Seacurus Daily: Top Ten Maritime News Stories 28/02/2017
1. Zim Finalises Restructure
Israeli carrier ZIM has unveiled the final phase of its restructured network. Commencing in April, the ZIM MED PACIFIC (ZMP) will serve both the Asia-PNW trade and the Asia – East-Med/Black Sea trades. The service will deploy fifteen 4,500 teu vessels. Additionally, ZIM is launching a new India – East-Med/Black Sea string, India Med Express (IMX). The carrier has also signed a deal with a subsidiary of Allcargo Logistics Limited, to provide logistics services in India to its customers ZIM had earlier tried to hawk off all of its global services to focus on Mediterranean trades but found no satisfactory bids.
goo.gl/lFse7b
goo.gl/lFse7b
———————————————————————————
2. Aussies Fight for Seafarers
Australia’s Fair Work Ombudsman has recovered A$100,649 ($77,309) for ten seafarers from the Philippines who were underpaid while working in Australian waters in the first half of last year. During the voyages, the lowest ranked crew members received as little as A$5 per hour. The highest amount recovered for an individual worker was A$16,677. Under Australia’s Seagoing Industry Award 2010 the lowest ranked workers were entitled to receive at least A$17.29 per hour and A$21.61 for overtime hours.
———————————————————————————
3. Giant Gashed Carrier
One of the world’s largest LNG carriers has suffered a severe gash on its starboard side after a collision with a crude tanker off Fujairah. Great Eastern Shipping’s Jag Laadki smashed into the side of the 210,000 cu m Al Khattiya, owned by Qatar’s Nakilat and operated by Shell, five days ago. No injuries or pollution was reported. However, two ballast tanks were ruptured with some ballast water pouring into the ocean. The LNG carrier was at anchor having discharged its cargo when the accident happened. Shell is carrying out inspections on the damaged gas carrier at the moment.
———————————————————————————
4. Shipping’s Innovation Prize
With three months to go until the year’s most creative maritime exhibition, Nor-Shipping has unveiled a competition. Posted via Facebook, the organisers of the Oslo event are looking for new sustainable solutions for maritime. Entrants are asked to share a short video with the organisers to be in with a chance to win NOK100,000 ($11,944) at the show which kicks off on May 30. Birgit Liodden, the director of Nor-Shipping, commented while launching the competition over the weekend: “Let’s turn today’s problems into the profit opportunities of tomorrow!”
———————————————————————————
5. Hyundai Spins Business
The shareholders of Hyundai Heavy Industries voted to spin off the firm’s non-core businesses, despite vehement objections from the company’s union employees. The union staged three days of strikes to protest the restructuring plan, its first full-day work stoppages in 23 years. The plan will affect about 5,000 HHI employees, and union leaders have warned that it will leave its members vulnerable to wage cuts and layoffs. The labor-management tension also stems from a dispute over compensation: in recent negotiations, HHI has called for an across-the-board 20 percent pay cut, while the union favors a seven percent raise.
———————————————————————————
6. Ferry Runs Aground
On Saturday afternoon, the passenger ferry Fosen ran aground on the approach to her berth at Hatvik, Norway. No injuries were reported, but the vessel was temporarily stranded and 47 passengers had to be evacuated. Their vehicles remained aboard until the vessel could be refloated and brought to the pier. The ferry was about 200 yards from the dock. The vessel took on a slight list but was in no danger of sinking. Good samaritan responders were on scene immediately, according to local media. The vessel was pulled off the bottom and unloaded having sustained damage to her rudder and propeller.
———————————————————————————
7. Bulker Runs Aground
On Thursday night, the self-unloading bulker Sterno went aground at the upstream entrance to the Lilla Edet locks on Sweden’s Gota River, breaching her hull. The vessel took on water, listed over to port and partially sank, releasing fuel into the water and temporarily blocking off traffic. All eight crewmembers were rescued without injury. The vessel had a pilot on board, and the cause of the accident is not yet known. The crew tested negative for intoxicants. Six vessels were stuck upstream of the Sterno and could not get by her for several days.
———————————————————————————
8. Galapagos Environmental Fears
Officials in Ecuador are coordinating the environmental response and salvage of the general cargo ship Isla Bartolome, which ran aground and partially sank last Thursday in the main shipping channel from the port of Guayaquil. The 3,818 DWT Isla Bartolome had just departed Guayaquil for the Galápagos Islands when it ran aground on a sandbar near the town of Posorja on the afternoon of February 23. All crew have been removed from the vessel. Officials observed a small sheen which was expected to evaporate. The Ecuadorian Navy said it is coordinating with the shipowner and other stakeholders regarding a salvage plan.
———————————————————————————
9. Revised Chaplains Directory
Apostleship of the Sea (AoS) has launched a revised version of its global port chaplains’ directory which helps seafarers get access to help and advice wherever they are in the world. The Port Chaplain Directory 2017 lists phone numbers and e-mail addresses of the seafarers’ charity’s chaplains in 261 ports across 55 countries, compared to 207 ports and 49 countries in 2016. AoS Development Director John Green said, they have chaplains in most of the world’s ports, and this year’s directory also contains contact details for ports not included last year such as Toronto, Richards Bay in South Africa and Savannah and San Diego.
———————————————————————————
10. Gas Market’s Tough Times
Due to the difficult situation in the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) market, Singapore’s gas carrier owner BW LPG saw a drop in its full-year profit after tax (NPAT), which went down to USD 23.6 million in 2016 from NPAT of USD 326.138 million posted in 2015. Similarly, the firm’s net revenue decreased to USD 407 million in 2016 from a net revenue of USD 626.5 million seen in 2015. The decline in the firm’s net revenue was attributed to voyage expenses losses. Very large gas carrier (VLGC) time charter equivalent (TCE) daily earnings stood at USD 27,100, while liquefied gas carrier (LGC) TCE earnings amounted to USD 23,400.
———————————————————————————
Daily news feed from Seacurus Ltd – providers of MLC crew insurance solutions www.seacurus.com
Best regards,
S Jones
Seacurus Ltd
Registered in England No. 5201529
Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
A Barbican Group company
Telephone: +44 191 4690859
Facsimile: +44 191 4067577
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.seacurus.com
Registered Office: Suite 3, Level 3,
Baltic Place West, Baltic Place,
South Shore Road,
Gateshead,
NE8 3BA,
United Kingdom
This message, and any associated files, are intended only for the use of the individual or entity to which it was addresses and may contain information that is confidential, subject to copyright or constitutes a trade secret. If you are not the intended recipient you are hereby notified that any dissemination, copying or distribution of this message, or files associated with this message, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please notify us immediately.
