The United Nations Contact Group on Piracy in the Western Indian Ocean has been advised to pay attention to increased cases of migrant smuggling and illegal fishing, as it expands its focus following a decrease in piracy activity in the region.

Liberia Maritime Authority has issued an advisory to provide guidance on the interim compliance with MARPOL Annex VI EEXI requirements.

Pilbara Ports Authority published a notice that there was an increase in main engine failures due to blocked seawater cooling strainers.

The 107th session of the IMO’s Maritime Safety Committee (MSC 107), 31 May to 9 June 2023, adopted new requirements in order to improve safety, including new mandatory requirements for lifting appliances and anchor handling winches, and new mandatory requirements for ventilation of totally enclosed lifeboats.

Korean Register (KR) has awarded an Approval in Principle (AIP) to Hyundai Heavy Industries (HD HHI) for a new type of tank shape designed for various liquefied gases and fuels.

Lloyd’s Register (LR), Knutsen, HD Korea Shipbuilding and Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) have announced a study as part of a Joint Development Project (JDP) to measure carbon emissions through the entire life cycle of a newbuild LNG Carrier.

The Port of Klaipeda has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Proman for future methanol bunkering planning, design, and implementation, as well as the potential development of a methanol-to-electricity project for shore side power (SSE) in or near the port.

On June 8th, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Sheldon Whitehouse  introduced a legislation to reduce air pollution within the shipping industry.

According to Allianz Safety Shipping Review 2023, cargo fires are a major safety issue. However, the industry does not seem to be taking fire safety seriously. Inadequate fire safety measures as detected by PSC inspections, misdeclared cargo and improper handling of new, dangerous materials are some of the most common reasons why cargo fires remain a challenge.

Officer supply shortfall has reached a record high and is not expected to improve, leading to manning cost inflation, according to the latest Manning Annual Review and Forecast 2023/2024 report published by global shipping consultancy Drewry.