Last month, the World Maritime University hosted a webinar to introduce the White Paper “Towards a Safety Learning Culture for the Shipping Industry”, which has been developed within the framework of the EU-funded SAFEMODE project and involves a maritime-aviation partnership.

The Global Maritime Forum announced that industry leaders came together  in Zurich to launch the All Aboard Alliance with the aim to provide a platform for collaborative action to make the maritime industry more diverse, equitable, and inclusive.

The Ballast Water Equipment Manufacturers’ Association (BEMA) highlights the need to address the issue of BWMS operation in ports with challenging waters. On the occasion of MEPC 76 last year, BEMA issued a position paper to discuss related challenges for consideration.

The Rotterdam Port Authority announced that it has leased a site at Rijndwarsweg in Europoort to Xycle to commence construction of a plant that will convert 20,000 tons of non-mechanically recyclable plastic into high-quality sustainable raw material annually. 

The war in Ukraine has prompted the European Union and other bodies to impose a number of sanctions on Russia. The extensive import of energy (crude oil, oil products, LNG, coal) is not (yet) affected by sanctions, but the export and transhipment of containers in particular suffers from the uncertainty caused by the war and the sanctions, mentions the Port of Rotterdam authority.

A fatal accident happened on board a Hong Kong registered bulk carrier when anchoring at the port of Kavieng, Papua New Guinea. In response, the Hong Kong Marine Department issued note to address lessons learned and highlight the importance of enhancing shipboard safe operation training for the key operations.

The main reasons behind the topic of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs) becoming a serious safety concern are the enormous growth of the AFVs fleet, the potential fire risks of these vehicles and a high uncertainty on the associated fire characteristics, EMSA notes.

RightShip announced a new tie-up for its recently launched Maritime Emissions Portal (MEP) with port data-sharing platform NxtPort International (NxtPort Int’l), a marketplace for port communities, that originated in the Port of Antwerp, and deploys to 3000+ public and private entities.

On the occasion of the first International Day for Women in Maritime on 18 May 2022, IMO held online a Symposium, featuring nine panelists; seven women and two male allies, to address what type of training supports a barrier-free working environment for women in maritime; how to enhance visibility for women in the workplace/environment; and recognition in the work environment of women's contributions to maritime.

Following the recent news that the European Parliament recognizes the structural role of the commercial operators in shipping and the need for a sector-dedicated fund, the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS)  welcomed the adopted position, highlighting that the “polluter pays” principle is the cornerstone of the EU environmental legislation.