NL MARITIME NEWS

NL MARITIME NEWS

A NewsLink service for Dole Colombia International maritime news for seafarers

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Headland SatNews

NATIONAL

Warning aired on unlicensed ship security in Gulf of Guinea

A leading maritime security firm has encouraged shipowners in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) to rely only on licensed security companies to better fend off maritime-related crimes. Port 2 Port Maritime made the call during a recent conference on sea piracy in Hamburg, with the United Kingdom-based firm stressing on the need for shipowners in the GoG to use only licensed security companies as piracy-related incidents have been on the uptick in the region over the past months. Port 2 Port senior operations manager Martin Broughton said that maritime criminals are gradually shifting into the volatile West Coast of Africa and GoG after piracy activities in the East Coast of Africa and the Arabian Sea have been quelled last year. However, the rising number of illegal activities in the GoG region has prompted many unlicensed security firms to emerge, he stressed, noting that this is not good for the industry as most of them lack understanding and regulatory requirements needed in such operations. There have been reports of "off duty" Nigerian Armed Forces personnel being used for maritime security within the country's waters, according to Port 2 Port Maritime, but because they are not fully licensed, they may be unable to carry out their responsibilities effectively. Meanwhile, Andrew Varney, the security firm's managing director, said shipowners in the GoG region can rest assured that their operations will be well guarded and safe if they hire its services as Port 2 Port Maritime personnel have enough experience and are fully equipped to combat sea pirates and other forms of illegal maritime activities.

USCG trains Sri Lankan maritime instructors

United States Ambassador Michele J Sison and Sri Lanka Coastguard Director General Rear Admiral Ravi Wijegunaratne were among those who attended the recent graduation ceremony of the Maritime Law Enforcement Instructor Course conducted by the United States Coast Guard Mobile Training Team. Sison stressed maritime training will go a long way for those who finished the course. She noted the vital need to improve maritime security. Meanwhile, Wijegunaratne expressed gratitude to the US for helping train the new graduates.

SAFETY Container transport

It is of utmost importance to recognise that actions undertaken when containers are stuffed full might have direct implications for the stability and safety of containerships, the lives of seafarers on board and the safety of others throughout the transport chain. It is vital to adhere to weight restrictions and correct procedures for loading and securing cargo, to ensure the safe distribution of weight and that cargoes inside containers do not move or shift when at sea, compromising the safety of the ship. Prior to stuffing, a number of checks should be made on a container both internally and externally to ensure that it is structurally sound, and safe to work in and

Australia leads cruise market growth - survey

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around. Australia has retained its position as the world's top cruise market after the country registered impressive figures with regards to passenger growth. According to the 2012 Australian Cruise Industry Report, the number of Australia's cruise passengers went up by 11% last year to a record-high 694,062. It also noted that Australia's cruise industry now has the second-highest population penetration rate globally at three percent, behind North America (3.3%). Cruise Lines International Association Australasia chairman Gavin Smith attributed the positive development to a couple of factors Australians' growing enthusiasm for cruising and currency appreciation. "Clearly Australians are responding to the growing number of cruise holidays on offer from Australian ports, as well as our strong dollar, which is encouraging more people to cruise overseas," he said. Despite the growth, Smith stressed that port infrastructure and supportive government policies are essential to maintaining such development. Dated and digital photographs of the interior and exterior of the container should be taken. Before a container is opened, it should be ensured that it possesses a valid Container Safety Approval Plate and that the re-examination date has not passed. Once this has been established, the following aspects of the container's exterior should be assessed before it is opened or entered: more obvious holes or tears in the exterior panelling; no broken or distorted door hinges, locks, or door seal gaskets; where containers are fitted with removable roof tilts (tarps) or side curtains, they should fit correctly, be equipped with tilt wires and have no tears in the fabric; open top containers should have all the roof bows (supports) in place. If the roof is of the retractable sort then the roof bows should slide smoothly to the ends of the container. Source: MCA

Hong Kong ferry crash report shows 'systemic failings'

Safety controls on passenger boats in Hong Kong suffer from "systemic failings" an inquiry found Tuesday after a ferry collision which claimed 39 lives in the city's worst sea disaster in decades, AFP reported. Pleasure boat Lamma IV was carrying more than 120 people to a fireworks display last October when it collided with the high-speed ferry Sea Smooth and partially sank near Lamma Island. "In respect of general conditions of maritime safety concerning passenger vessels in Hong Kong... there were and are serious systemic failings in the past and present system of control," the report said. It said that some existing safety regulations were not being properly enforced and found that Lamma IV was carrying no child lifejackets on the day of the crash, despite being required to do so by law. Eight children were among those who died in the disaster. The report found that the marine department had not imposed the child lifejacket standard on the class of vessels in which Lamma IV falls, after resistance from smaller-scale operators who did not want to pay for the safety equipment. "What is required is systemic change, in particular a change in attitude to responsibility and transparency," it said. The report also detailed why the Lamma IV sank so quickly and why there were so many casualties. It said the bow of the Sea Smooth penetrated the Lamma IV's main deck cabin, "crushing some of the passengers" and throwing scores of them onto the floor. The vessel was flooded within minutes with the boat's bow resting on the seabed at an acute angle, it said, causing seats in the upper deck cabin to detach and trap some passengers. Hong Kong chief executive Leung Chun-ying, who announced the release of the report at a press conference, said it revealed "serious problems" in the marine department.

PIRACY
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Pirates strike anew off Nigeria

Five crew members are being held hostage by a group of pirates who attacked a cargo ship off Nigeria last week. The heavily armed pirates seized the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged vessel on April 25, kidnapping the five that included a Russian and a Polish citizen. The group managed to access the container ship's citadel, the International Maritime Bureau said, then looted cash from the ship and its crew before escaping with the five captives. The incident followed a similar attempt on another container ship on April 24 but the vessel managed to elude what could have been its crewmembers' captors.

Somalia rehabilitates ex-pirates

There's life after turning over a new leaf for former Somali pirates. The government has offered a rehabilitation programme for former pirates and many have already availed themselves of it. Himan and Heeb Interior Affairs Secretary Omar Gureye said those who used to engage in piracy in Somalia were allowed to undergo training that will help them begin new lives. "Some of them want to be fishermen, while the majority hope to join the armed forces. Therefore, we are waiting to transfer them to the federal government," Gureye was quoted as saying.

INCIDENTS Indian coastguard officer sacked for collision

Taking strict action, the Indian Coast Guard on Monday sacked the commanding officer of its warship which collided with a fishing trawler killing five fishermen off the coast of Goa on Thursday, PTI reported. The Coast Guard decided to sack the Deputy Inspector General-rank officer for his role in the collision in which five fishermen have been killed, Defence Ministry sources told PTI here. Five fishermen were killed after the warship collided with a fishing trawler off south Goa-Karwar coast. By taking such a strong action, the maritime force wants to convey a message to its officials that it would not tolerate any carelessness on part of its officers while handling such important command appointments, the sources said. A Board of Inquiry headed by a DIG-rank officer is already underway to fix responsibilities in to the incident. The brand new ship was on a sea sortie and is yet to be commissioned into the force. Sources said the Coast Guard officials realised that the collision with the fishing trawler had occurred after they return to the coast. The vessel was to be formally commissioned by Defence Minister A K Antony on May 11 but it is learnt that the Coast Guard function is likely to be cancelled, Navy officials from West Indian state of Goa said.

Mexico's Navy says smugglers abandon migrants at sea

Mexico's navy said Monday that smugglers abandon around a dozen boats packed with migrants at sea off California every month, a new danger faced by people trying to reach the United States, AFP reported.

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Every month on average around 150 people are rescued on the maritime border between the US state of California and Mexico's Baja California peninsula, the navy said in a statement. Smugglers tell the migrants that the boats have broken down and then abandon ship, breaking their promise to return for them. In some cases, around 20 people are abandoned in a vessel without food, communication equipment or life jackets, the navy said. Migrants from Mexico and other parts of Latin America risk their lives every day trying to reach the United States, paying smugglers thousands of dollars without the guarantee of ever reaching their destination.

MARITIME INSTITUTIONS Swedish Coast Guard

The Swedish Coast Guard (Swedish: Kustbevakningen) is a civilian government agency tasked with maritime surveillance and other maritime-related control and inspection tasks as well as environmental cleanup after oil spills at sea. The organisation also co-ordinates the civilian needs for maritime surveillance and maritime information. It follows international development within the field and takes part in international efforts to establish border controls, law enforcement at sea, environmental protection at sea and other maritime surveillance tasks. The Coast Guard's central headquarters is located in the historic 17th century naval city of Karlskrona, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Swedish Coast Guard carries out some of its surveillance by air from its base located at Skavsta Airport south-west of Stockholm. In the winter, it undertakes patrols using hovercraft on the ice-covered waters of the Bothnian Bay from its Lulea station. The Coast Guard also has regular maritime duties in Lake Vanern, Europe's third largest lake, with vessels and other craft operating out of Vanersborg. The Coast Guard has 26 coastal stations, including an aviation coastal station. Its regional headquarters are located in Harnosand, Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Karlskrona. Management centres control the daily operational activities, with a duty officer around the clock. The Coast Guard currently has 22 surveillance craft which are used mainly for patrolling, 12 environmental protection vessels and two ships that can perform both functions. The total number of Coast Guard employees across the country totals about 800. Swedish Coast Guard ships do not carry military weapons.

SHIPPING DATA
BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: 12:30 GMT .

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Dry Capesize Panamax Supramax

Index Index Index Index

BDI BCI BPI BSI

868 1260 1058 895

-3 +14 -24 -5

Handysize Index

BHSI 545 (unchanged)

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Mon Cls) Fgn Currency in USD Britain (Pound) Canada (Dollar) China (Yuan) Euro India (Rupee) 1.5492 0.9890 0.1621 1.3097 0.0185 USD in Fgn Currency 0.6455 1.0111 6.1695 0.7636 54.1960 9722.00 98.0100 5.8143 41.1500 3.1600 30.9276 1.2339

Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000103 Japan (Yen) Norway (Krone) Philippines (Peso) Poland (Zloty) Russia (Ruble) Singapore (Dollar) 0.010203 0.1720 0.0243 0.3163 0.0323 0.8105

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