Top Ten Maritime News Stories 22/09/2015

Seacurus Daily: Top Ten Maritime News Stories 22/09/2015

1. Shipping Losing it Appeal

Senior and experienced Indian seafarers are leaving the sea in record number, and it is beginning to worry the industry. According to a new report, with each year, more and more highly trained and experienced Indian officers and sailors are quitting the uncertainty of the high seas for a calmer life on shore. The data on those quitting the seafaring life show that for every 100 officer cadets joining the Merchant Navy, about 25 leave early. Increasing work pressure, piracy and security restrictions while travelling overseas have resulted in faster exits, creating a manpower crunch at merchant navy shipping companies.

http://goo.gl/8iknSp

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2. Drugs and Weapons Found

After much supposition, it appears that authorities in Mombasa have finally found drugs and weapons onboard a Höegh Autoliners pure car and truck carrier (PCTC), which was raided at the port on September 18. The illegal cargo was found inside the tyres of three military trucks being carried by the Hoegh Transporter (6,500 ceu, built 1999), local reports say. The search operation is still continuing, with around 90% of the vessel’s cargo already having been inspected. The vessel’s master and crew have been detained by US and Kenyan police over the contraband cargo, local reports say.

http://goo.gl/lP7r2i

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3. Environmental Costs Assessed

Shipping and aviation, the two powerhouses of globalisation, bring trade, wealth and development to the remotest corners of the world. But in return they demand a hefty environmental price. Aviation currently accounts for about two per cent of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Left unchecked, the ICAO estimates this figure could grow by almost 400 per cent by 2050. Meanwhile, international shipping similarly currently accounts for just over two per cent of global CO2 emissions and emissions are likely to grow anywhere from 50 per cent to 250 per cent by 2050, according to a UN-backed study released last year.

http://goo.gl/fCx2yf

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4. Jet Fuel Storage Market

A jet fuel market in Europe saturated by imports from Asia and the Middle East has forced sellers to keep their oil offshore on tankers or chose longer voyages as they seek out buyers. Jet fuel and diesel stocks in Europe have been steadily building as refineries around the world operate at near-maximum capacity to benefit from a rare run of strong profit margins driven mainly by global gasoline demand. In a sign of the growing pressure, the 90,000 tonne tanker Mindoro anchored for nearly two weeks of the southern coast of England, according to shipping brokers, traders and Reuters ship tracking.

http://goo.gl/bXWQxJ

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5. Electronic Logbook Moves

The Panama Marine Authority has confirmed the Transas Electronic Logbook as equivalent to the paper version for use on board the ships registered under the Panamanian Flag. Successful approval of the Transas e-Logbook by the largest shipping flag state is an important milestone in executing company’s strategy to develop and deliver high-quality reliable e-Navigation products to its customers. The Transas Electronic Logbook (e-Logbook) is designed to replace traditional paper logbook and to record all data in full detail with a minimum input from a user. It is available as a software option for all users of the Transas Navi-Sailor ECDIS.

http://goo.gl/mD016D

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6. BIMCO Backs Piracy Report

BIMCO has continued its support for the Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP) “The State of Maritime Piracy” report, which provides the latest available picture on how piracy is affecting the shipping industry – and beyond. BIMCO’s Chief Shipping Analyst, Peter Sand and Chief Maritime Security Officer, Giles Noakes provided OBP expert audit and shipping industry expertise to the report content. The OBP reports provide an objective assessment of maritime piracy and its cost – from both a human and economic perspective – which have become a benchmark to help inform global counter piracy policy and practice.

http://goo.gl/GqXQWf

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7. Greek Election Rattles Owners

The surprisingly clear victory of out-going Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ led coalition in Greece’s 20 September election has not only trumped pollsters but has again put the world’s largest shipping community on full alert. Declaring his Syriza party has a "clear mandate" Tsipras has already said Greeks face a difficult road and recovery from the financial crisis would only come through hard work. Syriza won 145 seats and will once again team up with the nationalist, Independent Greeks party whose 10 seats will take the leftists over the 150 threshold in the 300 seat parliament. Main opposition party New Democracy’ won 76 seats. http://goo.gl/UAzsTh

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8. Bulker Hard Aground

A bulk carrier is stuck on a shoal off the west coast of Sweden with a 3-meter gash in its hull after running hard aground Saturday night, the Swedish Coast Guard says. The 190-meter ship was en route from Rostock, Germany to Guinea in West Africa with a cargo of wheat when it ran aground at about 11:30 p.m. local time Saturday night off the coast of Varberg, Sweden. The vessel was also loaded with 1,000 cubic meters of heavy bunker fuel and 200 cubic meters of diesel, the Coast Guard said. The Coast Guard did not provide the name of the ship or the flag state, the vessel in question is understood to be the Liberian-flagged "MV Victoria".

http://goo.gl/5orDCV

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9. Sad End for Queen

The former Cunard Line flagship Queen Elizabeth II is officially dead, along with all plans for her restoration and move to an unnamed city in Asia, according to a source at Drydocks World. Fans of the ship had hoped for a change in her fortune in mid-August when the hulk of the former Cunard ocean liner was moved from her berth in Dubai Drydocks World to a holding berth in Port Rashid. However, a source at the shipyard claims no work has been done to the ship. The ship is reportedly a floating wreck. Dubai Drydocks World has been limited in terms of details about their plans for the ship.

http://goo.gl/k3F8aX

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10. Shipowners Club Looks North

The Shipowners’ Club, a London-based P&I insurer for smaller and more specialized vessels, has entered into a strategic partnership with Swedish underwriter Svensk Assurans AB to target the Scandinavian market. Svensk is a recently established underwriter with offices in Gothenberg and Vaxholm, which currently specialises in limited hull Total Loss Only (TLO), war and mortgages interests. The partnership will see it offer a new P&I product through a delegated underwriting agreement with Shipowners. Established as far back as 1855, Shipowners is one of 13 members of the International Group of P&I Clubs.

http://goo.gl/1yujXX

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