Seacurus Daily: Top Ten Maritime News Stories 14/12/2017

1. Most Influential Insurers
As the countdown to the 2017 Lloyd's List Top 100 most influential people in shipping on December 15 begins, the most influential people in marine insurance have been announced. Topping the list is Dieter Berg, senior executive manager, global marine partnership, Munich Re and president of IUMI. Amongst the top ten there is a strong showing from brokers, and also the world of P&I - with Andrew Bardot, Secretary & Executive Officer, International Group and Alan Wilson and Paul Jennings, joint managing directors, North P&I Club riding high.
https://goo.gl/UbQjS9

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2. Chinese Building Crown
Chinese shipbuilders have beaten their Korean counterparts this year having snapped up the biggest share of orders, totaling in 290 vessels, data from VesselsValue shows. The country’s orderbook has hit USD 10.2 billion mark. South Korean builders are lagging behind considerably behind their Chinese competitors having collected orders for 170 ships. However, the ships ordered at Korean yards have attracted an investment of USD 11.8 billion, due to the fact that the Big Three builders- DSME, HHI, and SHI- specialize in constructing more technologically advanced ships.
https://goo.gl/VGKBF7

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3. Better Conditions Approved
The European Council has approved a directive that intends to legalise an agreement signed between the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) regarding better working conditions for seafarers. The approval has paved the way for the implementation of the ECSA-ETF agreement, which aims to create updated rules for improving working conditions of seafarers, many of whom are still facing abandonment without pay and being left behind for long periods without food supplies, as well as various other issues.
https://goo.gl/m6Jjh9

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4.  Scrapping on the Rise
Scrapping of tanker vessels across the world is expected to rise significantly in 2018 as earnings for shipowners per tanker vessel might decline amid rising crude oil prices, drop in China’s crude stocking activity and also ahead of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) regulations coming into effect in 2019-2020.
“Scrapping of tanker vessels globally is expected to go up further in 2018 and may even be more than the quantum of 2016 and 2017 put together. This will bring in a sharp demand-supply correction in the tanker market,” Ranjit Singh, executive director and chief executive officer, Essar Shipping said.
https://goo.gl/p3r1sM

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5. EU Celebrates Piracy Landmark
EU NAVFOR has marked the 9th anniversary of its Operation Atalanta, the successful counter-piracy operation that has greatly contributed to curbing Somali-based piracy off the Horn of Africa and in the Western Indian Ocean. During the past 8 years, the mission has been focussed on four main aspects. First, it protects vessels of the World Food Programme and African Union Mission (AMISOM), while also deterring and disrupting piracy awithin the Gulf of Aden and along the Somalia Coast, and has the authority to arrest, detain and transfer persons suspected of acts of piracy or armed robbery at sea.
https://goo.gl/NyD9oo

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6. Delays for Tankers
There are concerns that a slowdown in European trade is already being felt in shipping - with the tanker sector being affected. According to reports, vessels "STI Hammersmith" and "STI Milwaukee" recently each loaded gasoline cargoes in Spain to go to Amsterdam but had to wait by up to six days outside the port. While the "STI Fontvieille" loaded a 35,000 tonne gasoline cargo for BP at the Turkish port of Tutunciftlik, and was calling at Amsterdam, but on December 10, the destination of the ship changed to Durban, South Africa, for orders, according to ship tracking.
https://goo.gl/TWKWkq


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7. New Supplier Checks
Maritime e-procurement platform provider ShipServ has launched a new analytics tools designed to monitor supplier performance. The new Supplier Performance Report allows shipowners and managers to compare data on suppliers and enable them to analyze trends and identify where improvements can be made. “The Supplier Performance Report provides shipowners and managers with real knowledge and intelligence on key dimensions of the relationship with their suppliers so they can have more informed discussions and further develop and enhance their working relationship,” said Kim Skaarup, CEO at ShipServ.
https://goo.gl/esBQKo

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8. Terrible Cruise Crime
A man has been charged with sexual violation and rape of a cruise ship worker while the boat was docked in Dunedin, New Zealand. The 33-year-old was expected to appear in the Dunedin District Court on Wednesday, but instead was remanded in custody by consent to appear in court on Friday. Police were called to investigate a reported assault on a cruise ship docked in Port Chalmers on Tuesday afternoon. Officers spoke with the people involved, who were known to each other, he said. A Holland America Line spokeswoman confirmed the victim was a female crew member, "No guests were involved," she said.
https://goo.gl/Zzdop4

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9. New Baltic Exchange Chief
Duncan Dunn has been elected Chairman of the Baltic Exchange Advisory Council with effect from 2 January 2018. He replaces Lambros Varnavides who has held the position since November 2017. Duncan Dunn is a Senior Director at SSY Futures and has served as Baltic Exchange Vice Chairman since 2017. Commenting on the appointment Baltic Exchange Chief Executive Mark Jackson said: “Duncan Dunn has been an energetic member of the Baltic Board for a number of years; is highly experienced in the freight derivatives market...I’m delighted that he will now be our Chairman.”
https://goo.gl/kwNSWr

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10. Video of Ship Attack
U.K. security brokerage company Asket has highlighted a video of vessel under attack in the Gulf of Guinea. Reportedly, the attempted attack of the Singapore-flagged container ship occurred on December 7, 2017. Eight armed men are shown in the pirate skiff, but the container ship crew manage to thwart their attempt at boarding the vessel. Nigeria's Defence Minister Mansur Dan-Ali said this week that an Anti-Piracy Bill has been sent to the National Assembly. When passed, it will be the first in Africa to specifically address the arrest and prosecution of maritime criminals.
https://goo.gl/Xx9iZK

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