Top Ten Maritime News Stories 07/12/2015

Seacurus Daily: Top Ten Maritime News Stories 07/12/2015

 

1. CMA CGM Deal Beckons

France’s CMA CGM is set to buy a stake of almost 67 percent in Neptune Orient Lines from Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings, a source with knowledge of the deal said. CMA CGM is likely to pay a significant premium over NOL’s “unaffected price”, the level in early November when the Singapore shipping firm had confirmed talks with potential acquirers, the source said, who declined to be named ahead of the announcement expected later on Monday. A deal with Temasek will be followed by an offer for the remaining shares in the Singapore-listed firm under local rules. NOL, which has a market capitalization of $2.3 billion, has struggled amid a prolonged downturn. http://goo.gl/6ikv0y

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2. Terrible Rig Fire Tragedy

Thirty-two workers have died after an offshore oil platform operated by Azerbaijan’s state energy company SOCAR caught fire in the Caspian Sea, the head of an independent committee said on Saturday. SOCAR declined repeated requests for comment from Reuters. "According to our information, 32 workers died, while 42 workers were rescued last night. … The fire on the platform was finally extinguished," said Mirvari Gakhramanly, head of Azerbaijan’s Oil Workers’ Rights Protection Committee. SOCAR said on Friday that the fire on a platform in Azerbaijan’s Guneshli oil field had started after a gas pipeline on the platform was damaged in heavy wind.

http://goo.gl/XULEyt

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3. Nigerian Navy Rolls Sleeves Up

According to local media, the Nigerian Navy is more about smart white attire, and a perception officers just guzzle red wine and womanise. However, it seems that there is a change of perception brewing – as news reports acclaim the navy plays a crucial role like any other arm of the armed forces to protect the territorial integrity of the country. During a sea exercise, Mamaki (Clear the Criminals), Rear Admiral Atiku Abdulkadir, said between January and October 2015, over 1,500  ships, barges and boats; carrying out illegal activities, were apprehended. Some of the vessels have been destroyed, others handed over to the police for prosecution.

http://goo.gl/umWJOk

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4. Environmental Register Growing

The Environmental Ship Index (ESI), a register of 3,600 vessels kept by the International Association for Ports and Harbours (IAPH), is a key to assessing green performance, and the vessels on it outperform the regulatory requirements for ship emissions. Presenting its data to COP21, IAPH, which represents over 200 ports, has found that a further 40 of the ESI-listed vessels are eligible for rewards from ports providing incentive schemes for minimal emissions in port, IAPH MD Fer van de Laar said. They organisation has found a solution: each vessel becomes self-referential. Vessels that report to us their annual miles travelled and the fuel consumed, receive incentive points.”

http://goo.gl/4J3QFi

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5. Humanitarian Response Training

Marlins is pleased to announce the launch of its new e-learning course, entitled Humanitarian Response. Developed in partnership with UK-based charity, Human Rights at Sea, this new e-learning course addresses the rescue of refugees and migrants at sea. The new course provides seafarers and shore personnel with an understanding of the reasons why migrants and refugees choose a sea route, suggestions for planning and preparing ship and crew for possible involvement in large scale rescue operations and guidelines and suggestions for vessels involved in the rescue of large numbers of migrants or refugees at sea.

http://goo.gl/rAZrmT

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6. Major Dhow Drug Haul

HMAS Melbourne recently seized 151 kilograms of heroin worth an estimated $AUD44.5 million from a dhow off the east coast of Africa. The drug haul is the second for HMAS Melbourne’s current deployment to the Middle East region, bringing the total weight of heroin seized to more 578 kilograms in two months. Commander Joint Operations Command, Vice Admiral David Johnston said the haul raised the Royal Australian Navy’s 2015 drug seizures in the Middle East region to almost $600 million. “Australia continues its substantial contribution to the disruption of the narcotics trade in the Middle East region with over $1.46 billion in drug seizures during 2014 and 2015.”
http://goo.gl/1zRduw

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7. New Atrocity Reporting App

A new App is making it possible for people who witness crimes and abuse at sea to use the "eyeWitness to Atrocities App" to capture evidence. Developed by the International Bar Association (IBA), the App, through its unique capabilities, enables Android smartphones and tablets to be used to document crimes – such as murder, armed robbery, human trafficking, piracy and drug smuggling – in a way that is admissible as evidence in a court of law.  The App is an easy-to-use camera app that collects and embeds, in the images taken by a user, GPS coordinates, date and time, device sensor data, and surrounding objects such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi networks. http://goo.gl/lDTnXD

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8. FIFA Arrest on Mickey Mouse Ship

US Federal agents boarded a Disney cruise ship in Florida on Friday to arrest a Guatemalan judge who is one of dozens of soccer officials charged by U.S. prosecutors investigating corruption in the sport’s world governing body FIFA. A spokeswoman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation said that Héctor Trujillo, 62, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents who went to his cabin door. Trujillo was on a Disney cruise ship docked at Port Canaveral, Florida, when he was arrested, another law enforcement source said. Trujillo, one of 41 people and entities charged in a U.S. corruption sweep that has rocked soccer appeared in federal court in Orlando, Florida. 

http://goo.gl/m2gj11

 

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9. English Channel Drama

A cargo ship is being towed to safety after it started sinking in the English Channel. The Antigua-Barbuda-flagged "EMS Majestic" issued a Mayday warning after it began taking on water in the Dover Strait, according to the Coastguard. A number of vessels in the area went to the ship’s aid as it began to sink with seven crew on board, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) said. Coastguard helicopters based at Lee-on-Solent and Lydd were scrambled, along with the Eastbourne RNLI lifeboat. EMS Majestic – whose cargo has not been disclosed – was being towed to a safe haven by the tug, Thor Frigg, the MCA said. Two "non-essential" crew members were airlifted.

http://goo.gl/Mu7aCw

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10. Turkey Seizes Russian Flag Ships

Turkey seized four Russian ships near the northern Black Sea port of Samsun on Saturday in retaliation to Russian aggression on Turkish ships, Ihlas News Agency reported on Sunday. The Turkish authorities seized the four Russian-flagged ships due to lack of documents, of which three left Turkey after completing necessary papers, while the rest one is still seized, the port management stated. Last week, Russia barred five Turkish ships from navigating to Russian Novorossisk Port. Ties between Ankara and Moscow have soured after Turkey shot down a Russia fighter jet on Nov. 24 claiming the Russian warplane violated Turkish airspace.

http://goo.gl/3EzR1D

 

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Daily news feed from Seacurus Ltd – providers of MLC crew insurance solutions  www.seacurus.com