Several amendments of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) agreed in 2016, 2017 and 2018 are entering into force in less than three months, marking reforms to SOLAS and to international codes made mandatory under the SOLAS Convention.
During the 2019 SAFETY4SEA Athens Forum, Mr. Stavros Meidanis, DPA/CSO, S&Q Manager, Capital Ship Management Corp shared his views on how shipping will look like in 2030 even 2050, focusing on implications for ship managers in the future.
Shipping companies that operate itinerant merchant vessels, known as tramps, are worried about finding fuel to comply with the upcoming 2020 sulphur cap, Guy Platten, secretary general of the ICS, told Reuters. The tramp sector, it will account for around 40% of global demand for compliant low sulphur fuels, the ICS says.
The Cook Islands and Sao Tome and Principles are the latest states to join the Cape Town Agreement in efforts to bring mandatory safety measures for fishing vessels of 24 m in length and over. The states support the implementation of safety measures for the fishing sector in efforts to better protect those working in the industry.
BIMCO has made two proposals to the IMO, in order to pave the way for easy exchange of port logistic operational data and allow for real-time updates between ship and shore. The two proposals aim to limit the administrative burden for the shipping industry, as well as to ensure better communication between ships, ports, terminals and all other parties involved through the harmonization of the data model used.
Ammonia and hydrogen are promising potential fuels of the future in a decarbonized shipping industry, which has to switch to alternative, zero carbon fuels to meet the targets of the initial IMO strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships, an IMO symposium on sulphur 2020 and alternative fuels heard on 18 October.
A global network of maritime technology cooperation centres has completed an array of pilot projects over the last three years, aiming to drive forward the changes which are necessary to reduce GHG emissions from shipping.
IMO has gathered major shipping players in a Symposium on ‘IMO 2020 and Alternative fuels’, highlighting the importance of partnership within the industry, discussing the role that alternative fuels could have in the path towards decarbonization and raising awareness on the IMO 2020 sulphur cap regulation.
IMO’s rules and regulations for suppressing unlawful acts against the safety of navigation can be seen in the wider context of the global fight against terrorism. The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate carries out assessment visits to countries to assess their compliance with various international security instruments and UN Security Council resolutions.
The maritime authorities of the Government of Mexico have agreed to place a high priority on ratifying three important IMO legal conventions, following a workshop in Mexico City. These are the 2003 Fund Protocol, the 2001 Bunkers Convention and the 2007 Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention.
