Seacurus Daily: Top Ten Maritime News Stories 10/02/2017
1. Canal Transits Scraping Along
One in 50 of the transits through the expanded Panama Canal between June and January have resulted in damage to either ships or the waterway, according to an investigation by the Associated Press. A journalist for the newswire recently took a voyage along the canal and described multiple places where the black rubber cushion defenses were visibly worn down, hanging into the water or missing entirely.
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2. Hamburg Awaits Dredging Decision
A court in Leipzig will make a decision that could threaten the future of the Hanseatic port city of Hamburg. Port authorities have been pushing to get the river Elbe, which leads to the city’s terminals, dredged to make way for ever bigger vessels calls. Germany’s Federal Administrative Court in Leipzig will rule l on a “fairway upgrade in the Lower and Outer Elbe,” which would see the river deepened by one metre – a move bitterly opposed by environmentalists.
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3. Cruise Ship Paralysed
A cruise ship will be towed to Melbourne after breaking down en route to New Zealand due to a technical malfunction. The Norwegian Star cruise liner’s propulsion system experienced an issue in the early hours of this morning, causing the vessel to stop 32 kilometres from Melbourne. The ship’s power on-board was unaffected and all amenities are fully operational. The cruise liner is expected to dock tomorrow afternoon when repairs will be made.
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4. Nigerian Navy Rescue Mission
The Nigerian Navy has rescued an oil tanker from pirates near Bonny Island. Nigerian Navy Captain Sulieman Dahun said the naval forces rescued the "MT Gaz Providence" oil tanker, which came under pirate attack on Wednesday in River State, just off Bonny Island. The vessels 21 crew members were rescued after sending off a distress signal received by the Navy.
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5. Spain Bracing for Port Strikes
With Madrid pushing dramatic port reforms, dockworkers across the country have lined up strikes on February 20, 22 and 24. The ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation) has described plans by the Spanish government to gut the rules that govern Spanish ports as “beyond belief and a danger to Spain’s standing in the world”.
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6. Bunker Industry New CEO
The International Bunker Industry Association (IBIA) today announced that Justin Murphy has been appointed as its new CEO, effective February 13, 2017. "We selected Justin for his proven track record of developing and implementing strategic plans, driving growth and also his practical hands-on experience leading successful teams across commercial, operational and technical functions in the shipping sector," said Robin Meech, IBIA Chairman.
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7. Seafarers Awareness Week Announced
Maritime job prospects at sea and ashore will be the focus of this year’s Seafarers Awareness Week being organised by nautical charity Seafarers UK, which celebrates its centenary this year. A series of maritime profile-raising events will take place across the UK June 24-30 2017, coinciding with IMO’s Day of the Seafarer (June 25), which has been held annually since 2011.
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8. Crew Must Eat Right
Crew members must be provided with nutritionally-balanced meals while onboard to avoid high levels of fatigue, says catering training provider Marine Catering Training Consultancy (MCTC) following the findings of InterManager’s recent study into tiredness levels. To combat high fatigue levels in crews it is crucial that crew members develop good eating habits while they are onboard to ensure high levels of energy to help them complete their daily tasks.
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9. China Green Growth Effect
The expansion of China’s emission control area or ECA rules to several key ports from the start of 2017 has had little impact on ship operators and owners due to low bunker fuel prices and ample preparation time, market sources claim. The gradual implementation of ECA regulations, which were first adopted by Shanghai port last April and Shenzhen last October, and less stringent sulfur content requirements than in other ECAs internationally.
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10. US New Approach to Security
The US has rolled out a new interagency approach for informing mariners about maritime security threats. The Maritime Administration recently announced implementation of a more streamlined and consolidated Maritime Advisory System for issuing U.S. Maritime Alerts and Advisories. It is the first significant update since 1939. The new system replaces a patchwork of warnings from different agencies.
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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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