Seacurus Daily: Top Ten Maritime News Stories 06/02/2017
1. Port’s Sinking Feeling
Britain’s newest and most advanced terminal development has suffered an embarrassing setback. Launched in November, a large sinkhole has appeared at the £400m Liverpool2 container facility. The terminal’s operator Peel Ports has confirmed that a “cavity” has opened up at the terminal and a portion of the area has been cordoned off. According to Peel Ports, “The terminal remains open although the access to the area affected is restricted".
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2. Union Tackles US Rules
A letter to the UK government has been sent by trade union Nautilus International expressing the “organisation’s deep concern” regarding U.S. President Trump’s executive order on immigration and visa requirements. Mark Dickinson, General Secretary of Nautilus, sent the letter on behalf of the organisation’s 22,000 maritime professionals to warn of the “serious safety and welfare issues at stake” if seafarers are unable to join or leave their ships as planned.
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3. Safety Complacency and Disregard
Two experienced ship captains were branded as “complacent and showed disregard for rules of the sea" when their vessels collided in the River Humber and one of them sank. One was even relying on an untested mobile phone app.
The masters of the two vessels that collided in the Humber during thick fog in May last year were each fined ÂŁ3,000 each, plus costs totalling around ÂŁ15,000 after pleading guilty to conduct endangering ships.
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4. Seafarers Finally Make it Home
Nine more sailors of the 17 Pakistani crew members stuck on a ship anchored in Egypt’s Suez Canal for over three months returned home on Friday after intervention by the Pakistani embassy in Egypt. The 17 workers had been stranded abroad for months after the Egyptian government had reportedly confiscated their passports.
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5. US Crude Ramps Up
Oil majors and trading houses are set to ship an unprecedented volume of U.S. crude oil to Asia in coming weeks, boosting already high flows to the region due to higher prices from OPEC production cuts. Traders have estimated that some 700,000 to 900,000 barrels per day is set to leave the United States in February, with the majority of the cargoes headed to Asia. That volume would be the highest monthly level on record.
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6. Cruise Pollution Hits Passengers
Forget the benefits of sea breeze – taking a cruise could actually be bad for your health, according to a new report. An experiment conducted on the deck of a Mediterranean cruise ship has revealed high levels of harmful pollution in the air. The test revealed up to 200 times the normal level of harmful particles in the air. The environmental pressure group Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU) said that many vessels have yet to switch to cleaner fuel.
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7. Passengers Sucomb to Sickness
A gastro outbreak on a cruise ship has affected about 90 holidaymakers, leaving others hoping to board in Brisbane with a prolonged and anxious wait as the ship is disinfected, Queensland Health says. The "Sun Princess" docked in Brisbane this morning, having completed a 12-day trip to Papua New Guinea. The operator, Princess Cruises, said the ship and terminal would undergo a "prolonged disinfection" ahead of departure for a 14-day trip to New Zealand.
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8. Port Actions Could Delay Ships
Port of Fujairah has implemented new regulations that could mean vessels are delayed from leaving the port in the event that crew have to seek medical assistance on land. As per a circular released by Fujairah Port Authority, sick crew that have disembarked for medical treatment will either have to be given a clean bill of health or have repatriation arranged before the vessel is permitted to set sail.
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9. Class Act as Chairman
The Mission to Seafarers is pleased to announce that Tom Boardley, executive vice president of Lloyd’s Register, has been appointed as the new chairman of the global maritime welfare charity. Boardley will formally take on the role from the incumbent chairman Robert Woods CBE on April 1. Boardley has been with Lloyd’s Register since 2009 and has 30 years experience in the maritime sector.
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10. Mystery Ship Found Abandoned
A Cambodian-flagged cargo has been found abandoned and listing at an anchorage near Istanbul, and officials are wondering what exactly happened to its crew. Turkish authorities identified the ship as the 65-meter general cargo ship "M/V Tallas" at an anchorage, located on the European side of Istanbul, in the Sea of Marmara. Authorities tried contacting the vessel but there was no crew on board and a check the vessel showed it was listing 15 degrees.
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Daily news feed from Seacurus Ltd – providers of MLC crew insurance solutions www.seacurus.com
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S Jones
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