Seacurus Top Ten Daily News Stories 24/07/2014

Seacurus Top Ten Daily News  Stories 24/07/2014

1. Concordia Finally Heads to Scrapyard

The rusty hulk of the Costa Concordia began its journey to the scrapyard on Wednesday, after a two-year salvage operation off the Italian island where the cruise liner capsized two years ago, killing 32 people. Boats sounded horns and church bells rang as a tug boat slowly pulled the wreck of the liner, which was around two-and-a half times the size of the Titanic, away from the holiday island of Giglio, accompanied by a convoy of 14 vessels.

http://goo.gl/EFtoCt 

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2. Pirates Engage Nigerian Joint Task Force in Gun Duel

Suspected pirates off the coast of Nigeria this week engaged a detachment of the marine components of the Bayelsa State Police Command and soldiers attached to the Joint Military Task Force, code named Operation Pulo Shield, in a gun duel along the Gbarain and Ogbeinbiri communities of Southern Ijaw areas of the state. Both the state police  and the JTF confirmed that the suspected sea pirates engaged in gun duel with the soliders in an attempt to overrun a flow station in Ogboinbiri.

http://goo.gl/yz7fSu 

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3. Unions criticise NSB for possible ‘flagging out’

A potential move by Germany’s Reederei NSB to “flag out” of the EU has drawn criticism from UK union Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT), which describes the development as a “race to the bottom”. In June, the company announced its intention to look for a new registry in 2015, describing the stipulations of the German flag as "no longer economically feasible”, adding that the company would “endanger its position if it continued to operate vessels under German flag”. The move would result in huge job cuts for the 500 EU employees currently working aboard the Reederei NSB fleet, which has more vessels under the German flag than any other ship management firm.

http://goo.gl/qRVs7s

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4. Tanker runs aground at Kaohsiung in Taiwan as a result of Typhoon Matmo 

Authorities were able to rescue four of the crew from the Belize-registered Sheng Chang via helicopter. Kaohsiung Port officials said there is little danger of an oil leak from the vessel, which is still grounded about 100 kilometers off the coast as it was only carrying four tons of diesel fuel.The dangerous weather conditions are hampering efforts to inspect the damage and drain the diesel. Local media note that the locally-owned ship’s insurance has expired.

http://goo.gl/Oiri1N 

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5. Ireland ratifies Maritime Labour Convention

Ministers in Ireland have announced the country’s ratificaton of the Maritime Labour Convention. From July 21 2015, Ireland will be a party to the convention and will implement its requirements, both for Irish-flagged ships and for international ships calling at Irish ports. Work is progressing on the inspection and certification of Irish ships in preparation for entry into force of the convention for Ireland, with declarations of maritime labour compliance being issued to all Irish-flagged vessels of 500 gross tonnage or more which operate internationally. 

http://goo.gl/ssZxu0 

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6. Intelligent Collision Avoidance System Launched

Hyundai Heavy Industries Co., Ltd. has developed a new technology to ensure safe and optimum navigation of ships. The new system, Hyundai Intelligent Collision Avoidance Support System (HiCASS) searches the optimum sea routes and prevents collisions by automatically detecting potential obstacles such as ships and reefs within 50 km. In addition, the enhanced accuracy of the system enables vessels to identify hazards based on the type of vessel, weather conditions, waves and wind. Also, the system is equipped with a collision notification system that signals “Caution”, “Urgent” and “Danger” which ensures safe operation at sea.

http://goo.gl/y8mBzr 

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7. Libya Struggles With Crude Shipments

Libya’s oil resources have often been targeted by armed groups since 2011 to push the government for financial or political gain. Last year a string of protests slashed oil output to less than half the usual 1.4 million barrels per day. A negotiated deal in April mostly ended a year-long blockade by a former rebel commander over four key oil ports, allowing Libya to slowly rebuild production, shipping crude and earning vital oil revenue. But those gains seemed to have been eroded by the growing violence. The El-Feel oilfield last week was forced to cut back due to clashes in Tripoli, and oil industry progress remains in flux.

 http://goo.gl/EUo8pJ 

 

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9. IMB warn on small tanker hijacks in SE Asia

The number of piracy attacks worldwide fell in the first half 2014 according to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), however, it highlighted “a worrying trend of small tanker hijacks in Southeast Asia”. IMB said its Piracy Reporting Centre in Kuala Lumpur received 116 reports of pirate attacks in the first half of 2014, down from 138 in the same period last year. In the first half of the year 10 vessels were hijacked, seven fired upon, 78 boarded by pirates, 200 crew taken hostage and two deaths.

http://goo.gl/f7IsOa 

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8. Suriname Concerns Over Violent Increase in Piracy

Coast Guard officials in Suriname have been reacting to neighbouring Guyana about increasing acts of piracy in Surinamese waters. Suriname has been sounding the alarm for a year already about the shocking incidents at sea, but neighbouring Guyana has never responded. Surinamese officials say the western neighbours could have done more to stem the increasing cases of piracy at sea. ‘Now they are complaining and point the finger to Suriname. 

http://goo.gl/mGcLKz

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10. PMSCs Face Regulatory Issues with MLC

One regulatory challenge faced by PMSCs is the treatment of privately contracted armed security personnel (PCASP) under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC). The convention is open to interpretation by individual states on whether PCASP are seafarers or not, and the decision has serious implications for PMSCs. In the UK, where many PMSCs and their contractors are based, the status of seafarer brings with it the flexibility offered by holding a British seaman’s card and discharge book.

http://goo.gl/BTukJo

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