1. Statement on X-Press Pearl incident by Kitack Lim, Secretary-General, IMO
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim issued the following statement: “I express my deep concern to all impacted by the incident involving the container vessel X-PRESS PEARL, which caught fire whilst at anchor near Colombo, Sri Lanka in May. I wholeheartedly appreciate the efforts of the Sri Lankan and Indian authorities, for their successful rescue of the crew, bringing them to safety. I also thank the salvors for their efforts. We are closely monitoring the situation as it evolves, including reports of chemical pollution, debris coming ashore in the form of plastic pellets, and the potential for oil pollution. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/06/08/statement-on-x-press-pearl-incident-by-kitack-lim-secretary-general-imo/
2. Zero Pollution: Cyprus’s bathing waters meet the highest quality standards
According to the European Environment Agency’s rankings for the 2020 swim season, Cyprus received a perfect score of 100% for ‘excellent’ water quality.
The annual Bathing Water report published today shows that in 2020, almost 83 % of Europe’s bathing water sites met the European Union’s most stringent ‘excellent’ water quality standards. The latest assessment (European bathing water quality in 2020), put together by the European Environment Agency (EEA) in cooperation with the European Commission, is based on the 2020 monitoring of 22 276 bathing sites across Europe. These cover the EU Member States, Albania and Switzerland throughout 2020. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/06/07/zero-pollution-cypruss-bathing-waters-meet-the-highest-quality-standards/
3. Port of València moves on with the wind energy project
Aurelio Martínez: “In the next few days we will activate the wind energy project in the Port of València”. The President of the PAV pointed out that “the ports have been anticipating actions to lessen the effects of climate change for years” Representatives of institutions and of the port community have highlighted the proactive and incentive role of the ports in the environmental sustainability of their surroundings
https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/06/08/port-of-valencia-moves-on-with-the-wind-energy-project/
4. International day for the fight against illegal, unreported and unregulated Fishing 5 June 2021
Fishing is essential – providing nutritious food and around the globe.
Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing is a blight on the fishing sector. IUU fishing threatens the sustainability of the fishing sector and puts lives at risks. IUU fishing vessels often lack proper safety equipment. Personnel on board may be subject to harsh and unsafe working conditions, and in some cases, forced labour. https://cyprusshippingnews.com/2021/06/08/international-day-for-the-fight-against-illegal-unreported-and-unregulated-fishing-5-june-2021/
5. Hapag-Lloyd Converts First ‘Large’ Containership to LNG Fuel
German shipping group Hapag-Lloyd has announced the successful conversion of the 15,000 TEU-capacity Brussels Express to run on liquefied natural gas. In completing the conversion, the ship becomes the first “large” containership to make the switch to LNG propulsion, the company says. https://gcaptain.com/hapag-lloyd-converts-15000-teu-containership-to-lng-fuel/
6. Ship Abandonments Hit Record in 2020 -ITF
The International Transport Workers’ Federation said today it helped seafarers recover nearly $45 million in owed wages last year while cases of ship abandonments nearly doubled to a record high. ‘Owed wages’ are usually pay, bonuses or entitlements that are unpaid by a shipowner or their agent for the work already done by a seafarer. https://gcaptain.com/ship-abandonments-hit-record-in-2020-itf/
7. Greenpeace Blocks Bulk Carrier at France’s Port of Saint-Nazair
Greenpeace activists blocked a cargo ship carrying soybeans from Brazil from entering the port of Saint-Nazair, France on Monday as part of a protest against deforestation. The ship, MV Cabrillo, was reportedly sailing from the Port of Aratu, in the state of Bahia, with 60,000 tonnes of soybean meal to feed farm animals that was produced in the Cerrado region of Brazil. https://gcaptain.com/greenpeace-blocks-bulk-carrier-at-frances-port-of-saint-nazair/
8. Asian ports refuse to accept containership whose Captain died of Covid
A customer advisory from Evergreen alliance partner Hapag-Lloyd, said it had received news from its Taiwanese partner that the Captain of the Ital Libera had died from Covid-19. The Italian-flagged Ital Libera, owned by Evergreen Italian unit Italia Marittima, was found to have number of Covid-19 cases onboard after departing Durban, South Africa for Asia and the vessel went into 14-day quarantine at anchor in Jakarta according to a Hapag-Lloyd advisory dated 6 May. https://www.seatrade-maritime.com/ship-operations/asian-ports-refuse-accept-containership-whose-captain-died-covid
9. Once In A Lifetime Opportunity For New Head Of The Swedish Club’s Piraeus Office
As the world slowly recovers from the restrictions of the Coronavirus pandemic and begins to look ahead, The Swedish Club is delighted to announce the appointment of a new Area Manager to take its Team Piraeus office into the future. Ludvig Nyhlén joins Team Piraeus from the Club’s head office in Gothenburg, having spent the last ten years in various roles within The Swedish Club, gaining a solid grounding in marine insurance. He made up part of the team that established the Norway office, and is looking forward to the challenges that heading Team Piraeus will bring. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Once+in+a+lifetime+opportunity+for+new+head+of+The+Swedish+Club’s+Piraeus+office
10. Small Sri Lanka Harbours Big Maritime Ambitions
The dramatic recent fire on a container ship off Sri Lanka highlighted the risks involved in the island nation’s ambitions to become one of the world’s busiest maritime transport hubs. The MV X-Press Pearl burned for 13 days, releasing tonnes of chemicals and plastics. The sinking ship’s nearly 300 tonnes of fuel oil may now leak into the Indian Ocean. https://www.shippingtribune.com/news/shipping/Small+Sri+Lanka+harbours+big+maritime+ambitions
