The Shipping Department of the Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT/Scheepvaart) will be carrying out on-board checks for compliance with the international SOLAS requirement regarding asbestos. Checks will take place during regular PSC inspections of foreign ships in Dutch ports. These inspections will commence in the 3rd/4th quarter of 2012.
A Cyprus flagged vessel which remained in Sri Lankan waters since 2009 following a court order which prevented it from leaving, sank on Thursday raising concerns of environmental impact. MV Thermopylae Sierra sank at sea close to the shores of Panadura, just outside the capital, even as the court case over the vessel continued in Sri Lanka.
During June and July the United States and Canadian authorities intercepted a large number of commercial marine vessels with live Asian gypsy moth (AGM) egg masses on the superstructures of ships and cargo. There have been information that this year high numbers of AGM adults are flying in some port areas at time of pre-departure inspections. Inspection certificates indicate large numbers of egg masses have been removed and crews report removing hundreds of egg masses post certification.
According to statistic data of PSC inspections for ships classed with ClassNK in 2011, a frequency of PSC pointing-out deficiencies with the lifeboat arrangements had once decreased in 2010, however, it was increased again in 2011 to the top frequency (277 deficiencies pointed out / 78 detentions).
Recently the west of England P&I released a Loss Prevention Bulletin on the “Cappuccino Effect” due to a recent bunker dispute involving a vessel and a bunker supplier. The vessel, a bulk carrier, arrived in Singapore and began to bunker 900 tonnes of high sulphur fuel oil. The crew was alerted to the fact that something was wrong by the rattling of the float valves situated inside the fuel tank vent head bonnets. It was found that air was escaping from the vents at a greater rate than would normally be expected. In addition, the bunker supply hose lying on deck was seen to be jerking violently.
The ILO has received the 30th ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) fulfilling the last condition for the first global standard that spans continents and oceans to go into effect in a year’s time.
“This is great news for the world’s more than 1.2 million seafarers,” said ILO Director General Juan Somavia. “It was a dream of the ILO as early as 1920, and I pay tribute to the international maritime community for having made it a reality.”
The safety implications of loading bulk cargoes that may be subject to liquefaction but are, nevertheless, not categorised as such under the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes (IMSBC) Code 2009, are known to the maritime industry. Carriage of iron ore fines and nickel ore has been a matter of particular concern. In many cases, and sometimes under extreme pressure or intimidation, shipowners and their representatives have been denied the opportunity to sample cargoes for moisture content prior to loading.
A shipping company headquartered in Italy and the chief engineer of one of its ships were sentenced today in federal court in Mobile, Ala., for deliberately falsifying records to conceal discharges of oily wastewater from the ship directly into the sea. Giusseppe Bottiglieri Shipping Company S.P.A, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Ginny Granade in the Southern District of Alabama to pay a $1 million criminal fine, serve four years of probation, and make a $300,000 community service payment to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. The company must also fund and implement a comprehensive environmental compliance plan during the term of probation. Chief Engineer Vito La Forgia was sentenced by Judge Granade to one month in jail.
Oceans Beyond Piracy project released last month a discussion paper on the penalties imposed by prosecuting nations on arrested pirates. According to the study, ten nations on four continents have convicted Somalis who were involved in piracy and armed robbery at sea which began in 2008, and at least six other nations have cases pending. Any nation can arrest suspected pirates on the high seas yet international law defines only the crime and not the penalty to be imposed upon the accused individual.
A few days ago the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO) launched the latest edition of their annual publication, Benchmarking Bulk Carriers 2011-12.
The sixth edition contains a wealth of statistical information relating to the world bulk carrier fleet, including Port State Control deficiencies and detentions, plus an informative narrative and analysis of Negative Performance Indicators such as collisions, groundings and casualties during 2011.
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Officer of the Watch 