1. IMO: World Maritime Day 2019 to Raise Gender Equality Awareness
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) will provide an opportunity to raise awareness of the importance of gender equality at this year’s World Maritime Day with the “Empowering Women in the Maritime Community” theme. In line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the theme would also highlight the important, yet under-utilized, contribution of women within the maritime sector.
https://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/272778/imo-world-maritime-day-2019-to-raise-gender-equality-awareness/
2. Forty-Six Fishermen Rescued from Ice Floe
The U.S. Coast Guard and local agencies rescued 46 ice fishermen from an ice floe that broke free near Catawaba Island in western Lake Erie on Saturday.An additional 100 people were able to self-rescue themselves from the ice floe either by swimming or walking on ice-bridges that were still connected to the floe initially.The Coast Guard launched two 20-foot Special Purpose Craft-airboats from Station Marblehead, two MH-65 Dolphin helicopters from Air Station Detroit, and two MH-60 Jayhawk helicopters from Air Station Traverse City to respond to the mass rescue. Catawaba Island Fire, Put-in-Bay Fire and Southshore Towing also responded with airboats, while ODNR, North Central EMS and Danbury EMS assisted in the search and rescue efforts.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/forty-six-fishermen-rescued-from-ice-floe.
3. Boundaries of Piracy High Risk Area Reduced
The geographic boundaries of the ‘High Risk Area’ for piracy in the Indian Ocean have been reduced. An industry group of shipping and oil industry organizations BIMCO, International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) are responsible for setting the High Risk Area, and they emphasize that a serious threat remains despite the reduction to the area’s geographic boundaries and that correct reporting, vigilance and adherence to 5th edition of the best management practice (BMP5) remains crucial.
https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/boundaries-of-piracy-high-risk-area-reduced
4. SmartPort to receive 0.5 million grant for strengthening Rotterdam’s innovation network
The Province of Zuid-Holland has pledged its support to the SmartPort network over the next few years. The administration has allocated a total of 0.5 million euro in public funds for strengthening connections between companies in the port, knowledge institutes and local authorities that are geared towards accelerating innovations in Rotterdam’s port area.
https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/smartport-to-receive-0-5-million-grant-for-strengthening-rotterdams-innovation-network/
5. This Texas area is expected to double oil output to 8 million barrels in just four years, boosting US exports
As if stuck in a partially clogged drain, oil from the hottest U.S. shale play has been caught in a bottleneck due to a lack of pipeline capacity. But the transportation tie-up at the Permian Basin is about to ease up, and a new network of pipelines will help U.S. producers unleash more crude into the Gulf Coast and then onto the world market. “There’s a lot of shale capacity being prepared. There’s a lot of pipeline capacity. We’re going to triple pipelines going into the market from 3 to 9 million in three years, from last year to late 2021,” said Francisco Blanch, head of commodities and derivatives at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.
https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/this-texas-area-is-expected-to-double-oil-output-to-8-million-barrels-in-just-four-years-boosting-us-exports/
6. The Chinese government is looking to seize Maersk’s leading position
Official statements from the Chinese government reveal that it has ambitions to unseat Maersk as the world’s largest container carrier. This is evident from a warning about China’s influence by the Secretary General of Sea Europe, which organizes one of the cornerstones of the European maritime sector.
https://shippingwatch.com/secure/carriers/Container/article11239662.ece
7. The collision incidents involving the USS John McCain and the USS Fitzgerald in 2017 led to US Navy Admiral John Richardson expressing concerns that naval staff viewed going without sleep was a badge of honour.
This is only one of the many ways that fatigue impacts the shipping industry and is an oft-repeated causal factor in maritime incidents and seafarer injuries.
To address the problem of seafarer fatigue, the IMO has published new industry guidance. Hopefully, with the advent of wearable technology, fatigue monitoring could get a whole lot easier.
8. Hyundai Heavy Inks Formal Contract to Take Over DSME
South Korea’s shipbuilding group Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has signed a formal deal to proceed with the acquisition of its smaller rival Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME). The deal was inked with Korean state lender Korea Development Bank (KDB) on March 8 and follows a conditional agreement the two parties reached in January 2019.
https://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/272782/hyundai-heavy-inks-formal-contract-to-take-over-dsme/
9. ICTSI Increases 2018 Profit, Cautiously Optimistic for 2019
Philippines-based port management company International Container Terminal Services (ICTSI) has increased its 2018 profit on the back of a six percent increase in TEU volume and inclusion of new terminals. Consolidated volume for 2018 rose to 9,736,621 TEUs, compared to 9,153,458 TEUs in 2017, the company said in its 2018 earnings report. In addition to volume growth, revenue from port operations increased 11 percent to USD 1.4 billion, as opposed to USD 1.2 billion in 2017.
https://worldmaritimenews.com/archives/272789/ictsi-increases-2018-profit-cautiously-optimistic-for-2019/
10. Centrofin and Eastern Pacific take Formosa LR1 tankers
Less than a month after putting them on the market, Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics has sold 2009 South Korean-built LR1 tankers FPMC P Fortune and FPMC P Eagle. Both Seasure Shipbroking and Advance Shipping & Trading are reporting that Greece’s Centrofin has paid $16.1m for the FPMC P Fortune, while Idan Ofer’s Eastern Pacific Shipping has bought the FPMC P Eagle for the same price.
https://splash247.com/centrofin-and-eastern-pacific-take-formosa-lr1-tankers/.
