1. Mauritius faces eco disaster from Wakashio oil spill
Mauritius faces its first environmental crisis as oil leaking from stranded bulk carrier Wakashiothreatens some of the country’s most sensitive marine ecological sites. Wakashio ran aground on a reef on the southeastern side of the island republic on 25 July 2020, close to the Point d’Esny Wetlands, the Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve, the Blue Bay Marine Area, and the Mahebourg Fishing Reserves. https://safetyatsea.net/news/2020/mauritius-faces-eco-disaster-from-wakashio-oil-spill/
2. Inmarsat, Shell, Thetius launch crew welfare innovation challenge
Satellite communications giant Inmarsat has teamed up with oil major Shell Shipping and Maritime and maritime digital consultancy Thetius to launch a new competition that will identify novel solutions with the potential to improve crew safety and welfare across four innovation challenge areas spanning deck safety, fatigue, administration reduction, and overall well-being. https://safetyatsea.net/news/2020/crew-welfare-innovation-challenge-launched-by-inmarsat-shell-and-thetius/
3. Abandoned ship Rhosus suspected as origin of explosive Beirut cargo
A grim timeline has emerged in the ongoing investigation following Rhosus, the ship which allegedly originally carried the 2,750-tonne cargo of ammonium nitrate to Beirut, in the lead-up to the catastrophic warehouse explosion on Tuesday. https://safetyatsea.net/news/2020/abandoned-ship-rhosus-suspected-as-origin-of-explosive-beirut-cargo/
4. Survey to benchmark employer approaches to mental health support
The promotional body for the UK maritime sector, Maritime UK, has launched a survey for employers in the maritime industry. The findings will be used to develop a benchmark for good mental health support. https://safetyatsea.net/news/2020/survey-to-benchmark-employer-approaches-to-mental-health-support/
5. Marine Insurance Losses Seen Below $250 Million from Beirut Blast
Insurance claims for damage to ships, goods and the port itself after a warehouse explosion last week in the port of Beirut were likely to total less than $250 million, reinsurance broker Guy Carpenter said on Monday. Overall insured losses – including property damage – from the Aug. 4 port warehouse detonation of more than 2,000 tonnes of ammonium nitrate may reach around $3 billion, sources told Reuters last week. https://gcaptain.com/marine-insurance-losses-seen-below-250-million-from-beirut-blast/
6. Royal Caribbean Reports Bigger-Than-Expected Loss
Royal Caribbean Group reported a bigger-than-expected quarterly loss on Monday, as the cruise operator suffered from a coronavirus-driven halt to sailings that is now on course to last deep into the second half of 2020. https://gcaptain.com/royal-caribbean-reports-bigger-than-expected-loss/
7. Temasek Unit Scraps $3 Billion Bid for Keppel
Kyanite invoked a clause allowing it to withdraw the offer after the quarterly loss failed to meet pre-conditions of the bid, it said in a statement Monday. Kyanite in October offered S$4 billion ($2.9 billion) for an additional 30.6% stake in Keppel. Temasek already owns one-fifth of the conglomerate, whose businesses include offshore and marine infrastructure and property development. https://gcaptain.com/temasek-unit-scraps-3-billion-bid-for-keppel/
8. Montreal port strike enters its third week
The strike at Montreal port is continuing for a third week. The Montreal Longshoremen’s Union (MLU) has now provided details of a new strike, which starts at 7am local time today, without detailing when it might end. Fractious negotiations between dockworkers and employers over working conditions have seen the port brought to its knees over the past month.
https://splash247.com/montreal-port-strike-enters-its-third-week/
9. CMA CGM buys into HMM’s Algeciras terminal
HMM has sold CMA CGM a 50% stake minus one share in Total Terminal International Algeciras (TTI Algeciras), a container terminal with a 1.6m teu annual capacity in the south of Spain. The financial details have not been disclosed between the two liners. https://splash247.com/cma-cgm-buys-into-hmms-algeciras-terminal/
10. London continues to dominate maritime arbitration market
London handled 1,737 maritime arbitrations in 2019 – up 14% on the previous year – which equates to around 83% of all international maritime arbitrations that year, according to HFW’s analysis of data from major arbitral institutions around the world. https://splash247.com/london-continues-to-dominate-maritime-arbitration-market/
