Top Ten Maritime News Stories 26/02/2016
1. Offshore Crew Kidnapped
Offshore vessel owner Bourbon Offshore has confirmed the abduction of two of its crew members from their vessel off Nigeria. The company says its vessel "Bourbon Liberty 251" come under attack Tuesday (Feb 23) while off the coast of Nigeria. Two crew members are believed to have been abducted. The ten other crew members are considered safe and back on board the vessel in Onne port. The abducted men are of Russian and Nigerian nationalities.
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2. Box Ship Blackout
The container ship "Delphinus" has blacked out and lost propulsion power in Yucatan Channel near Cuba. The vessel suffered engine failure during a voyage from Tomas de Castilla, Guatemala to Port Everglades, Florida and was forced to anchor off Cuba’s westernmost tip. There is no immediate danger for the vessel’s seaworthiness, as weather in vicinity is moderate and ship is in good condition. The crew are working to fix the problems.
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3. Pirate Cannot Change Plea
U.S. appeals court in Chicago says a Somali man convicted for an act of piracy that inspired a Hollywood movie can’t withdraw his guilty plea. The court ruled Abduwali Abdukhadir Muse is bound by a plea deal that says he won’t challenge his plea based on disputes over his age. Navy snipers killed the other pirates. A lower court judge determined Muse was at least 18 during the hijacking, so he was prosecuted as an adult. Muse claimed he’d been 16.
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4. Global Growth Slows
Global container shipping growth is anticipated to see the slowest rate of growth in more than 25 years as falling freight rates bring many shipping companies down into severe losses. Global shipping capacity is anticipated to grow by more than 4% in 2016. Alphaliner said: “Falling below the previously smallest year-on-year increase of 5.5%, recorded in 2009, it will register well below the average annual growth rate of 10.3%, recorded since 1990.”
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5. Cruise Line in Passenger Storm
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd faces at least two lawsuits by passengers accusing the company of negligently endangering their lives by letting "Anthem of the Seas" sail into a fierce Atlantic storm this month. The lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court in Miami claim that Royal Caribbean knew, or should have known, the storm carrying hurricane-force winds had been forecast before the ship set sail from Cape Liberty, New Jersey for a 7-night cruise to the Bahamas.
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6. Shipping Lenders in Bumpy Ride
Germany’s shipping lenders are preparing for sustained pain as weakening trade and an over-supply of ships show no signs of easing, industry officials said. Europe’s biggest economy was one of the world’s main centres of global ship finance before the 2008 credit crisis and the five most involved banks still have around 80 billion euros ($88 billion) of loans outstanding to the sector, a difficult exposure to manage given tighter scrutiny from bank regulators.
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7. Owners Want Emissions Pledge
Shipowners have told the IMO that the shipping industry should adopt an emissions reduction pledge like countries have done under the Paris climate agreement. It’s the first time the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has called for mandated reductions in shipping CO2, though it ruled out binding targets. The IMO should adopt an emissions reduction pledge on behalf of the international shipping sector and report back on progress at future meetings.
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8. An App for Safety
Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the UK P&I Club have released a Life-Saving Appliances pocket checklist app to help ensure that ship personnel are trained in how to inspect, maintain and operate life-saving equipment, and that equipment is ready for use at all times. The app also includes a list of common deficiencies to help ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and help reduce the risk of port state control detentions.
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9. Rogue Waves Predicted
By analyzing patterns, mechanical engineer Themis Sapsis noted rogue waves could be identified through groups of waves interacting, as opposed to the more independent waves that normally roil the oceans. “These waves really talk to each other,” Sapsis said. “They interact and exchange energy. It’s not just bad luck. It’s the dynamics.” An algorithm seeking patterns and alerting eafarers to unusual activity using sensors already onboard has been developed.
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10. Migrant Rescue in Asia
A human rights advocacy group will launch a maritime mission to aid refugees in the Andaman Sea, it announced today. The group, Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS) said the mission will begin on March 3 and remain at sea for at least four weeks. “Our aim is to generate a better understanding of the movements by the refugees and migrants and be ready to assist in cases where there is an imminent threat to loss of life,” the group’s founder said.
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