Russian forces have said that they had destroyed a Ukrainian warship and US-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles in the Ukrainian port of Odesa.

Russian news agencies quoted the defence ministry as saying on Sunday July 24th that “a docked Ukrainian warship and a warehouse with US-supplied Harpoon anti-ship missiles were destroyed by long-range precision-guided naval missiles in Odesa seaport on the territory of a ship repair plant.”

The Ukrainian military had said Russian missiles hit the southern port on Saturday, threatening the agreement signed on Friday that it was hoped would free up grain exports from Black Sea ports.

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy said that the strikes on Odesa were “barbarism”, and proved that Russia could not be trusted to implement Friday’s deal in good faith. The agreement had been mediated by Turkey and the UN.

Initially the Saturday attack was denied. Turkey’s Defence Minister Hulusai Akar said on Saturday that “in our contact with Russia, the Russians told us that they had absolutely nothing to do with this attack and that they were examining the issue very closely and in detail”.

However, on Sunday, after it became clear that the Russian denials would not fly, Maria Zakharova, spokesperson for the Russian foreign ministry, said that “Kalibr missiles destroyed military infrastructure in the port of Odessa, with a high-precision strike”.

“They are in no way related to infrastructure that is used for the export of grain. This should not affect — and will not affect — the beginning of shipments,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Monday.

Even if the targets were designated as “military infrastructure”, the attack could be interpreted as a breach of Friday’s agreement. Russia’s willingness to attack one of the three designated export ports was thought likely to raise concerns for shipowners, seafarers and insurers who have to decide whether to supply, man or insure calls in Ukraine to load up grain.

Source: https://insurancemarinenews.com/insurance-marine-news/russia-admits-attack-on-odesa-shortly-after-agreement-signed/

Tug Blue Dragon 12 (IMO 8679326) was reported to have suffered an explosion and subsequently sank during the afternoon of July 23rd in Semoi Setawir, Sungai Sepaku river, upstream from Balikpapan, Eastern Kalimantan Makassar Strait, Indonesia. Of 12 people on board, four suffered burns of unknown severity, one went missing and seven escaped uninjured. The tug was waiting for barge Sea Dragon 2712 to be loaded with coal. There were reported to have been welding works taking place in the area of the stern at the time.

2012-built, Indonesia-flagged, 117 gt Blue Dragon 12 is owned and managed by Aditya Aryaprawira Shipping of Jakarta, Indonesia.

Bulk carrier St Pinot (IMO 9596179) suffered a fire in its engine room on July 8th, resulting in injury to one crew member. The vessel was disabled and adrift in the Gulf of Aden off the Yemen coast. It was taken in tow by tug Boka Expedition (IMO 9358943) on July 17th and on July 21st the convoy moored at the Al Duqm Anchorage.

2013-built, Marshall Islands-flagged, 32,311 gt St Pinot is owned by One Ship Ltd care of manager Shamrock Maritime Sarl of Monte Carlo, Monaco. ISM manager is Seaquest Shipmanagement DOO of Rijeka, Croatia. It is entered with Britannia on behalf of One Ship Ltd. No AIS since July 17th.

During a discharge of a cargo of wet bauxite from the Good Hope Max (IMO 9304241) during the afternoon of July 18th at the small port of Alumar in Brazil the terminal’s shore crane suffered a fire, which caused the grab to fall on to the deck of the vessel. The reason for the fire on the crane was not disclosed. Weather conditions at the time were good. The ship left port on July 20th and moored on Itaqui anchorage that evening. As of July 25th the vessel was at Sao Luis Anchorage, Northern Brazil.

2005-built, Isle of Ma-flagged, 40,039 gt Good Hope Max is owned by Rifos Navigation Ltd care of manager Safbulk Maritime SA of Athens, Greece. ISM manager is Central Ship Management Ltd DMCC of Dubai, UAE. It is entered with Gard P&I on behalf of Rifos Navigation Ltd.

Cruise ship Ocean Atlantic (IMO 8325432) was reported to Norwegian Maritime Authorities by an anonymous party as having had a minor accident during the weekend of July 16th-17th in Svalbard Archipelago waters, Norway. The ship was said to have suffered a breach of its hull, either as a result of grounding or iceberg contact. The crew sealed the breach and there were no signs or signals of danger for ship and for passengers. The ship was reported to have been ordered to return to Longyearbyen, Spitsbergen, escorted by Norwegian Coast Guard vessel. The Ocean Atlantic berthed at Longyearbyen late on July 20th to undergo inspection and investigation. It remained there on July 25th

1986-built, Portugal-flagged, 12,798 gt Ocean Atlantic is owned by Altprt Atlantic Partners care of manager Sunstone Ships Inc of Miami, Florida. ISM manager is Cruise Management International of Miami, Florida. It is entered with American Club on behalf of ALTPRT Atlantic Partners, Unipessoal LDA.

Source: https://insurancemarinenews.com/insurance-marine-news/marine-accident-round-up-26th-july-2022/n

There was a recorded increase in armed robberies on vessels in the Singapore Strait during H1 2022, according to ReCAAP ISC’s half-yearly report. However, as these events were not on the open sea, they did not qualify as “piracy”. In fact the Asian region had no incident of piracy during the first half of the year. The 42 incidents of armed robbery against ships all occurred in internal waters, archipelagic waters and territorial seas. This represented an 11% increase on the 38 incidents reported during the same period in 2021.

The increase in incidents of armed robbery occurred in Bangladesh and Singapore Strait. Three incidents were reported in Bangladesh during H1 2022, up from zero in the same period last year. There were 27 incidents reported in the Singapore Strait, up from 20 incidents during H1 2021.

There was a decrease in incidents in the waters of Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam. There were no incidents in Malaysia during H1, down from one in H1 2021. In the Philippines there were three incidents, down from six in H1 2021, while in Vietnam there were no incidents reported, compared to two incidents during H1 2021.

The Sulu-Celebes Seas and waters off Eastern Sabah remain quiet. The last incident was reported in January 2020. ReCAAP said that the threat of abduction of crew for ransom remained “potentially high”, particularly in the area of Sulu and nearby waters off Tawi-Tawi. This was because Abu Sayyaf Group commanders who were responsible for past incidents of abduction in Sulu remained at large, and there was a presence of remnants of the group in the area.

https://www.recaap.org/resources/ck/files/reports/half-year/ReCAAP%20ISC%20Half%20Yearly%20Report%202022.pdf

Unions have secured an important victory in the campaign for seafarers’ safety in early July as a Dutch court has ruled that ship managers, ship owners and charterers must honor a clause that prevents seafarers from being assigned dangerous lashing work where professional dock workers are available.

In 2020, the ITF, FNV Havens and Nautilus NL took the case against Marlow Cyprus, Marlow Netherlands and Expert Shipping over their refusal to adhere to the Non-Seafarers’ Work Clause to court in the Netherlands. The companies signed up to the agreement in 2018 and the clause came into force two years later.

The ruling from the Rotterdam District Court means that the companies who employ seafarers on shipowners’ behalf, must ensure that cargo handling must be performed by trained local dock workers where possible, and not given to seafarers as an additional responsibility.

The decision means greater safety for seafarers and also secures jobs for dockers.

The court emphasized the importance of the proper implementation of agreements reached through social dialogue and the binding nature of such agreements. It also reaffirmed the ‘Albany exemption’ which provides that collective bargaining agreements are exempt from certain requirements of EU competition law.

“The court makes clear that the parties are bound to the terms of the agreement. Given the weight attached to social dialogue within the European Union, and in the principle statements of companies – it is of paramount importance that they follow through. That starts with employers doing what they say they will,” said ITF President and Dockers’ Section Chair, Paddy Crumlin.

“Employers like those we’ve won this important case against, have been reminded this week by the court about what it actually means to be a social partner. It means doing what you say you’ll do. It means keeping your word.

“Seafarers, dockers and our unions have upheld our parts of the agreement, which has delivered these companies stable profits. This case is a big step forward in our campaign, but we won’t be happy until we get all charterers to respect the clause.

“Now, it is time for these employers, particularly short sea shipping charterers, to return to true social dialogue and restore good faith with unions, this must include working with shipowners to implement the Non-Seafarers’ Work Clause.

“Our industry has important issues to tackle together, and we will continue to be part of the IBF process that has improved wages and working conditions for seafarers for almost 20 years.”

ITF Dockers’ Section vice-chair Niek Stam, who is also the leader of Dutch dockers’ union FNV Havens, said the ruling was both a victory for seafarers’ safety and for dockers’ jobs.

“Those who don’t fight will never win. This is the only logical outcome of the lawsuit. Otherwise, a signature would no longer be worth anything. A deal is a deal,” said Stam.

“Lashing can be extremely unsafe for seafarers, who are often untrained in port operations, such as the dangers of moving cranes. Automated terminals and supply chain pressures have further increased these dangers to ships’ crew.”

ETF General Secretary Livia Spera said, “This ruling makes clear to shipowners and others that it is a legal requirement to honor the terms of a collective bargaining agreement.”

“This is the result of years of hard work from the union side and this verdict represents a victory for both seafarers and dockers. It is about the safety of our transport workers, it is about the obligation of the charterers to use the specialized workforce of dockers, and to not exploit seafarers’ safety in this way.”

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/dutch-court-sides-with-seafarer-unions-on-container-lashing-safety/

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) July 23 banned the Liberian-flagged oil tanker AG Neptune from Australian ports for six months. AMSA inspected the ship in the Port of Gladstone, in central Queensland, on 17 June 2022 after receiving a complaint regarding the underpayment of seafarers and welfare issues.

During the inspection, AMSA found evidence the employment agreement with 21 seafarers on board the ship had not been met and the crew members were collectively owed approximately AUD $123,000.

AMSA found evidence the food and drinking water were not of appropriate quality, quantity and nutritional value for seafarers. It is also understood a seafarer was not provided with adequate medical care after being injured onboard.

As a result, AMSA detained the ship for multiple breaches of the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC) and the operator has been directed to pay the outstanding wages and address the deficiencies.

AMSA’s Executive Director of Operations Michael Drake said the seafarers were repeatedly not paid at regular intervals and two crew members had expired Seafarer Employment Agreements.

“Australia has zero tolerance for the underpayment of crew. This type of behavior is unethical and in contravention to the MLC. The international conventions that protect seafarers’ rights are very clear,” Drake said.

“Ships visiting Australian ports are on notice that if we find deliberate underpaying of crew they can expect penalties.

“AMSA takes the MLC seriously and actively ensures seafarers’ health and well-being is upheld on all ships in Australia.”

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/australia-bans-oil-tanker-for-underpaying-wages-insufficient-food-and-water-onboard/

ITF Seafarers and Dockers Sections were vocal in their support for ver.di dock workers when unions met in London in early July. Maritime unions are mobilizing support for German ITF affiliate ver.di as the union battles port companies for an inflation-proof pay deal covering 12,000 dock workers.

Union leaders gathered in London expressed their solidarity with Germany’s dockers following recent strike action. ver.di is pushing for an annual, automatic inflation adjustment to be inserted into a renewed collective agreement with 58 ports and terminals.

“Rising prices for essential living expenses such as energy and food have become an unsustainable burden on German workers, especially for those lower paid workers,” said head of ver.di’s Maritime Section, Maya Schwiegershausen-Güth.

She said the employers, represented by the Central Association of German Seaport Companies (ZDS), have so far rejected the principle of inflation protection in talks with the union.

“These port companies plan to leave their staff alone to deal with the consequences of rising prices. They are willing to see dockers’ wages go backwards, eaten away by inflation. We cannot accept this, especially after all that dock workers have done for the employers and the common good.”

“Throughout the pandemic, dock workers have shown extraordinary commitment to their employers and to the German economy. For more than two years they have put up with family-impacting flexible work schedules, longer working hours, and rising workloads. Under all this pressure, dock workers have sacrificed,” said Schwiegershausen-Güth.

Now it was time for employers to recognize these efforts through a fair pay agreement, she said. “All of the employers and politicians who heaped praise on key workers during the pandemic should now be vocal in supporting our claim for fair inflation protection.”

“Appreciation without renumeration is meaningless – nice words will not pay the rent,” she added.

Inflation protection: Industry norm

ITF Dockers’ Section vice-chair Niek Stam said ITF and ETF dockers’ unions representing more than 500,000 workers were united in their support for ver.di as it sought an inflation-proof pay deal.

“What the German dockers are pushing for is not unreasonable, nor is it uncommon in our industry. All workers have a right to protect the wages that they bargain for from inflation,”

Stam, who is also leader of Dutch dockers’ union FNV Havens, said automatic inflation adjustment mechanisms had existed for decades in competitive ports’ agreements, such as those in Rotterdam and Antwerp.

“The shipping, port and gas companies are making record profits, pushing up prices for everyone else. They are the ones causing much of this inflation, not the workers. So why should the workers be punished for it?” he asked.

“Dockers move the world – we do not go backwards. We stand with our ver.di sisters and brothers.”

Source: https://maritimefairtrade.org/german-dock-workers-strike-for-inflation-protection/

At least 17 individuals lost their lives after a boat believed to be having dozens of migrants from Haiti capsized off the Bahamas while on the way to Florida on Sunday.

A 30-foot boat had almost 60 people. It sank in the waters off the New Providence Island at about 1 a.m. local time, Bahamian officials mentioned during a news briefing.

Relevant authorities detained two Bahamians who were thrown from the boat. They face manslaughter and human smuggling charges, officials reported. They were two of the 25 people that the rescuers discovered were latching onto the sinking boat.

Of the 17 people who died, one was male while 16 were female, reported Aubynette Rolle, the MD of the Bahamas’ Public Hospitals Authority. There was a child around the age of 4 or 5 years.

A rise in the number of Haitian migrants over the recent years has attempted to travel by sea to Florida and Puerto Rico. Immigration lawyers and researchers have to say that the migrants could be fleeing the ongoing economic and political turmoil in Haiti.

A year after the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse in July 2021, gang violence worsened. Haiti has gone into a freefall that has witnessed the fall of the economy.

Trials to form a coalition government have faltered. Similarly, efforts to hold general elections have also stalled. The ongoing turmoil has led a growing number of individuals to flee Haiti, which comprises more than 11 million in the search for a safer and better life.

Several sinking cases involving migrants have taken place in the Caribbean waters this year, including one in May 2022, in which 11 individuals were declared dead and 38 were rescued from Puerto Rico.

One more incident in January 2022 saw a man being rescued and another being confirmed dead after a boat that had 40 migrants reportedly sank off Florida. The missing were never found.

Governments in the region, including the US, have reported a rise in the number of Haitians detained when attempting to enter other nations.

References: France24, DailyTimes