There have been no major changes to the status of Yemeni ports, or to the port entry clearance conditions, since the Hodeidah ceasefire “Stockholm” agreement entered into force on December 18th 2018, which was signed on December 13th, reports Gard. The parties agreed to withdraw their troops from the city and for the port to…
Increase in piracy last year, West Africa the new hotspot
Piracy increased in 2018, with the most significant rise in attacks being against ships and crews around West Africa, according to a report from the International Maritime Bureau (IMB). IMB Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) recorded 201 incidents of maritime piracy and armed robbery in 2018, up from 180 worldwide in 2017. Reports of attacks in…
“Market Developments” a new top-five marine risk: AGCS Risk Barometer
In Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty’s just released “Risk Barometer for 2019”, it has listed in the appendix the top five risks for marine and shipping. Of 100 responders who selected up to three “top risks” each, 34% mentioned natural catastrophes, while 32% were concerned at “cyber incidents”, which included cybercrime, IT failure/outage, data breaches,…
ASM says plans are in place at Dover to continue handling current volumes
Fears that the Port of Dover would face chaos in the event of a no-deal Brexit have been assuaged by Agency Sector Management (ASM), which said that plans were in place to continue handling the current volume of imports and exports. ASM chairman Peter MacSwiney said that HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had developed contingency…
OCIMF extends access to TMSA reports
Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) has extended the availability of Tanker Management & Self Assessment (TMSA) reports, with non-OCIMF members who are registered as Ship Inspection Report Programme (SIRE) recipients now able to access the information. OCIMF said that the move would ensure that more information was available to more users and would help…
USCG certification bureau not processing COFRs
Steamship Mutual Club correspondents Lamorte Burns have warned clients and their Members that, as far as it understands, the Vessel Certification Bureau (VCB) of the US Coast Guard had not been processing Certificates of Financial Responsibility (COFRs) since the shutdown of government began nearly a month ago. Lamorte Burns said that it did not know…
Department of Homeland Security asks for special payments to US Coast Guard
US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen has said that she was working with the White House and Congress to pass legislation to fund the US Coast Guard so that its workers could get paid even though there is a partial government shutdown, reports Reuters. “Like the other branches of the U.S. military, active duty @USCG…
EU, China and the US needs to support counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Guinea, says BIMCO
Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea has become an unacceptable burden to seafarers and shipping companies, international shipping association BIMCO has said. It noted that about 40 ships had been attacked in the Gulf of Guinea in the past 12 months, with six seafarers recently kidnapped from the MSC Mandy, which was en route Lagos,…
New 2019 tariffs for pollution fines in Turkish waters
The 2019 Tariff for the pollution fines as published by the Turkish Ministry of Environment is as follows: Category A: petroleum products and derivatives discharged by tankers 2019 tariff Up to 1,000 gt Try494.92 per gt Between 1,001 and 5,000 gt An additional Try123.73 per gt Over 5,000 gt An additional Try12.37 per gt Category…
Piracy incidents in ReCAAP area at lowest for a decade
There were only 76 incidents reported to ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre in 2018, a 25% year-on-year decrease and the lowest figure for a decade. In its annual report, covering January to December 2018, ReCAAP ISC noted that there were 62 actual incidents and 14 attempted incidents, a 31% decrease in actual incidents compared to 2017….