Seacurus Daily: Top Ten Maritime News Stories 19/02/2015
1. Security Found Dead
A member of a ship security team has been found floating in the harbour at Port Victoria commercial port in Seychelles. Kivi Meelis, an Estonian national, was working aboard box ship "Julie Delmas" as part of the security team provided by UK-based private maritime security company (PMSC) Solace Global. A colleague heard a splash in the sea and then saw him floating. After the man was pulled from the sea, CPR was performed, but Meelis was declared dead.
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2. Vessel Runs Aground off Scotland
A 129m general cargo/container ship has run aground off the Scottish coast and is taking on water. "Lysblink Seaways" was on its way from Belfast to Norway when it ran aground in the early hours of Wednesday February 18 at Kilchoan on the remote peninsula of Ardnamurchan. The nine crew members are reportedly unharmed and remain on board the vessel which is not considered to be in imminent danger of sinking.
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3. UK Sees Sustained Period of Shipping Decline
Since 2009 there has been a period of decline within all sectors of the UK flag â registered, direct owned, parent owned and managed. The number of UK registered ships is currently at its lowest level since 2006. In this period the combined deadweight tonnage of the world fleet has increased by 34 per cent to 1,669.7 million dwt. In comparison the UK fleet has decreased by 27 per cent to 12.6 million dwt. In vessel numbers the UK fleet decreased by 36%
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4. Indians Rearrest Fleeing Vessel
The Indian Coast Guard intercepted a Russian-flagged general cargo ship "MV Sevastopol" as it was trying to flee Indian waters after it was arrested by the Madras high court. The ICGâs interdicted the 8,484 dwt Sevastopol after an 11-hour chase some 110 nautical miles off Mumbai as it was trying to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). The operator of the ship was facing criminal proceedings based on a commercial dispute.
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5. Islamic Migrant Terror Plot
Propaganda released by Isis has detailed plans to use Libya as a base to cause âpandemoniumâ in Europe by hijacking immigrant boats crossing the Mediterranean. According to IS thinking, Europe can be reached with ease by even a rudimentary boat and note they that the number of âillegal immigrationâ trips from this coast is massive, estimated to be as high as 500 people a day, as a low estimate. The floodgates to terror could be opened, and they are at sea.
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6. Aussie Tough Safety Stance Continues
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has banned Indonesian-flagged container ship Red Rover from entering or using any port in Australia for a period of 12 months. "Red Rover" was issued with a direction after AMSA detained for the third time since September 2014, for failures in the vesselâs safety management system. According to AMSA, the failures include a lack of effective passage planning, appropriate charts and publications.
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7. Pilots Express Mega Ship Fears
Brazilian pilots have expressed concerns relating to the safety of mega-ships that berth at the Port of Santos, as well as other Brazilian ports. Brazilian pilots claim that insufficient dredging at Santos makes it unsafe for vessels such as the CMA CGM Tigris, which is 300 metres long and 48.2 metres wide, to navigate the portâs channel. Conpra, the Brazilian national pilots association, is pressing to restrict longer and wider vessels that require greater drafts.
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8. Bibby Sees Massive Offshore Growth
Bibby Ship Management (BSM) states that it has seen a 20 percent increase in service inquiries from the offshore sector as ship owners and support vessel operators look to reduce costs and recruit the best crews for their vessels. The company believes that the increase has been fuelled in part by a move by oil majors to reduce their costs in the aftermath of the slump in oil prices, while still expecting high quality support vessel operations.
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9. Dry Bulk Recovery Will Arrive, Eventually
Recovery in dry bulk shipping rates is not expected until at least the second quarter of 2015, according to shipping consultancy Drewry. âWe expect rates to remain under pressure through the first quarter of 2015,â said Rahul Sharan, Drewryâs dry bulk shipping lead analyst. âHowever, thereafter earnings will recover as modern fuel efficient ships gain employment at higher rates relative to older ships", they added.
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10. Rolls-Royce Denies Bribe Allegations
Rolls-Royce has not been approached by authorities in Brazil regarding bribery allegations made by a former Petrobras manager in a corruption scandal engulfing the state oil company, the British engineering company said. The company, a supplier of gas turbines for oil platforms, was named by the former executive of Brazilian state oil company Petrobras in a plea bargain statement as having paid bribes on a contract worth $100 million.
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Daily news feed from Seacurus Ltd â providers of MLC crew insurance solutions www.seacurus.com
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