GENERAL Archives - Page 30 of 68

Last year, union ship inspectors recovered US$$37.6 million in unpaid wages owed to seafarers, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has revealed in figures published August 19.

The ITF’s 125 inspectors and coordinators completed 7,265 inspections in 2021 to support thousands of seafarers with wage claims and repatriation cases, despite Covid-19 restrictions preventing inspectors’ ability to board ships for much of the year.

ITF Inspectors get their name because they board and ‘inspect’ ships. They educate seafarers about their rights and support crew to enforce these rights. The officials cover more than 100 ports across 50 countries.

Inspectors are trained to look for exploitation, overwork – even for signs of forced labor and modern slavery. On many vessels, Inspectors have the right to examine wage accounts, employment contracts, and to review recorded hours of work and rest.

“It’s not uncommon for crew to be paid the wrong rate by a shipowner, or less than the rate set out in the employment agreement covering the ship,” said Steve Trowsdale, the ITF’s Inspectorate Coordinator.

“Crew can generally work out when they’re being underpaid. And that’s when they contact us. ITF inspectors help seafarers recover what’s owed to them.”

Altogether, the ITF clawed back US$37,591,331 in unpaid wages and entitlements from shipowners in 2021.

Trowsdale said the makeup of seafarers’ wage claims was changing: “Concerningly, we’re seeing a rise in the number of seafarers reporting non-payment of wages for periods of two months or longer, which actually meets the ILO’s definition of abandonment.”

“Seafarers might think it’s normal to go unpaid for a couple of months, waiting for a shipowner to sort out financing, but they need to be aware that non-payment can also be a sign that a shipowner is about to cut them loose and leave them abandoned.”

The ITF reported 85 cases of abandonment to the International Labor Organization (ILO) last year, an historic high. In many of those cases, abandoned crew had already been waiting on several weeks’ or months’ of unpaid wages – including those aboard the storm-hit MV Lidia.

ITF inspector based in Hong Kong, Jason Lam, helped eight Burmese seafarers who were crewing the MV Lidia recover almost US$30,000 in unpaid wages after they ran aground in October 2021, thanks to a typhoon that left them close to shipwrecked. The shipowner refused to pay the two months’ wages he owed them, abandoning them and ruling out any assistance to get them home.

Weeks of campaigning by Lam on behalf of the seafarers had an impact, and on 2 November 2021, the crew flew home – full wages in hand.

Photo credit: ITF. Burmese seafarers who were left near shipwrecked after a typhoon are pictured on their way home from Hong Kong, after ITF Inspector Jason Lam helped them recover almost US$30,000 in unpaid wages.

Amidst crew change crisis, ITF inspectors got thousands of seafarers home

Trowsdale said Inspectors did not let Covid-19 barriers stop them from supporting seafarers in need, instead adapting and finding new ways of working.

“I’m extremely proud of the work of our inspectors have done to support seafarers in the last year, often working in the face of incredibly difficult circumstances,” he said.

“It’s always been incredibly important for our team to be able to physically get to seafarers – to board ships and educate crew on their rights. So, when Covid-19 restrictions presented a challenge to inspectors to board vessels, there was a real question: ‘What will happen to the seafarers who need us?’”

As the crew change crisis worsened in early 2021, a flood of requests filled the ITF’s inboxes from crew desperate to sign off and get home. Covid-related border restrictions were the underlying reason for the crew change crisis, which impacted an estimated 400,000 seafarers at the worst point of the crisis. But on some ships, other more sinister factors were at play in keeping crew from their families.

“There is evidence that some shipowners were using Covid-19 as an excuse to keep seafarers working beyond their initial contracts and in complete violation of those seafarers’ human and labour rights,” said Trowsdale. “Thankfully, our team was wise to what was going on and despite everything we got thousands of seafarers home.”

“Keeping crew onboard while pretending their hands were tied may have saved those employers a few dollars in flight fares, but in today’s society that kind of conduct gets noticed. There are no shadows to hide in anymore when it comes to global supply chain accountability,” he said.

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/seafarer-abandonment-unpaid-wages-on-the-rise/

A newly built wood chip carrier vessel recently delivered to Japanese shipping company NYK is equipped to collect ocean microplatics for researchers to study.

The Stellar Harmony, built by Imabari’s Iwagi Zosen Co., Ltd shipyard, was officially handed over on August 23. The vessel will transport wood chips mainly from New Zealand, Australia, North America and South America under a long-term contract between NYK and Marusumi Paper Co., Ltd.

Once in operation, the ship will pump in seawater along its routes to collect microplastics floating in the ocean. The collected microplastics will be unloaded and analyzed by the Chiba Institute of Technology and used for research to clarify the actual distribution of microplastics in the ocean.

Stellar Harmony also comes equipped with hybrid fins (energy-saving equipment installed on the rudder to improve propulsion efficiency) and an energy-saving governor (equipment that saves fuel and reduces the load during main engine operation), as well as an eco-friendly main engine with specifications that improve fuel efficiency during low-load operation.

Source: https://www.marinelink.com/news/new-wood-chip-carrier-collect-ocean-499045

NAVTOR has added a new advanced auto-routeing module to its NavStation digital chart table.

The new tool allows bridge officers, for the first time, to be able to calculate routes in a matter of seconds, and not just from port to port, but from “point to point.” The detailed routes, which can be refined for the exact needs of the vessels and voyages, are instantly available and can be seamlessly updated, compared and shared.

The module works on the foundation of providing the shortest routes from port to port, waypoint to waypoint, current vessel location to ports, or from any given point to the huge majority of piers and berths in most major ports. Routes can be altered, or compared, at the touch at the button, with a myriad of options, such as adjusting for deep/shallow water routes and adding additional ports of call. All restricted areas, Traffic Separation Schemes (TSS), and other key criteria are taken into account.

“This is something that has been on the industry ‘wish-list’ for years… in fact we’ve been thinking about and developing this concept for almost a decade,” said Johan Stensaker, nautical advisor, NAVTOR. “It is the first maritime auto-routeing application with this level of user-friendly functionality. It not only slashes the burden of administration, automating time-consuming tasks, but also allows navigators to easily pinpoint exact locations – of their vessels and the berths they want to reach – and block specific passages, port entries or straits as desired.

“Everything is done with just a few clicks, in a matter of seconds, with all the critical data layers on NavStation ensuring complete compliance and control – both for vessels teams and, through our integrated e-Navigation ecosystem, on-shore management. This is big step forward, for NAVTOR, but also for our global customer base.”

The Auto-Routeing module is available as a subscription service on NavStation, alongside other ‘layers’ including port data, AMVER reporting, weather routing, manoeuvring assistant, passage planning, e-publication reader, environmental regulations and much more.

Source: https://thedigitalship.com/news/electronics-navigation/item/8015-navtor-introduces-auto-routeing-module

May Darwich, Jutta Bakonyi (The Conversation)–Berbera port is the main overseas trade gateway of the breakaway Republic of Somaliland. The port city is located on the Gulf of Aden – one of the globally most frequented seaways connecting the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean.

Only a few years ago, Berbera port was a dilapidated runway, originally built by the British empire, and then modernised first by the Soviet Union and later the US. The port is the lifeline of Somaliland, which imports most of what it needs, from food to construction material, cars and furniture. Its main export is livestock to the Arabian Peninsula.

This picture changed considerably after the Emirates-based Dubai Ports World (DP World), a leading global port operator and logistics giant, took over the port management in 2017. It expanded the quay by 400m, established a new container terminal, designed a free zone, and started to manage the port’s operations.

Lined up alongside the quay are the latest crane models, which have become operational since June 2022. DP World employees practise operating the cranes every day. The hope is that the port will attract 500,000 TEU (unit of cargo capacity) per year, about one third of the capacity of neighbouring Doraleh port in Djibouti. This would allow Somaliland to become a logistical hub on the Gulf of Aden competing with other ports in the region such as Djibouti, Mogadishu and Mombasa.

The cranes are crucial for the speedy handling of cargo required in a modern port. The staff training, however, takes place in a port that is yet to get busy. So far, container ships arrive only infrequently.

We have been studying the Horn of Africa’s emerging port infrastructures. The boost that the revamped Berbera port needs is for Ethiopia to come to the party. Ethiopia has been landlocked since Eritrea gained independence in 1993, and relies on the port of Djibouti – 95% of its trade goes through the port.

In 2017, a concession agreement was signed between DP World, Ethiopia, and the government of Somaliland to rebuild and modernise the port of Berbera. The 30-year concession involves: a commercial port, a free zone, a corridor from Berbera to Ethiopia’s borders, and an airport in Berbera.

The concession allowed Somaliland’s government to retain 30% of the shares in the port, 19% for Ethiopia, and 51% for DP World. But in June 2022, Somaliland announced that Ethiopia had failed to acquire its 19% share of Berbera port. Ethiopia failed to meet the conditions.

Somalilanders remain optimistic, nonetheless. The infrastructure project means a great deal to the country. It promises to foster its ambition to receive international recognition, achieve economic development, and fulfil hopes for improved living conditions of its citizens.

The context

DP World’s expansion in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is taking place in the context of turbulent political transformations in the Horn of Africa.

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018 on the back of popular protests and awakened hopes of a democratic transition in the country. He ended the two-decades-long rivalry between Ethiopia and Eritrea, which brought him the Nobel Peace Prize. With a population of more than 100 million and one of the fastest growing economies in Africa, Ethiopia’s transition brought prospects of developments across the Horn of Africa.

DP World’s will to expand its operations in the region coincided with conflicts between DP World and Djibouti. In 2006, DP World had signed a 30-year concession to design, build, and operate the Doraleh container terminal in Djibouti. Growing tensions led the government of Djibouti to cancel DP World’s concession in 2018.

DP World shifted its interest from the port in Djibouti to Berbera in Somaliland and Bosaso in Somalia (Puntland). In 2017, a concession agreement was signed between DP World, Ethiopia, and the government of Somaliland to rebuild and modernise the port of Berbera. The projects covered by the 30-year concession included a commercial port, a free zone, a corridor from Berbera to Ethiopia’s borders, and an airport.

These projects are steadily progressing. Berbera port has already completed its first expansion phase. The DP World-owned free zone is under construction. Large parts of the Berbera corridor, a highway linking Berbera to Toqwajale at the Ethiopian-Somaliland border; and from there to Jigjiga and Addis in Ethiopia are finalised. According to Somaliland officials, the airport is also completed, but its original designation as a military outlet for the UAE remains ambiguous.

What next?

The infrastructure project means a great deal to Somaliland, promising to put the country on the path to international recognition and achieve economic development. However, these aspirations will not materialise without Ethiopia on board, which has not met the conditions under which it was to get a 19% share of the Berbera port. In addition it has not yet opened its markets to Somaliland traders.

Somalilanders remain optimistic, nonetheless, expecting that especially trade from eastern parts of Ethiopia will redirected to Somaliland. But this plan is not without risks. The pandemic and war in Tigray has slowed down Ethiopia’s economic growth, and the stability of the country is on the brink.

While DP World’s strategy to control ports along the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is already transforming the political geography of the Horn of Africa, the success of its strategy largely hinges upon Ethiopia, and so do the hopes and aspirations of Ethiopia’s coastal neighbours.

Everybody, so it seems, is currently waiting for Ethiopia.

The giant utility Dominion Energy has found itself in a disagreement with state regulators over a proposed performance guarantee for its $10 billion Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind project, one of the largest planned wind farms in the U.S. development pipeline. The clause is enough of a concern for Dominion that it has threatened to scuttle CVOW altogether and walk away – a seismic shock for the budding U.S. offshore wind industry.

Dominion has historically been one of the most committed players in the U.S. offshore wind business. It was an early and enthusiastic entrant, beginning its planning for a small pilot project as early as 2012. The pilot stage was completed in 2020 and is one of only two (small) offshore wind farms operating in the U.S. today.

To build the full-scale 2.6 GW facility, Dominion is buying the only U.S.-built wind turbine installation vessel on the market, the future Charybdis, at a price of half a billion dollars – a financial commitment that no other developer or shipowner has been willing to match yet. Construction on the vessel is already well under way.

However, the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) – a regulator with a broad mandate governing insurance, railroads and utilities – has made a decision that may make CVOW untenable, according to Dominion. The SCC will allow Dominion to bill the cost of CVOW’s development to household ratepayers in the form of a miniscule rider fee – but only if its turbines perform at a 42 percent capacity factor or better in any three-year period. Any shortfalls would be Dominion’s to cover.

Dominion has appealed the decision, describing it as unprecedented and “unlawful.” The firm warns that the guarantee is so broad that it would leave Dominion on the hook for any decline in power output – whether caused by a hurricane, cyberattack, climate change or any other factor.

“The Commission’s unprecedented imposition of an involuntary performance guarantee condition on its approvals, however, is untenable. As ordered, it will prevent the project from moving forward, and the company will be forced to terminate all development and construction activities,” Dominion wrote in an appeal. “As recognized by the Commission, the project is favored by the General Assembly’s support for offshore wind generation as a cornerstone of the Commonwealth’s plan for a clean and reliable energy future.”

The disagreement follows a just few weeks after Dominion celebrated formal approval from the SCC for the project to move forward. The initial order was released August 8, and it noted that there would be some form of performance requirement, but did not give any details – until now.

Dominion’s appeal to the SCC begins a rehearing process, and the company sounded an upbeat note in a statement to local TV media.

“We look forward to completing the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Project as a regulated project to build on our long record of affordability and reliability,” a Dominion spokesperson told local media.

On Sunday, U.S. warships made a transit of the Taiwan Strait for the first time since the visit of U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to Taipei in early August.

Pelosi’s diplomatic stopover drew furious rhetoric from Beijing, along with missile test launches, mass naval exercises and warplane flights. By comparison, the transit of two U.S. Navy cruisers through the strait this weekend drew a relatively muted response – less even than China’s typical pushback on American freedom of navigation operations (FONOPs).

USS Antietam and USS Chancellersville were assigned to this transit, and 7th Fleet emphasized that they passed through “waters where high seas freedoms of navigation and overflight apply” with the intent to demonstrate the U.S. commitment to a “free and open Indo-Pacific.”

The PLA responded in a brief statement that it “conducted security tracking and monitoring of the U.S. warships’ passage in the whole course” and had all of their movements “under control” throughout. China’s foreign ministry issued no formal response – a departure from the usual practice of condemnation.

The Global Times, the most overtly nationalistic branch of China’s state media, dismissed Antietam and Chancellorsville as “old ships” and suggested that their presence was not an issue. “As long as the US vessels follow the rules of ‘innocent passage’ to keep low profile and pose no harm, turn off weapons and fire-control radar system, and bring no actual threat to China’s security, the PLA would just follow and monitor,” Global Times wrote.

The U.S. Navy is all too aware of the age of the Ticonderoga class, and it wants to decommission all of them by 2027 – if Congress will allow it.

Casualty investigations continue to show that there is a clear link between fatigue and accidents at sea. Recent years has also seen a growing concern regarding the difficulties in implementing and enforcing provisions related to seafarers’ hours of work and rest, and fatigue. This year’s joint concentrated inspection campaign by the Paris and Tokyo MoUs on Port State Control aims to raise the awareness of the requirements in the STCW Convention and the Principles of Minimum Safe Manning. The campaign starts on 1 September 2022.

Ships should always be operated and maintained in such a way as to ensure good working conditions, safe operations, and smooth Port State Control (PSC) inspections. However, targeted PSC inspections announced in advance, like the annual Concentrated Inspection Campaigns (CIC), focus on specific areas where a higher risk of accidents and/or non-compliance with international safety regulations could exist.

According the Paris and Tokyo MoUs’ joint press release of 1 August 2022, the purpose of this year’s joint CIC is to raise the awareness of shipowners, operators and crew on the specific requirements in the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention). The CIC, which will run from 1 September to 30 November 2022, applies to all types of ships and aims to confirm that:
• the number of seafarers serving on board and their certificates conform with the relevant provisions of STCW Convention and Code and the applicable safe manning requirements as determined by the Flag State Administration;
• all seafarers serving on board, who are required to be certificated in accordance with the STCW Convention, hold an appropriate certificate or a valid dispensation, or provide documentary proof that an application for an endorsement has been submitted to the Flag State Administration;
• the seafarers on board hold a valid medical certificate as required by the STCW Convention;
• the watch-keeping schedules and hours of rest indicate compliance with the requirements of the STCW Convention and Code.

As always, inspections will be conducted in conjunction with the regular PSC inspection. However, a ship will be subject to only one inspection under this CIC during the period of the campaign. PSC officers will use a list of predefined questions during the CIC and a copy of the Paris MoU’s version of the questionnaire is available here.

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Source: Gard

Most other MoUs, such as the Black Sea, Caribbean, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean, Riyadh, and Vina del Mar MoUs, are expected to join this CIC and use similar questionnaires during their inspections.

Recommendations
As per Appendix 11 of IMO Res. A.1155(32): Procedures for Port State Control, 2021, an initial PSC inspection carried out during the CIC is likely to focus on the validity of the relevant documents, such as seafarers’ certificates, minimum safe manning document, muster list, watch schedule, and records of daily hours of rest. However, we strongly encourage Members and clients to view this CIC as a reminder of the importance of ensuring seafarers are fit for duty and able to maintain safe levels of alertness and performance.

Despite existing regulations, casualty investigations and research continue to show that there is a clear link between fatigue and accidents at sea. Fatigue effects a person’s physical, cognitive and behavioural performance – such as the ability to make decisions, response time, judgement, hand-eye coordination and other skills. And when fatigue impairment coincides with other risks in the environment, incidents can result.

In recent years there has been a growing concern regarding the difficulties in implementing and enforcing provisions related to seafarers’ hours of work and rest, and fatigue. According to a report submitted to the IMO in July 2021, many seafarers tend to hide working time violations which are due to the imbalance between workload and manning levels. In order to avoid deficiencies and disruptions to vessel operations in relation to inspections or vetting, seafarers either underreport their work hours, or adjust their work/rest hour records, to facilitate compliance, says the report.

While it is not possible for ship operators to regulate and oversee the sleeping habits of every seafarer on every ship, they do need to recognise the dangers of fatigue and ensure that rest hours are not only a paper exercise. Focus on mitigating the risks of fatigue through ship design, operational and manning policies will go a long way in ensuring safe operations and the welfare and health of seafarers. It also has the potential to cut costs for ship operators by reducing injury and downtime due to accidents, as well as physical damage to high-value assets and the environment.
Source: Gard, https://www.gard.no/web/articles?documentId=34081148

Global Ports Holding subsidiary Bodrum Cruise Port in Turkey has received Odyssey of the Seas, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship.

Bodrum Cruise Port said this was the largest cruise ship it has hosted in its history.

With 3,693 American, British and German passengers, this was also the first voyage to Bodrum for Odyssey of the Seas.

Global Ports Holding Eastern Mediterranean ports director Aziz Güngör said: “We will be seeing more large ships like Odyssey of the Seas in Bodrum waters from next year. Bodrum is on its way to becoming a very important cruise destination.”

Most of the passengers from the ship visited the old town and bazaars in Bodrum, while other passengers opted for tour buses to visit Bodrum’s archaeological sites, such as St Peter Castle, Sandima Village Tour, Jeep Safari, Turkish Bath and Beach Clubs.

Odyssey of the Seas is Royal Caribbean’s second Quantum Ultra-class ship. Its sister Quantum Ultra-class cruise ship, Spectrum of the Seas, started service in April 2019.

Featuring a striking stern architecture, with large glazed areas offering 270° views, the cruise ship measures 347.1m long and 41.1m wide. It has a gross registered tonnage of 169,300t.

The ship consists of 18 decks and 2,137 passenger cabins, which include four different types of staterooms known as Interior, Ocean View, Balcony and Virtual Balcony.

Bodrum Cruise Port provides full terminal, marine and ancillary services to its customers, along with various amenities such as duty-free shopping areas and travel agencies. It has invested in the construction of a terminal building and pier.

Source: https://www.ship-technology.com/news/bodrum-cruise-port-royal-caribbean/

On August 24, the People’s Government of Jilin Province and COSCO Shipping signed a cooperation framework agreement in Changchun.

Before signing the agreement, Han Jun, Governor of Jilin Province met with Wan Min, Chairman of the Board, Party Secretary of COSCO Shipping. To make full use of Jilin’s coastal advantages and the shipping and logistics advantages of COSCO Shipping, negotiate and promote cooperation in green and low-carbon energy.

Jilin Province is located in the middle of northeast China, with edge and offshore advantages. It is an important place for the “the Belt and Road Initiative” to open to the north, and an important commodity grain production base. The processing and manufacturing industries are relatively developed, and automobile, petrochemical, food, equipment manufacturing, medicine and health are five key industries.

Wan Min and Lin Ji also visited China FAW Group and attended the opening ceremony of the Seventh Global Business Conference in Jilin held in Changchun.

Source: https://www.xindemarinenews.com/m/view.php?aid=41299

After more than a decade of effective threat-reducing counter-piracy operations the shipping industry has decided to remove the Indian Ocean High Risk Area (HRA), effective from January 1 next year. No piracy attacks against merchant ships have occurred off Somalia since 2018.

“Threat and risk assessments should still be carried out, and best management practices followed to continue to mitigate the risks presented in a changeable and often complex and potentially threatening environment,” a statement from the world’s top shipping organisations urged.

Piracy incidents around the world were at their lowest levels in nearly 30 years for the first half of this year. According to statistics from the ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) the 58 reported incidents of piracy were the lowest for the first half of any year since 1994.

The Gulf of Guinea and the Singapore Straits were the two areas with the highest amount of attacks in the first six months of the year with Somalia barely mentioned.

Source: Splash 247

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GENERAL Archives - Page 30 of 68 - SHIP IP LTD

Seafarer Abandonment, Unpaid Wages On The Rise

Amidst crew change crisis, ITF inspectors got thousands of seafarers home

New Wood Chip Carrier Will Collect Ocean Microplastics

NAVTOR introduces auto-routeing module

Port Upgrade Raises Somaliland’s Hopes For Trade

The context

What next?

Dominion May End $10B Offshore Wind Project Over Performance Clause

U.S. Navy Returns to Taiwan Strait for First Time Since Pelosi’s Visit

PSC inspection campaign on STCW

Bodrum Cruise Port hosts Royal Caribbean’s cruise ship

COSCO Shipping strikes deal with Jilin to promote green and low-carbon energy cooperation

End of the Indian Ocean High Risk Area

News

IHM Maintenance Requirements: Ensuring Compliance with Ship Recycling Regulations

Maritime Electronic Log Book: Digital Record-Keeping for Ships

MARPOL Electronic Book: The Future of Ship Compliance

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