see the two companies partnering to service the emerging sector and carry out the installation of Equinor and BP’s planned Empire Wind in New York. Maersk will build a newly designed wind turbine installation vessel while Kirby will build two U.S.-registered feeder barges and diesel-electric hybrid tugboats to transfer materials from the staging point in Brooklyn to the installation vessel at the site 15 to 30 miles southeast of Long Island, New York.
 

Ukraine seafarer union slams ITF evacuation plan | Trade Winds
Unions are split on whether seafarers should be allowed to leave the country as ‘key workers’ or stay and fight the Russians

China’s coronavirus lockdowns jam ports in Hong Kong and Shenzhen, risking further ‘chaos’ for supply chains | China Macro Economy
Lockdowns will delay container movement at southern Chinese ports, which will impact shipments to the US ahead of summer, analysts say

P&O ferry detained over crew training concerns, says coastguard agency | Guardian
Transport secretary Grant Shapps says ship was detained in Northern Ireland for being ‘unfit to sail’

Negotiations To Start Next Month In High Stakes Labor Talks At West Coast Ports | G Captain
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said he expects labor talks to be resolved without significant disruption to the biggest U.S. ports — and an already stressed supply chain — as West Coast dockworkers’ contracts expire this summer.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren Slams Giant Ocean Carrier Conglomerates for Driving Up Consumer Costs While Making Record Profits | Sierra Sun Times 
Senator Elizabeth Warren: “It appears that the opportunistic business practices of Maersk and other major ocean carriers have exacerbated shipping cost increases, hurting consumers and small businesses and driving inflation throughout the entire American economy.”

Dutch dockers refuse to let Pride of Rotterdam leave for Hull in solidarity with sacked British workers | Hull Live
Hull MP Karl Turner has tweeted about the moving moment

Maersk to deploy 300 electric trucks in partnership with Einride | Market Screener
Maersk will add 300 electric trucks to its North America network - making it the largest heavy-duty electric truck deployment to date.

Italian Shipping Billionaire to Rescue Ferry Operator Moby | Bloomberg 
Italian billionaire Gianluigi Aponte’s Mediterranean Shipping Co. will take a minority stake in Moby SpA as the ailing ferry company aims to settle a dispute with creditors and restructure its debt.

VIDEO: All female crew navigates a sea of change in maritime | ABC News
With women making up an estimated 1 to 2 per cent in seafaring roles, Alies van Driel is steering change, becoming the first woman to become a ferry master in Newcastle. 

Unions and employers agree repatriation terms for Ukrainian seafarers | Trade Winds
Shipowners will be responsible for repatriation of Ukrainian crew who want to go back home, or to a third country

Russian class could be expelled from IACS | Lloyd’s List
Class societies are understood to be considering the political and reputational damage being caused by maintaining Russian Maritime Register of Shipping as an IACS member after the EU targeted the society as a sanctioned state-owned entity
If Russia is expelled from the International Association of Classification Societies it will likely hasten the removal of Russian shipowners from other IACS class societies and further isolate the ability to trade internationally.

Russia resumes commercial trade in Sea of Azov | Lloyd’s List
Ships previously waiting in the ports of Azov, Taganrog and Rostov are now seen journeying to Turkey
Traffic going in and out of the Sea of Azov ground to a halt on the night before Russia entered Ukraine. Vessel-tracking data shows about 15 vessels leaving Russian ports in the past few days, transiting south through the Kerch Strait

Mission to Seafarers Extends Assistance to Ukrainian Mariners | Maritime Executive
The Mission to Seafarers is stepping up its relief effort for Ukrainian mariners who find themselves far from home at a time of national emergency. The need for communications with loved ones and pastoral support is high, the charity reports, as the Russian invasion has many Ukrainian nationals worried about the fate of their families.

Seafarer killed and three more injured in Thai tanker blast | Trade Winds
Huge explosion tears through Smooth Sea 2 on the Chao Phraya river

Shipping industry urges safe passage for trapped ships and crews in Ukraine | National Post
Ukrainian maritime officials have told Reuters there are around 100 foreign-flagged vessel and hundreds of mariners stranded in Ukrainian ports by the fighting.

Seafarers – always collateral damage | Seatrade Maritime News
Nobody, I am willing to wager, would have suggested to the crews of ships bound for Ukrainian ports last month that they might have been putting their lives on the line, or finding themselves in harm’s way.

See also: https://www.humanrightsatsea.org/news/hundreds-seafarers-currently-caught-crossfire-war

Hapag-Lloyd warns of rising cost risk | Lloyd’s List
Bunker prices are increasing sharply in a period of geopolitical turmoil
After raking in a net profit of $10bn in 2021, Hapag-Lloyd is sitting in a comfortable position. Even so, bunker and other transport costs are still on the rise
 

Shipping grapples with moving crews from war zone | Lloyd’s List
Ukrainian crews have reportedly been taken off ships in Russian ports, but companies have been urged to check compliance before refusing to call in Russia
Insurers and employers are honing their guidance on how to change Russian or Ukrainian crews as the situation between the two countries blocks their repatriation. Charities are trying to help seafarers contact their families

Call for ‘safe corridors’ for ships trapped in Ukraine | Lloyd’s List
Shipping associations call for help for seafarers facing dangers and other problems stemming from the invasion of Ukraine
Industry groups are calling for safe maritime corridors to be on the agenda of today’s extraordinary session of the International Maritime Organization council meeting called to discuss the plight of ships and seafarers in the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov

Russian vessels transit Kerch Strait for first time since Ukraine invasion | Lloyd’s List
The passage connecting the Black Sea to the Sea of Azov has been blocked for nearly two weeks. Ships are now moving back into Russian territory
Around 200 vessels have been stopped and waiting to pass through the Kerch Strait since the invasion began. Ships, which are predominantly Russian, are now returning home

Hundreds of Philippine seafarers evacuated from Ukraine war zone | Trade Winds
Ships left crewless as government flies its stranded seafarers back home to safety

Fear of employer retaliation leads immigrant seafarers to delay, avoid medical care: study | Safety + Health
Houston — Filipino seafarers often delay or completely avoid medical care – despite their rights to it under maritime law – for fear of retaliation from employers, including potentially losing their jobs, results of a recent study show.

Greece’s Maran Dry evacuates seafarers caught in Ukraine horror | Trade Winds
Two Angelicoussis capesizes remain trapped at Yuzhnyy port

Shipping Traffic Near Russian Ports Drops | WSJ
Shipping traffic near Russian ports has fallen by a third since the country's invasion of Ukraine, a sign of how sanctions and global companies’ withdrawal from Russia are hitting the country’s economy.

Women Encouraged To Pursue Careers In Fisheries | Jamaica Information Service
Agriculture and Fisheries Minister, Hon. Pearnel Charles Jr., is encouraging women across the island to pursue careers in the Fisheries sector.

How Nigeria tackled piracy, maritime crimes in Gulf of Guinea –NIMASA DG | 9jacable
“NIMASA has put in tremendous efforts to mitigate the tide of maritime insecurity in Nigeria and the Gulf of Guinea through several maritime domain awareness interventions and collaborative efforts.
 

Dock Workers and Shipping Lines Widen Boycott of Russian Trade | Financial Post
(Bloomberg) — Dock workers around the world are pushing to widen bans on Russian ships from their ports, moves that would potentially blacklist more than 1,700 vessels connected to the country as its invasion of Ukraine strains already-disrupted global supply chains.

Ukraine: vessel sunk, seafarer killed, IMO calls extraordinary session | Riviera
The sinking of a general cargo vessel marks the sixth commercial vessel damaged by munitions during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, according to maritime security information services. IMO has called an extraordinary session of its 40-member council, and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has designated parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov as ‘Warlike Operations Areas’

CMA CGM Cautions On Sanctions And War Fallout | G Captain
CMA CGM on Friday said intense shipping demand that swelled its earnings last year was continuing in early 2022 but the war in Ukraine was making the market outlook uncertain.

Amazon and Maersk are setting up a fight for the world’s supply chains | Quartz
For the past five years, one of the world’s largest shipping lines has been expanding into every other step of the supply chain. Maersk can now arrange air freight, trucking, warehousing, and even last-mile delivery for its customers.

28 Bengali sailors evacuate ship struck by missile in Ukraine | Vancouver News
DHAKA, Bangladesh - The 28 Bangladeshi seafarers stranded on a damaged ship in Ukraine have been evacuated along with the body of a deceased colleague as Russian forces encircled and continued bombarding cities.

Stuck on a vessel off South Philly, Ukrainian seamen watch their homeland at war | Philadelphia Inquirer
Seven Ukrainian men have been stuck on a merchant vessel in South Philly since July 2021. Now they watch as their country goes to war, unable to return.

Portsmouth shipping company admits fault at court over worker crushed to death | Portsmouth News
Dad-of-one Mieczyslaw Siwak, known as Mitch, was crushed by two containers at MMD Shipping Services at Flathouse Quay in Portsmouth August 25, 2017. MMD is now known as Portico Shipping.

Inquiry finds international sea law ‘unfit for purpose’ without reform | Lloyd’s List
House of Lords committee flags issues ranging from human rights and fishing to regulation of armed guards, but stopped short of calling for a major overhaul
Call made to fix poor enforcement of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, saying flags of convenience have created a legal vacuum on the high seas

More than a thousand Seafarers stranded on ships near Ukraine | AJOT
About 140 ships have been trapped off the coast of Ukraine, putting more than a thousand seafarers in harm’s way.

Italy Arrests Russian Yachts Worth $115M | G Captain
Italian police have seized villas and yachts worth at least 140 million euros ($153 million) from four high-profile Russians who were placed on an EU sanctions list following Moscow’s attack on Ukraine, sources said on Saturday.

The Ukraine Effect – How Will The West Man Their Ships? | G Captain
India has declined to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine.  India abstained along with China in the United Nations vote condemning the invasion.  Serbia is also on the side of Putin.  India has a long standing cooperation with Russia in terms of defence and buying arms.  Also in an unusual case, we also have Pakistan siding with India.  The majority of the world population is thus in nations that did not vote to condemn the invasion.

Let's recognise the courage of crews risking their lives in Ukraine | Lloyd’s List
Third engineer Hadisur Rahman became the first seafarer to die in the fighting. Let us hope he is the last, although as things stand, that cannot be guaranteed
Like other globalised industries, shipping is faced with tough choices as a result of Putin’s war, in which considerations of the bottom line must be tempered by morality

Dubai police must allow ship’s captain home if they are to meet human rights obligations | ITF Seafarers
The Dubai police have still not allowed the captain of MV Ocean Trader (IMO 9056739) to return home after seven months, despite the UAE’s improved position on human rights.

Seafarer goes home after months abandoned alone on a ship at Tawfiq port in Egypt | ITF Seafarers
A seafarer was trapped alone on his ship without food or electricity for months, and no-one would help until the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) intervened. He has finally made it home.

Qatar signs new agreement with ITF on transport worker rights | ITF Global
The Ministry of Labour of Qatar today signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the ITF and, with worker-management committees, it takes another leap forward in rights for transport workers. 

ITF Dockers unite against Putin’s Ukraine invasion | ITF Global
Following last week’s call from transport unions for an immediate ceasefire to the conflict in Ukraine, the global labour movement and international community has stood steadfast in their condemnation of the war and call for peace.

Attacks on vessels off Ukraine to likely trigger war risk clauses | Lloyd’s List
Confirmed incidents include Russian missile hitting Bangladesh-flagged Banglar Samriddhi near Mykolayiv, killing third engineer, and sinking of Panama-flagged Helt off Odessa
‘There is clearly a risk to vessels trading in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov and that probably will give rise to engagement of war risk clauses,’ says lawyer

Shipmanagers focus on crews as Ukraine crisis worsens | Lloyd’s List
While Ukrainian and Russian seafarers are behaving professionally, it is understood that feelings are running high. Shipmanagers are requested to work together on behalf of seafarers and their families
About one in seven seafarers come from the two countries engaged in hostilities

Estonian-owned vessel sinks off Odessa after blast | Lloyd’s List
Ukraine accuses the Russian navy of using the general cargoship Helt as a shield, forcing it to enter the dangerous part of the Black Sea in ‘nothing but 21st century piracy’
The Estonian-owned Helt possibly hit a mine. Shipmanager Vista Shipping Agency said all six missing crew members have been rescued

Singapore eases crew change regulations | Lloyd’s List
New measures include reducing the lead time for certain crew change applications to seven days and exempting most fully vaccinated seafarers from home-quarantine requirements
The move is expected to alleviate the pressure on crew changes that the shipping industry still faces, as the number of overdue crew has risen again

Seafaring jobs seen at risk if PHL drops ball on training standards | Business World
THE Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) must properly implement international training standards in compliance with European Union (EU) requirements in order to preserve about 30,000 seafarers’ jobs, a Senator said.

March crew change figures suggest more seafarers working beyond contracts | Daily Cargo News
THE number of seafarers onboard vessels beyond the expiry of their contracts has risen since last month, according to the latest Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator.

Bornheim: Seafarers should not become ‘victims of war’ | Trade Winds
German shipowners’ president sounds alarm over danger to crews in Ukraine

Robert Allan, Svitzer Reach Tug Design Agreement | Pacific Maritime
Vancouver, BC-based naval architecture firm Robert Allan Ltd. has reached a tug design agreement with global towage operator Svitzer for a vessel that they say incorporates several unique elements and combines them in a safer, more efficient package.

Most major shipping lines suspend shipments to and from Russia | Maritime Magazine
Maersk, its 2M Alliance partner Mediterranean Shipping Co., and CMA CGM have joined Hapag-Lloyd and Ocean Network Express (ONE) in suspending bookings for Russian cargo in response to tightening global sanctions following the invasion of Ukraine, the JOC.com news platform reported today.

Massive cargo ship carrying luxury cars sinks in mid-Atlantic | Los Angeles Times
A large cargo vessel carrying cars from Germany to the United States sank Tuesday in the mid-Atlantic, 13 days after a fire broke out on board, the ship’s manager and the Portuguese navy said.

APM Terminals Mumbai set to increase container handling capacity | The Maritime Standard
APM Terminals Mumbai, also known as Gateway Terminals India (GTI), is to invest around US$115 million in additional equipment and infrastructure, including six ship-to-shore cranes and three rail-mounted gantry cranes. The investment will enable GTI to accommodate larger vessels and will boost annual container handling capacity by 10% to 2.18 million TEUs.

Shipping is falling short in cyber preparedness | Lloyd’s List
Lloyd’s List’s survey raises concerns over shipping’s cyber resilience, with the risk level of online threats only likely to increase. Just one quarter of respondents feel the industry is doing enough to combat or spread awareness, while one third of those polled were unaware of company process in the event of a cyber attack

Biden Takes on Container Shipping Despite No Evidence of Wrongdoing | G Captain
The White House said Biden will call on Congress at his State of the Union to address the immunity that shipping alliances have from antitrust scrutiny under current law. The Federal Maritime Commission will join with the Department of Justice in a new initiative announced Monday, to push for competition in ocean freight transportation.
 

Ukraine’s Ports to Stay Closed Until Russian Invasion Ends – Maritime Administration | US News
LONDON (Reuters) - Ukrainian ports will remain closed until Russia’s invasion ends, the head of Ukraine’s Maritime Administration said on Monday, adding that the port of Mariupol has sustained damage from Russian shelling.

Seafarers under increased threat as two bulk carriers are detained by Russian forces | Splash 247
Concern is growing for the wellbeing of thousands of seafarers, both at sea and ashore, as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine takes its toll on merchant shipping.

UK orders its ports to block all Russian-linked ships | Reuters
Britain on Monday ordered its ports to block any vessels that are Russian-flagged or believed to be registered, owned or controlled by any person connected with Russia as it ratcheted up the pressure on Moscow.

Container lines suspend shipments to Russia, Maersk considering | Reuters
Container shipping company Ocean Network Express (ONE) on Monday suspended bookings to and from Russia while Maersk said it was considering doing the same in response to Western sanctions on Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.

Port Unions Take Action On Russian Flagged Ships | Scoop NZ
The two unions representing workers in New Zealand ports say their members are reluctant to work Russian flagged ships in New Zealand ports and are looking at methods of protest following the outbreak of war.

Congressman Don Young Announces Forthcoming Legislation to Take Urgent Action Against Russian Oligarchs, Seize Russian-Owned Vessels in American Waters and Ports | Alaska Native News
Saturday, Alaska Congressman Don Young announced that he is drafting legislation to authorize the seizure of Russian yachts and commercial vessels currently within the waters of the United States. His forthcoming bill, the Bringing Oligarch Accountability Through Seizure (BOATS) Act, will also authorize the seizure of Russian-owned vessels flying flags of convenience from other nations. This legislative effort comes as Russian President Vladimir Putin’s violent all-out war on Ukraine and its sovereignty continues.

DP World strengthens inland Europe network further with launch of new rail service | Load Star
 DP World is launching a new rail service between the Upper Rhine region and the Port of Rotterdam, enhancing its impressive European Inland Network further and offering more sustainable and robust transport options to its customers.

Joint statement urging continued collaboration to address the crew change crisis, safeguard seafarer health and safety, and avoid supply chain disruptions during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic | ILO
The continuously rapid spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, including the Omicron variant, is a stark reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic  is not over. The epidemiological situation continues to evolve, posing renewed challenges to societies and economies, including to international shipping, which is critical for global trade and sustainable development. 

Supply Chains: Shipping Lines in the Cross Hairs of U.S. Authorities | G Captain
Supply chains are back in the news, perhaps a welcome distraction from the coverage of events in Ukraine. Late last week, the Biden Administration followed up on its year earlier “Executive Order 14017” from the newly inaugurated President Joe Biden, which set out to develop strategies enabling supply chain “resilience”. On Feb. 24th, 2022, multiple government agencies issued reports on proposed actions. 

Ukraine transport workers under threat, say unions | Freight Business Journal
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) warn that transport workers are particularly under threat in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Seafarers Step Up to Support Ukraine | Maritime Executive
Four days into a full-scale invasion by one of the largest armies in the world, the Ukrainian armed forces have managed to hold all major cities and the Russian offensive has lost momentum, according to UK intelligence. Russia's tanks, armored personnel carriers and truck convoys have proven vulnerable to attack by NATO-supplied anti-tank missiles, and some frontline Russian units have reportedly encountered shortages of fuel and supplies.

Shipping Group Warns of More Supply Chain Disruption if Free Movement of Ukrainian and Russian Seafarers is Impeded | G Captain
The International Chamber of Shipping is calling on shipping stakeholders and governments to help prevent Russian and Ukrainian seafarers from becoming ‘collatoral damage’ in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Ships hit by missiles as Ukraine forces defend Odessa and Mariupol | Lloyd’s List
Moldova-flagged chemical tanker Millennial Spirit and Panama-flagged bulk carrier Namura Queen have been struck by missiles. The future shape of maritime activity will hinge on whether Kyiv holds out against Russian attacks
Fighting continues between Russia and Ukraine at the Black Sea ports of Mariupol and Odessa as the International Maritime Organization urged all parties to protect seafarers
See also 

Kenya ratifies key international labour standards for fishers and seafarers | ICSF
The Government of Kenya has ratified two international labour standards that will promote decent work for the country’s seafarers and fishers. It has also submitted notification of acceptance of amendments to a third, already ratified, maritime labour Convention.

Suez Canal To Increase Tolls Effective March 1 | G Captain
While inflationary pressures have gripped the global economy, Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority said today it will be increasing canal tolls by up to 10% for laden and ballast vessels, effective March 1.
 

Russia’s Ukraine invasion set to spark seafarer crisis | Trade Winds
Sanctions and travel restrictions will to add to chronic labour supply problems in the shipping industry

Operations at Ukraine's sea ports closed by its military | Reuters
KYIV, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Operations at Ukraine's sea ports have been suspended by the country's military, Mykhailo Podolyak, adviser to the president's chief of staff, said on Thursday. 

Shipping scrambles to react to ‘nightmare scenario’ | Lloyd’s List
Odessa subject to ‘indiscriminate’ shelling and unconfirmed reports say Russian troops are in the city. Crew have been diverted to Istanbul and Poland
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has sent shipping scrambling for information with movements of people and cargo restricted. Maersk and Hapag-Lloyd closed their Ukraine offices

‘Collusion’ drumbeat leads to multilateral probe of shipping lines | Freight Waves
Antitrust regulators in 5 nations respond to freight complaints of exploitative behavior during supply chain crisis

Union reps say Alaska’s losing maritime workers | Juneau Empire
Mariners are finding better pay elsewhere

CMA CGM plans airline launch for first half 2022 | Air Cargo News
France-based shipping group CMA CGM looks set to launch its own Air Operator Certificate (AOC) airline in the first half of this year, which could mean a phased switch of A330-200 freighter services from its Liege hub in Belgium to Paris CDG.

Shetland port workers vote on strike action – harbour ‘heading slowly in the right direction’ | Press and Journal
Lerwick harbour workers are taking part in an industrial action ballot over their pay, terms and conditions.

ICTSI Pakistan handles its first-ever ro-ro vessel | Port Technology
Pakistan International Container Terminal (PICT) has successfully handled Messina Line’s JOLLY QUARZO, the first ro-ro vessel to call at the terminal.

Sea of Asov closed to shipping as Russia invades Ukraine | Lloyd’s List
No commercial vessels have moved through the Kerch Strait since midnight Tuesday with vessels beginning to queue at the southern entrance to the strait
Lloyd’s List Intelligence data shows 116 vessels queuing in the Southern inlet to the Kerch Strait and a further 52 vessels waiting to the south. At the Northern inlet to the strait there are 45, mainly Russian flagged vessels waiting

Noble Corp's Proposed Acquisition of Maersk Drilling Investigated by UK Regulator | Market Watch
The U.K. Competition and Markets Authority said Thursday it is starting an investigation into the acquisition by Noble Corp. of The Drilling Company of 1972 A/S, known as Maersk Drilling.

Integrated crew change vessel/gangway entering offshore trial phase | Offshore
Ampelmann and Damen Shipyards Group are preparing for the final testing phase of a project that involves integrating the S-type motion compensated gangway with the new fast crew change vessel Aqua Helix (FCS 7011).

Minimum wage: seafarers and other people working at sea | Public
This guidance explains when seafarers and other persons who work at sea are entitled to the minimum wage. It provides examples of when UK minimum wage law applies to seafarers working on UK and non-UK registered ships.

Artificial intelligence hiring levels in the ship industry rose to a year-high in January 2022 | Ship Technology
The proportion of ship equipment supply, product and services companies hiring for artificial intelligence related positions rose significantly in January 2022 compared with the equivalent month last year, with 41.7% of the companies included in our analysis recruiting for at least one such position.

Warning of looming humanitarian crisis as seafarers' rights continue to deteriorate | Nautilus International
'The crew change situation remains critical' as the Officers of the Special Tripartite Committee (STC) of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC) warn of a humanitarian crisis due to the negative effects of the pandemic on seafarers' rights.

What remains one of maritime industry's largest safety issues? | Insurance Business Mag
While shipping losses have halved over the past 10 years, fire on vessels remains among the maritime industry’s largest safety issues, according to a new report from Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS). The danger was hammered home last week by incidents involving the Felicity Ace cargo/RoRo ship, which caught fire in the Atlantic while carrying thousands of cars, and the Euroferry Olympia passenger ferry fire off the coast of Greece.

RMT demands response from the maritime industry to decline in UK Seafarers | RMT
Government statistics on UK Seafarers found UK Ratings numbers continued their pattern of decline.

Omicron Ripping Through Cargo Ships May Exacerbate Shipping Woes | Bloomberg Quint
(Bloomberg) -- Omicron is ripping through cargo ships, raising concerns that a surge in cases, coupled with China’s tightened quarantine requirements for vessels, could delay supply chain stabilization for the shipping industry.

Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for working seafarers | The Times of India
QUEPEM: The National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) has launched a Rs 50 lakh insurance scheme for working seafarers for up ot the age of 55 years. 

SVITZER announces duo of new appointments to Global Leadership Team | Ship Management 
Svitzer Europe’s Head of Communications Pernille Brandis Rosengaard becomes Global Head of Group Branding & Communications. Meanwhile, from 21 February, Emilie Bruun joins from Danish multinational medical company Coloplast to become Svitzer’s new Chief People Officer.

Greece ferry fire: Missing Olympia passenger found alive as hunt for 11 others continues | Independent
Extreme temperatures on board the ship have made certain areas of the vessel inaccessible to rescue teams

Filipino seafarers to lose jobs if PH fails to comply with maritime standards | The World News
MANILA, Philippines – Thousands of Filipino seafarers assigned in vessels around Europe could face displacement if the European Union (EU) rules the Philippines as non-compliant with international maritime standards, the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) said on Thursday, February 17.

Twelve Crew Members Remain Missing From Sunken Spanish Trawler | G Captain
(Reuters) – Two bodies recovered during the search and rescue of a Spanish trawler that sank off Newfoundland this week were taken to the port city of St. John’s in the Canadian province on Friday, Spain’s foreign ministry said.

IMO seeks to endorse electronic training certification | Riviera
Seafarers will be able to use electronic documentation to certify their training and competence following a decision by HTW 8

Teesport facing huge disruption as tug boat crews announce strikes in pay dispute | Unite the Union
Tug boats crews employed by Svitzer Marine at Teesport, the UK’s fifth largest container port, will begin strike action early next month in a dispute over pay.

Strike action looms over Limassol, Larnaca ports | In Cypus
Strike action looms over Limassol and Larnaca ports now that workers have turned down the Labour Ministry’s proposal on the renewal of their collective agreements.

U.S. Justice Department Cracking Down on Collusive Conduct in Supply Chains | G Captain
The initiative comes in the wake of persistent price increases initially stemming from supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 global pandemic, the Justice Department said in its announcement. It also puts business on notice that the Department’s Antitrust Division is looking out for companies that would exploit supply chain disruptions to engage in illegal, anticompetitive conduct.

CMA CGM to Invest $33M After Winning Beirut Container Terminal Deal | Maritime Executive
French shipping giant CMA CGM Group mapped out an ambitious development plan after announcing that its subsidiary CMA Terminals has been awarded the concession for Lebanon’s Beirut Container Terminal. The new 10-year agreement supports the shipping company’s efforts to grow its logistics business and presence in the Levant region, while it provides a source of badly needed hard currency for Lebanon.

Viral Video: Wave Crashes Through Ferry’s Windows in Germany | G Captain
In the video, which was filmed by a passenger in the ferry’s main cabin, you can see waves breaking over the bow before one bursts through the windows to the shock of about 10 passengers in the cabin at the time. A few sitting up front definitely got the worst of it and all scrambled towards the exit once they realized what was happening.

Boxship P&I renewals: Big names paying big time for sins of the past | Lloyd’s List
The Ever Given grounding, fires, stack collapses. Underwriters are starting to see containerships as a riskier proposition, and that’s why prices have sometimes trebled this renewal round
It is almost unimaginable that a P&I club would willing kiss goodbye to one of the largest marine insurance accounts on the planet. But — incredibly — that’s what West of England has done with MSC, not least because of the latter’s loss record

Truckload rate inflation suggests that service was extremely undervalued by shippers | Freight Waves
The 17 cents per percent acceptance rate improvement suggests two things: Shippers were violently underpaying for transportation costs prior to the pandemic in regard to the value of service provided, and the current capacity shortage is not going to be solved on the supply side alone. The second point is a topic for another day.

Crew-change issues likely to persist amid travel restrictions | Lloyd’s List
Maritime employers’ group predicts sustained crew-change difficulties this year as governments struggle to contain coronavirus infections
While UN agencies support the easing of travel restrictions on seafarers, various governments pay more attention to local pressure groups, especially voters

Employers ‘rushing’ to terminate enterprise agreements, Australian unions say | Guardian
ACTU president suggests companies seizing moment before election after Qantas attempts to unilaterally end agreements

Ghana Withdraws Mandatory Vaccination Order for Foreign Seafarers | Maritime Executive
Authorities in Ghana have been forced to withdraw a mandatory vaccination policy for seafarers entering the country over concerns that shipping lines will skip its ports, which would have potentially undermined its position as a shipping gateway for West Africa.

Crystal Symphony Diverts to The Bahamas, Avoiding Arrest Warrant | Maritime Executive
With judicial seizure awaiting upon her return to Miami, Crystal Symphony has diverted to The Bahamas instead, taking 300 paying passenger with her. After parent company Genting Hong Kong applied for bankruptcy last week, an unpaid bunker supplier has secured a federal court order for Symphony's arrest.

Union fears for NZ’s fuel security | Otago Daily Times
New Zealand’s fuel security is at risk unless the Government acts quickly to ensure New Zealand coastal tankers remain in service, the maritime union says. 

Largest ferry company serving the Irish Sea launches first ever major recruitment campaign | Irish Post
STENA LINE, the largest ferry company on the Irish Sea, has launched its first ever major recruitment campaign.

Ocean Freight Shipper Maersk Continues to Expand. The Stock Could Sail to New Highs. | The Madison Leader Gazette
A.P. Moller-Maersk A/S is expanding its ocean freight business to include road, rail, and air services.

The rum is gone! The impact of maritime piracy on trade and transport | Vox EU
Despite having disappeared from the news since its peak in 2011, piracy continues to threaten maritime shipping. Combining firm-level customs data and ship position data with information on pirate attacks, this column sheds light on the dimensions along which piracy disrupts trade. It shows that exporting firms respond to piracy by switching from ocean to air shipping, while ships re-route in order to avoid affected regions. Despite these adjustments, total exports along affected routes decline.

Why the Current System of Long Supply Chain Contracts is Broken | Global Trade Mag
Over $11 billion has been invested globally in last-mile logistics over the past decade, showing the growing importance of the last leg of a shipment’s journey. This reality is especially prevalent with E-commerce exploding—up 33% to $792 billion in 2021 alone.

Yantian Limits Export Boxes as Chinese Ports Struggle with Congestion | Maritime Executive
China ports are continuing to struggle with the pressures on the supply chain with the challenges being compounded both by the rush to get goods shipped before the Lunar New Year holiday and the growing number of cases of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus. Four of China’s largest port regions have all reported cases of the virus and limited lockdowns in recent days while others such as Ningbo-Zhoushan continue to struggle with the backlogs created by recent disruptions. With shippers frantically trying to redirect cargo, other ports are reporting mounting backlogs with the international container terminal at Yantian becoming the latest to restrict volumes due to the congestion.

Distressed Cargo Ship Reports Being “Harassed” by Unknown Vessel | Maritime Executive
Swedish and Danish forces responded to a distress call on Thursday evening from a Norwegian coastal vessel that was in danger of sinking. They conducted a difficult nighttime rescue airlifting the crew to safety and while the investigation is ongoing, some sources are reporting that the crew said it was “harassed” by an unknown vessel leading up to the distress call.

MSC invests in Shanghai’s empty container project | Lloyd’s List
SIPG and MSC have agreed to co-invest in an empty container dispatching centre to be established at the port of Shanghai
The project aims to speed up the turnover of empty boxes for shippers and carriers facing an equipment shortage due to the pandemic disruptions

Liner shipping needs to stay on the right side of regulators | Lloyd’s List
South Korea’s price-fixing fines are a timely reminder that our industry has a history of practices that fall a long way short of the ideal
The benefits of regulatory even-handedness should be apparent to all. But keeping things that way entails good behaviour — or at least not egregiously bad behaviour — on the part of the regulated
 

BR do Mar: New Brazilian Law Aims to Encourage Cabotage | Mayer Brown
On January 7, 2022, Law No. 14,301/2022 was published, instituting the Cabotage Transport Stimulation Program, also known as BR do Mar. The law, resulting from Bill No. 4,199/2020, aims to increase competition in the provision of transportation services, expand the fleet for water transportation and develop the naval industry, as well as encourage training of national seafarers.

Labour demands investigation into P&O Ferries' billionaire owners over pensions black hole | Mirror
The party has written to the Pensions Regulator calling on it to probe the “unpaid debt” from P&O's owners DP World - after the firm contributed to a golf tour

The Container Shipping Industry Is Raking It In — for Now | Washington Post
The financial transformation of the container-shipping industry has been astonishing: Almost overnight, operating box ships has become a license to print cash.

Report: Crew Change Crisis is Waning, but Omicron Could Bring it Back | Maritime Executive
The latest numbers from the Neptune Declaration on Crew Change appear to show good news for seafarers: The number of mariners working on an extended contract has fallen to its lowest level since at least May 2021, a major improvement in a key metric for morale.

Differing vaccine regulations create further crewing chaos | Splash 247
Differing vaccine regulations are once again causing crew change chaos. The latest update from the Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator, published monthly from aggregated data provided by the shipmanagers to the Global Maritime Forum, shows how seafarer travel remains challenging as there are issues with World Health Organization-recognised vaccines not being recognised by all countries and regions.

Personal rather than work-related issues a lead cause of seafarer suicide | Trade Winds
Seafaring is a stressful job, but the work itself is not what is driving seafarers over the edge.

Exclusive: EU proposal would make charterers pay for emissions | Lloyd’s List
Leaked draft amendments to the EU emissions trading system would also widen it cover all voyages in and out of the bloc if the IMO fails to bring shipping into line with the Paris Agreement by 2028, and would put 75% of maritime ETS revenues into a new decarbonisation fund

Maersk speeds up decarbonisation target by a decade | Reuters
COPENHAGEN, Jan 12 (Reuters) - Container shipping giant A.P. Moller-Maersk (MAERSKb.CO) now plans to achieve net zero emissions in its business by 2040, a decade earlier than previously announced, on the back of rising customer demand for green transportation and technical leaps.

Seafarers win protection from prosecution for aiding migrants | Lloyd’s List
The UK Nationality and Borders Bill will exempt seafarers who follow international conventions on saving lives at sea

Blue Planet bulker crew forced to sail without contracts, says ITF  | Trade Winds
Chinese sailors on Greek bulker are victims of 'forced labour', claims seafarers' union

Maritime industry acts to avert another crew change crisis | Freight News
Shipowners, seafarers’ unions and maritime employer groups are establishing their own approved international network of quarantine facilities to ensure seafarers can safely join ships, despite unpredictable changes to government border policies.

Residents Seek to Stop Development of New Orleans’ Container Terminal | Maritime Executive
Local opposition is mounting as the Port of New Orleans pushes forward with its plans for a massive new container terminal. Spurred on by the announcement the port completed the purchase of land for the proposed new terminal, residents have filed a lawsuit and earlier this week attended a meeting of the local government calling on the parish council to take a more active role in opposing the development.

Few signs of supply chain relief in the new year | Lloyd’s List
With the pandemic still wreaking havoc, congestion and high rates are set to stay. Hopes that a new year would bring an easing to the container shipping market may have been overly optimistic. The resurgence of Covid means that 2022 will seem very much like 2021

Rising cyber exposure in Asia maritime shipping | National Cyber Security News Today
Cyber attacks targeting the marine sector, and critical infrastructure more broadly, are growing rapidly across the world and in Asia. As the maritime industry undergoes rapid digitalization, ransomware attacks continue to escalate. In fact, hackers are narrowing their focus on organizations in the sector, which are seen as tempting targets due to a perceived lack of cyber security investment and potential for significant operational disruption.

AI-Powered Autonomous Marine Vehicles Exhibit Versatility And Efficiency In The Industry | Benzinga
According to The Business Research Company's research report on the autonomous marine vehicles market, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) is gaining popularity. Artificial intelligence is intelligence demonstrated by machines, which makes them think independently and take decisions themselves.

Does Size Matter? MSC and Maersk Shrug Off Capacity Debate | G Captain
Swiss-based container group MSC has overtaken Denmark’s Maersk as the world’s biggest shipper, the company said, confirming data from intelligence provider Alphaliner. Both companies, which according to Alphaliner hold markets share of around 17%, said size was not the objective.
 

Wakashio lawyer says case shows need for better seafarer welfare | Lloyd’s List
The Wakashio case shows the need for better seafarer welfare to prevent accidents at sea, according to the lawyer who defended the ship’s master. Crew stuck on ships past their contracts and their desire for internet access to call their families were partly behind the July 2020 grounding
‘Whatever cases I have been involved in, it appears that there is a human element which is not being addressed by the maritime industry’ — lawyer lshad Munsoor

Royal Caribbean, Norwegian Cruise Line Cancel Sailings as Omicron Cases Surge | G Captain
Jan 5 (Reuters) – Royal Caribbean and Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday canceled sailings amid rising fears of Omicron-related coronavirus infections that have dampened the nascent recovery of the pandemic-ravaged cruise industry.

Ports call for staff to be included in Covid-19 testing | Lloyd’s List
UK to provide 100,000 daily rapid tests for critical services
UK ports have called on the government to include supply chain and port workers in daily testing list

‘The goods stop’: Aussie unions reveal fresh fears in rapid antigen test shortage crisis | News AU
A new twist in Australia’s rapid antigen test chaos is looming, with unions warning without urgent action, “the goods stop” altogether.

Covid rules delay crew change at Chennai port | Times of India
Stringent Covid-19 protocols that include mandatory RTPCR negative test results have led to long delays in new crew change at Chennai port

Nautilus Federation backs Australian unions in Svitzer negotiation | Nautilus
The Nautilus Federation is assisting two affiliated Australian unions, after Svitzer threatened to terminate long-standing agreements that protect the terms and conditions of maritime professionals. Since 2019 the Australian Maritime Officers' Union (AMOU) and the Australian Institute of Marine and Power Engineers (AIMPE) have been engaging with Svitzer, a subsidiary of A.P. Møller-Mærsk, to renew the established enterprise agreement.

Australia’s Labor Party Revives Call for a National Shipping Fleet | Maritime Executive
The Australian Labor Party has revived plans for the creation of an Australian flagged “strategic fleet” of at least 12 ships to shield the country from supply chain disruption, especially during times of natural disaster or international conflict.

Maersk is no longer the world's largest container line as MSC takes the top spot | Business Insider
MSC's rise to the top came on Wednesday when the Swiss-Italian company took delivery of a container ship in Singapore, according to Alphaliner, a maritime consultancy. MSC bought the ship last year for $50.5 million.

CMA CGM takes over one of the largest US port terminals | Offshore Energy Biz
French shipping giant CMA CGM has completed the acquisition of 90% of Fenix Marine Services (FMS) terminal, one of the largest terminals in the Port of Los Angeles that provides container handling services to shipping lines.

US port envoy says supply chains need to be `more resilient' | Lloyd’s List
The global health crisis `laid bare what was the underlying reality, which was the supply chain was stressed even before the pandemic,' says White House ports envoy
The US government's `aggressive action to alleviate blockages' in the global supply chain, including 24/7 operations at some leading ports, infrastructure projects and steps to get empty containers removed, have resulted in `significant progress'

Around 140 bulkers at anchor off Indonesia | Lloyd’s List
The Indonesian government is reviewing a coal export ban as stockpiles at domestic power plants run low. The effect on freight rates could be positive
Data show 141 bulkers, mainly in the panamax and supramax size, are anchored off coal-exporting ports. That is roughly in line with the mid-December figure

Forwarders complain over carrier concentration | Lloyd’s List
Vertical integration in a highly consolidated sector threatens higher costs
Container lines are increasingly entering the domain formerly occupied by forwarders. Industry bodies are concerned at increasing dominance of box lines