|  Largest class society authorized to carry out MLC certification on Panama’s behalf The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) announced today that it had officially delegated authority to ClassNK for certification in accordance with the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention. ClassNK thus became the first Recognized Organization (RO) to have been delegated such authority by the PMA, the world’s largest flag administration. In recognition of becoming the first RO to be authorized by the PMA, ClassNK Chairman and President Noboru Ueda was presented with an official certificate of authorization by His Excellency Jorge Demetrio Kosmsas Sifaki, Ambassador of the Republic of Panama in Japan, and Mr. Alfonso Castillero, Director of the PMA’s Directorate General of Merchant Marine, during an official visit to the ClassNK Head Office in... Read More>>> Back to Top |  CMA CGM Group announces the launching as from April of an eco-calculator accessible to all its customers via its e-business platform. Measuring the environmental impact of their supply chain has become an increasingly important issue for many companies. To meet this demand, the CMA CGM Group will be making available to customers a new service starting in April 2011: the eco-calculator. Accessible to all the Group’s customers as part of the on-line solutions offered by CMA CGM via e-business, this latest tool produces an accurate calculation of the carbon footprint of a journey, based on real data including points of departure and arrival, volume of freight, fuel consumption and vessel speed. Developed according to the methodology of an international body, the CCWG (Clean Cargo Working Group), this eco-calculator will be the first to be verified by the... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The Central Queensland Port Authority is undertaking one of the largest capital improvement projects in Australia. The RG Tanna Wharf Expansion Project involves extending the pier by 350 meters, widening existing berths, building a 1.3 kilometer onshore conveyor, and creating a new jetty approach. The cost of the construction portion alone is $128 million. Marine contractor Realf’s Diving and Salvage was hired to survey the area before the dredging operation could begin. The company is based in Gladstone, Queensland and has performed jobs for a number of high profile customers including Bechel Corporation, Australia’s Department of Fisheries, Dept.of Natural Resources, Customs Service, and the Brisbane Port Authority. Realf’s provides a variety of services for their clients including underwater cutting and welding, ship maintenance and repair, in-water surveys, salvage, and insurance... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Indian Authorities have captured 61 pirates in Arabian Sea, 695 miles off the Kerala coastal port of Cochin. The pirates were captured after two Indian Naval ships closed in on a hijacked fishing vessel. The boat was carrying 61 suspected pirates and 13 of the boat’s crewmembers. The Mozambique-flagged VEGA 5 was hijacked in December 2010 and had since been used as a mother ship for pirates to launch attacks on other larger vessels. Indian officials say commandos opened fire on the fishing boat and a fire soon broke out on the vessel, forcing those onboard to jump overboard. The 13 crewmembers being held hostage were freed in the raid. Officials say they found 80 to 90 small arms and rifles including heavy weapons onboard the VEGA 5. The hostages and captured pirates have been taken to Mumbai, where the suspected pirates will await trial. Pirates are... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The U.S. 7th Fleet has temporarily repositioned its vessels and aircraft away from Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Plant, after radiation was detected in the air. Officials say the contamination in the air is the result of a radioactive plume released from the nearby Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. The fleet was operating at sea about 100 miles northeast of the power plant when helicopter crews, returning from a disaster relief mission, detected low levels of radiation on 17 air crew members. The radiation was removed from the seventeen by washing thoroughly with soap and water. An evaluation of the crew found no additional traces of radiation. The U.S. Navy says the maximum levels of radiation that the 7th Fleet crew could have been exposed to are less that the radiation exposure received from a month of exposure to natural background radiation, like rocks, soil and the... Read More>>> Back to Top |  The Bangladeshi-flagged vessel MV Jahan Moni and its 26 Bangladeshi crewmembers were released on Monday from Somali pirates after being hijacked in the Arabian Sea and held hostage for 3 months. The Brave Royal Shipping Management owned ship was captured at gun point on December 5th 2010 from the Arabian Sea while carrying nickel from Indonesia to Greece. The ship was then taken to Garacad Village in Somalia where the vessel and crew was held captive for 99 days. Currently Jahan Moni is sailing towards the port of Salalah in Oman from Somalia. All 26 on board are safe, in good health and have been able to contact their relatives . It is estimated that it could take another 4 days to reach Oman and assured there is plenty of food and water to sustain them. A 26-strong crew has been assigned to bring the ship back from Oman, who will deploy... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Northern announces that operations have commenced on drilling the Zaedyus prospect, with well GM-ES-1, in the Guyane Maritime Permit. Tullow Oil (“Tullow”), the Operator, believes the well has the potential to open up a major new oil province in Guyane (French Guiana) with a significant number of further prospects and leads already identified. Tullow has stated that the Zaedyus prospect has an estimated P10 prospective resource of 700 million barrels and is geologically analogous to its Jubilee field, located off the coast of Ghana.
Tullow [27.5%] is Operator of of the Guyane Maritime Permit in which Northern holds a 1.25% beneficial interest. The other Joint Venture partners are Shell E&P France SAS [45%] (“Shell”), Total E&P Guyane Francaise SAS [25%] (“Total”) and Wessex Exploration (1.25% beneficial).
The GM-ES-1 well is located offshore Guyane... Read More>>> Back to Top |  WASHINGTON - The Obama Administration today sent a tenth bill for $62 million to BP and other named responsible parties for response and recovery operations relating to the BP/Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. To date, the Administration has sent these ten bills to BP and other responsible parties (Transocean, MOEX, and Andarko) for oil removal costs, of which the first nine have been reimbursed in full by BP. Responsible parties are financially liable for all costs associated with oil removal, including efforts to stop the leak at its source, reduce the spread of oil, protect the shoreline and mitigate damage to the public health or welfare. |  On Monday a judge in Virginia sentenced five Somali men to life in prison plus 80 years, one of the harshest sentences for piracy yet, for attacking the USS Nicholas. The five men were found guilty of piracy back in November for their roles in the attack on the U.S. warship on April 1, 2010. The recent convictions are among the first piracy convictions in the US in more than 190 years. The piracy conviction carried a mandatory sentence and the additional 80 years were added for the firearms charges in connection with the hijacking attempt. Court documents said that the five men, in their 20s set sail from Somalia in March in search of a vessel to hijack. The men claimed they were offered thousands of dollars for a successful hijack. From a skiff the men opened fire at the USS Nicholas. The Nicholas fired back, took the pirates captive and destroyed the skiff. Federal... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Longtime Dometic Marine engineer Jim Sigler died unexpectedly on Tuesday, March 8. He was 64.
Sigler began his engineering career at Mansfield Sanitary Pottery, which later became SeaLand Technology and is currently Dometic Corporation, Sanitation Division. On March 16, he would have achieved 40 years of service. Previously, Sigler served in the Army during the Vietnam era.
"Jim was a creative and extremely dedicated engineering leader. Many of his product developments became the foundation of our successful sanitation division. He was awarded several patents for his innovative designs and advancements in the field of marine and RV sanitation. Jim had a great sense of humor, and was very generous and supportive to all fellow employees and customers. He will be greatly missed," said Frank Marciano, President, Dometic Marine.
Sigler, of rural Perrysville, Ohio, is... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Just hours after their release, the 25 crewmembers onboard the RAK AFRIKANA sent a distress call because the cargo ship had a hole in the hull and was taking on large amounts of water.
The Italian warship ITS ZEFFIRO responded to the call immediately, and carried out the rescue mission. The ship’s captain told authorities he expected the ship would sink in just 5 hours.
The crew had abandoned the ship and had taken to the lifeboats. A team from the Italian warship rescued the crew by Rigid-Hulled Inflatable Boats shortly after they fled.
The RAK AFRIKANA was pirated on April 11, 2010. Officials have not said what caused the hole in the hull of the ship. The crew is in considerably good health despite being held captive for 332.
The UAE owned ship built in 1981 is relatively small by today’s cargo ship standards and the vessel was reportedly badly... Read More>>> Back to Top |  WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) Director Michael R. Bromwich today announced the members of the Ocean Energy Safety Advisory Committee, a permanent advisory body of the nation’s leading scientific, engineering, and technical experts who will provide critical guidance on improving offshore drilling safety, well containment, and spill response as we explore new energy frontiers. Read More>>> Back to Top |   
The Blackstone Group (NYSE: BX) and Dahlman Rose & Co. announced today an agreement to jointly provide financial advisory services to maritime clients seeking to recapitalize or restructure their balance sheets. The agreement encompasses maritime restructuring situations globally and relates to a broad array of potential financial restructuring constituents, including borrowers, secured creditors, lessors, charterers, unsecured and trade creditors and equity participants.
“This new venture combines the world-class restructuring experience of Blackstone with the dominant maritime sector knowledge and global relationships of Dahlman Rose to create the leading...
Read More>>> Back to Top |  The Norwegian government decided on 11 March to gather more facts relevant to a possible future impact assessment for Lofoten and Vesterålen.
At the same time the government has decided not to carry out an impact assessment for the duration of the current Storting.
“The government’s decision is not the one that Statoil and the Norwegian oil and gas industry have argued. However, the fact-finding process now being initiated means that, once a decision to carry out an impact assessment has been taken, less time is needed to open up for exploration activity, also in the case of the acreage off the coast of Nordland and Troms. That is positive,” says Statoil’s CEO Helge Lund.
The government’s decision means that a final decision regarding activity off Lofoten and Vesterålen has yet to be taken. Statoil believes that an impact assessment is... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Piracy costs the world economy an estimated USD $7 to $12 billion a year.
The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has come out in support of a joint campaign launched by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), Intertanko, Intercargo, BIMCO and the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) that urges governments to take firm action on the issue of maritime piracy off the coast of Somalia.
The campaign, aimed at raising awareness of the human and economic costs of maritime piracy, urges governments around the world to prioritise six key actions:
• Reducing the effectiveness of easily identifiable motherships
• Authorising naval forces to hold pirates and deliver them for prosecution and punishment
• Fully criminalising all acts of piracy and intent to commit piracy under national laws, in accordance with... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Taipei - Evergreen Group announced today that the Group Chairman Dr. Yung-fa Chang has instructed that the Group's resources including but not limited to the marine and aviation business be used to assist the rescue work for the unspeakable tragedy of earthquake and Tsunami that occurred in Japan on March 11. As an international transportation group, Evergreen has branch offices worldwide. "We will make every effort to provide any necessary assistance to Japan's Governmental offices or related international rescue organizations," said a company spokesperson. For example, EVA Air has extended its resources to transport at no charge the first Rescue Team... Read More>>> Back to Top |  April 5-6, 2011, at the Conference Center at the Maritime Institute, Linthicum Heights, Maryland, near Baltimore, Maryland
Theme: INTERMODAL’S ROAD AHEAD
The supply chain of the future will be intermodal, but the fundamentals remain the same. Companies want the best value for shipping their products: the most efficient transportation for the lowest cost, and the value proposition may not be truck or rail alone. Shippers will face complex decisions to make as carriers contend with congestion, air quality issues, rising fuel costs, driver shortages, and new regulations.
We would like to introduce the waterways as the newest piece of the intermodal mix. The marine highway can be a link in an intermodal supply chain that moves goods to their destination by ocean, inland river or Great Lakes in a cost-effective, environmentally-friendly way. Marine transportation can... Read More>>> Back to Top |  CAIRO (ILO News) – Mr. Juan Somavia, the Director-General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), concluding an official visit to Egypt, expressed ILO support for the establishment of freedom of association and other labour market and economic reforms in the country. At the joint invitation of the Minister of Finance, Mr. Samir Radwan, and the Minister of Manpower and Migration, Mr. Ahmed El Borai, the Director-General of the ILO, Mr. Juan Somavia carried out an official visit to Egypt from 11 to 13 March 2011. He also met with the Prime Minister, Mr. Essam Sharaf and senior government officials, as well as representatives of the independent trade unions, youth leaders of the revolution and civil society actors. “The “people’s revolution”, which broke out in Egypt on 25 January, has brought freedom and the path back to full democracy. It has... Read More>>> Back to Top | | The SafeMed Project has supported the participation of nearly 300 officials from the maritime authorities of the SafeMed Beneficiaries in seminars and workshops on a wide range of subjects, such as the monitoring of Recognized Organizations performing duties on behalf of the authorities, the adoption of international legislation on minimum standards of working conditions for seafarers, and the importance of human element in accidents. This was divulged during a presentation about the Project’s activities related to flag State implementation (FSI), delivered by Mr Albert Bergonzo, SafeMed’s Project Officer (Maritime Administration), on the occasion of the recently held 19th session of the IMO Sub-Committee on FSI. The presentation was attended by Mr Marten Koopmans, Permanent Representative of the EC to IMO, and by Mr Stefan Micallef, Senior Deputy Director of IMO’s Marine... Read More>>> Back to Top |  Focuses on Ocean Shipping Portfolio Management ROTTERDAM - Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. (MOL; President: Koichi Muto) today announced that Chairman Akimitsu Ashida delivered the keynote speech at the Japan Securities Summit in New York on March 1, co-sponsored by the Japan Securities Dealers Association (JSDA) and the Securities Financial Markets Association (SIFMA). Chairman Ashida said that demand for ocean shipping will grow steadily, and outlined MOL strategies to maximize its competitiveness in the industry, including its ocean shipping portfolio. About 180 people including front-line economists and analysts, institutional investors, and other financial industry specialists took part in the event and generated active discussion. Keynote speakers since the first Japan Securities Summit in 2008 are as follows: London, 2008: Heizo... Read More>>> Back to Top |  MAY 3, 2011 SALUTES The BLT Chembulk Group & MARITIME ALUMNUS MARK BARKER, ‘94 President, The Interlake Steamship Company, Cleveland, OH & THOMAS MERRELL, ‘77 President, General Dynamics, American Overseas Marine (AMSEA) in Quincy, MA ESPN SAILING ANALYST GARY JOBSON, PRESIDENT of U.S. SAILING & SUNY MATITIME GRADUATE TO... Read More>>> Back to Top | 
Maritime Lecture Series
April 1, 2011
“The Use and Misuse of Nautical Paper and Electronic Charts & the New STCW95 ECDIS Standards”
By Captain Robert Ward, Director, International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) Captain Robert Ward, Director of the IHO, will speak to the “Use and Misuse of Electronic Charts.” He will also provide insight into fundamental issues affecting the proper use of ECDIS and the upcoming STCW95 electronic chart training standards. The event will be held at the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS) on Friday, April 1, 2011, at 1000. Captain Ward will be available after the morning lecture... Read More>>> Back to Top |  NEW YORK/PRNewswire/ -- Antares Shipmanagement S.A. has announced the appointment of Henry Taibo as Executive Vice President, Corporate Development as well as the formation of a representative office in New York. Reporting to the CEO, Henry will oversee corporate development, capital raising, joint ventures, managing and developing additional banking/capital markets relationships and other strategic projects. His appointment is effective as of February. "Henry brings exceptional breadth in corporate strategy, M&A, private equity investing, and capital markets experience to Antares," stated Michael Tartsinis, President & CEO of Antares Shipmanagement. "He will be instrumental in the execution of our growth strategy," he added. Mr. Taibo has over 12 years of advisory and strategic experience focused on the transportation industry. Henry was most recently Co-Founder of... Read More>>> Back to Top | | Following the earthquake and tsunami that have severely hit Japan, CMA CGM takes action to support its teams on site and help in the delivery of emergency assistance. CMA CGM Group has set up an Emergency and Communication Response Team that is closely monitoring the situation, keeps in close contact with the Group’s teams in Japan and ensures business continuity. All employees of CMA CGM offices on site are safe and none of the Group’s ships were impacted. In addition,the Group - which has always provided support during humanitarian emergency situations - has proposed to make available a number of containers to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Médecins Sans Frontières (French Humanitarian Organization) and the World Food Program (WFP) of the United Nations, for the delivery of humanitarian aid to Japan. As a reminder, CMA CGMGroup in Japan is represented... Read More>>> Back to Top |  DVB Bank SE's clearly-defined business model, with a unique focus on global transport finance, once again proved its mettle throughout 2010 - in a business environment that continued to be challenging. Based on preliminary, still unaudited figures, the Bank posted record consolidated net income before taxes of EUR131.1 million, a 51.4% increase over the previous year's figure of EUR86.6 million. Wolfgang F. Driese, CEO and Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors, assessed DVB’s consolidated results as follows: "We are proud to present these results, which returned DVB to its strong performance seen before the crisis. Driven by attractive new Transport Finance business, we succeeded in boosting our sources of income: net interest income after allowance for credit losses was up 15.5%, to... Read More>>> Back to Top | | |
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