Refineries in Japan and South Korea look set to resume Iranian oil imports from January after they received waivers from US sanctions on Tehran, reported Reuters, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The US has granted exemptions to eight countries, allowing them to import some Iranian crude for another 180 days. Japan and South…
BIMCO launches survey on bio-fouling management
Shipping association BIMCO is launching a survey to gain insight into how shipowners are dealing with the issue of biofouling management. BIMCO noted that fouling on a ship’s hull significantly reduced hydrodynamic performance and increased fuel consumption. It also impacted ships’ emissions and potentially transferred invasive species. Local and regional regulations were being implemented that…
Greenpeace activists board tanker off Cadiz: Detained
Six Greenpeace activists boarded tanker Stolt Tenacity (IMO 9680102) on November 17th while she was underway off the west coast of Spain, in the Gulf of Cadiz. Greenpeace said that the move was made as a sign of protest against rainforest destruction in Indonesia. Greenpeace added that the captain of Stolt Tenacity detained the climbers…
Sovcomflot back into black
Russia-based shipping company Sovcomflot returned to profit in Q3 to September 30th amid signs of a better balance in the tanker market. It booked a net profit of $300,000 for the period, compared with a loss of $22m in the same quarter last year. Revenue was up 13.% year on year to $396.4m for the…
Fines for misdeclarations in Ukraine
Legal firm Lex Marine in Odessa has reminded members of Britannia Club and North of England Club that if ship’s stores were misdeclared in Ukraine, particularly in the port of Nikolayev, customs officers would seize the misdeclared stores and the ship would have to pay a fine. In cases where fuel amounts were declared improperly,…
Technology and the future of Lloyd’s
In the latest Standard Club Technology Bulletin Deputy Underwriter Callum O’Brien noted that the pace of technological change in the shipping industry had accelerated exponentially in the last two years. In order to monitor these changes and consider the implications for its membership, The Standard Club decided to establish a Technology Working Group, made up…
Using drones from a ship: Insurance implications
In a recent post by Shipowners’ Club, drone specialist Martek Marine has looked at the insurance implications of using drones on a ship. Shipowners Club said that drone usage was not excluded from P&I Cover with the Club. But there were many different types of drones performing a variety of functions, which would each require…
Crew safety appeal from dry bulkers to IMO over low sulphur fuel rule
UK-based International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo) has appealed to the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) to be cognizant and considerate of the risks involved in complying with the 0.50% sulphur fuel cap to be enforced from January 1st 2020. Intercargo said that there were worries that it would not be available in the…
California says flag country’s AFS certificate is not enough
Gard has reported an update in the bio-fouling regulations in California, where the State Land Commission (SLC) clarified the rules under which vessels berthing in California were required to operate. The California SLC has said that an International Anti-Fouling System (AFS) Certificate issued by a vessel’s flag state was insufficient to document the effectiveness of…
ITF says death of seafarer “proves that lashing is dockers’ work
The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) have said that the case of a Filipino seafarer dying in Dublin while doing lashing work on a container proved how vital it was that this kind of work was performed by dock workers, not seafarers. Dennis Gomez Regana, from the Philippines, died…