Tag: India

At Mumbai harbour The Times of India reports that a fire broke out on Saturday, March 24, on board of Korean 9500 DWT chemical tanker 'Royal Diamond 7′ at Mumbai harbour injuring seven people."At 11.25 am, the Korean owned 9500 DWT chemical tanker 'Royal Diamond 7′ reported to the Mumbai port's vessel traffic system/control station that an explosion had occurred and three crew members have been injured," Mumbai Port Trust (MPT) press statement said.Upon receipt of information about the fire, it was ensured that the victims were brought to shore and provided with necessary medical assistance. Relevant port officials, membered by deputy conservator and the harbour master of the port were sent immediately to the spot to personally see that the fire is put out and that safety is restored to the harbour.MPT officials reported that two of the injured have sustained serious injuries.Source: World Maritime News

With 23 crew on board TheEglantine, which according to Reuters shipping data loaded in Rio de Janeiro in late February, was hijacked off India's southwest coast by suspected Somali pirates, NATO's counter-piracy mission said.Armed pirate gangs are making millions of dollars in ransoms and are able to stay out at sea for long periods using captured merchant vessels as mother ships. The shipping security crisis costs world trade billions of dollars each year.Attacks as far away from Somalia as Monday's hijacking are rare. Although NATO, EU and Iranian naval forces are trying to protect merchant shipping, the Indian Ocean is too big for them to effectively patrol all of it."It is very far east from Somalia," a spokeswoman for the NATO Shipping Centre said.The U.S. has identified the vessel as being operated by Iranian government shipping companies blacklisted by Washington.Iran is expected to import 1.6 million tonnes of sugar in 2011-12, according to the International Sugar Organization.However, Western sanctions have made it difficult for Iran to pay for basic foods through the global banking system, even though foodstuffs are not targeted by the sanctions.The vessel was carrying over 63,000 tonnes of cargo when it left Brazil, the world's biggest sugar ...

Indian oil buyers are asking Iran to bear the insurance risk for transporting its crude Indian oil buyers are asking Iran to bear the insurance risk for transporting its crude as tighter Western sanctions make it more difficult to buy Tehran's principal export, industry sources said on Wednesday.The number of maritime firms willing to transport Iranian crude has dwindled significantly since the European Union announced in January it would proceed with an oil embargo, leaving Asian oil buyers to rely more on Iranian-owned tankers.With Indian shipping firms uncertain whether they can continue transporting Iranian oil, state-run Indian Oil Corp and Hindustan Petroleum Corp have written to the National Iran Oil Corp (NIOC) asking the company to take on the insurance risk for their crude shipments, two industry sources said.NIOC has indicated it may consider the request on a case-by-case basis, the sources said.The United States has also imposed tougher sanctions against Iran for its disputed nuclear programme, prompting Japan and 10 EU nations to significantly cut purchases of Iranian crude oil in order to win exemptions.Washington, however, has left Iran's top customers China and India exposed to the possibility of such steps.The EU agreed to an oil embargo on Jan. ...

Italian marines were sent back to an Indian jail for another two weeks Two Italian marines were sent back to an Indian jail for another two weeks over the fatal shooting of two fishermen off India's southern coast.Despite Italy's strong objections over India's detaining the marines, Chief Judicial Magistrate A.K. Gopakumar extended the marines' custody by 14 more days in the southern state of Kerala.The marines, who were providing anti-piracy security aboard a cargo ship, are accused of shooting the fishermen Feb. 15 after mistaking them for pirates off India's southwest coast.India says the fact that the shooting happened on an Indian boat gave it jurisdiction.Italy says the men should be tried in Italy under international maritime rules and warns that India's approach sets a dangerous precedent putting Indian military officers on anti-piracy missions could face similar risk of prosecution in foreign jurisdictions.The magistrate said he would consider the marines' plea for a television on Wednesday.Meanwhile, the ship they were working on, the Enrica Lexie, has been barred from leaving the coast.Latore Massimiliano and Salvatore Girone were first detained Feb. 19 and have been held since March 5 in a special cell at the Central Prison in Thiruvanantapuram, separate from ...

Continuing with its efforts to cash in on the immense potential of minor ports Continuing with its efforts to cash in on the immense potential of minor ports across the state, the government has come up with a slew of measures. Focusing on industrial development of 17 minor ports in the state, the budget proposes to bring in a comprehensive shipping policy.The new policy is aimed at increasing coastal shipping activities, attracting more goods transport through vessels, creating more employment opportunities and reducing atmospheric pollution. It has been declared that the ports at Neendakara, Thalassery, Beypore, Kayamkulam, Vadakara, Kannur, Cheruvathoor, Neeleswaram, Kasargod, Manjeswaram, Azheekal, Vizhinjam, Thankassery, Kodungalloor and Munambam will be developed with infrastructure facilities.An amount of '247 crore has been allocated for the Ports Department for various initiatives. In a clear indication that the Port Department is also stepping into tourism promotion, the Finance Minister proposes to launch tourist transport services to Alappuzha. Tourist services will be operated from Fort Kochi in Ernakulam and Valiyathura in Thiruvananthapuram. There are proposals for developing marinas in Alappuzha and Thankassery ports. The budget has allocated ' 22 crore for Harbour Engineering Department.Source: Express News Service

Better coordination among their naval ships India, China and Japan recently agreed for better coordination among their naval ships deployed for escort of merchant vessels in the piracy-infested Gulf of Aden, the Lok Sabha was informed on Monday.In a written reply to a question in the Lower House, Defence Minister A K Antony said, "India, China and Japan have recently agreed for better coordination among their naval ships deployed for escort of merchant vessels in the Gulf of Aden."Denying that the government has plans to sign pacts with neighbouring countries to counter militant activities and check piracy, Antony said, "Nevertheless, the security and surveillance apparatus for coastal defence has been enhanced over the years."Strengthening of coastal security apparatus is an ongoing process considering the needs and changing security scenario as well as the threat perception, he added.In reply to a question on acquisition of fleet tankers, Antony informed the House that Indian Navy has awarded a contract for acquisition of such a ship to a foreign shipyard."Steel offered by the Shipyard Fincanteri, in response to the Request for Proposal (RFP) for construction of fleet tanker, was technically evaluated by a Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC)," he said.Based on technical clarifications offered ...

INSA requests incurance cover Shipowners body INSA said it has requested the European Union (EU) to continue providing insurance cover to Indian ships for carrying oil from Iran, which is facing sanctions from the US and Europe."We have written to the European Union to allow its protection and indemnity cover (P&I) club to continue extending cover to Indian vessels," the Indian National Shipowners Association (INSA) CEO Anil Devli told PTI.INSA has mentioned that not providing insurance cover would be against the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, Devli said.The sanctions prohibit EU-based entities from providing insurance and guarantees for transportation of oil from Iran. Most of the Indian shipping lines take protection and indemnity cover (P&I) mainly from them.Shipowners have expressed apprehensions that they may not get international insurance cover following the sanctions, announced on January 23.Earlier, the government said that India is considering providing sovereignguarantee to domestic shipping lines for import of crude oil from Iran. SCI, which operates about 40 tankers, will be one of the most affected companies as it will lose its EU insurance coverage for oil fleet operating in Iran from July 1, as European insurers will be prohibited from indemnifying ships ...

Anti-piracy measures The Union Minister of Shipping, Shri G.K. Vasan informed the Lok Sabha today in a written reply to a question that no Indian Merchant Ship has been hijacked during the last three years.The Minister further stated that the Government has initiated various preventive / mitigating security measures for combating piracy which include the following:- An Inter-Ministerial Group of Officers (IMGO) has been set up to deal with hostage situation arising out of the hijacking of merchant vessels with Indian crew on board.- Issuance of Notices by Director General of Shipping detailing elaborate anti-piracy measures (Best Management Practices) including safe house/citadel.- Banning of sailing vessels to ply in waters south or west of the line joining Salalah and Male vide M.S. Notice 3/2010 dated 31/3/2010.- Naval escort provided by Indian Naval Ships in Gulf of Aden.- Enhanced vigil by Indian Navy in Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and estward up to 65 degree east longitude.- Active participation in International Maritime Organization and Contact Group on Piracy off the coast of Somalia (CGPCS) and other international forums.- Submission of Document 27/9/1 at the IMO Assembly for flag states to provide information on welfare of captive crew, efforts of release and ...

Piracy off Somalia is currently at the lowest level International shippers are "impressed" with the Indian military's confrontation of the piracy off the coast of Somalia and have expressed the appreciation of the efforts."We are very grateful to the efforts of the Indian military and their contribution to tackle the Somali piracy is really very impressive. The international shipping community is very pleased with that," Simon Bennett, director of external relations of the London-based International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), said.He pointed out that piracy off Somalia was currently at the lowest level with about 200 seafarers held in captivity."However, this is totally unacceptable," he said. He also called on India to allow the embarkation and disembarkation of armed guards on merchant ships."We understand the sensitivities of the issues in India about people with arms and terrorism. But we are sure that working through the international community procedures can be agreed whereby it is possible to embark and disembark armed guards in India," said Bennett, who is here to attend the three-day Asia Pacific Maritime 2012 conference in Singapore which opened yesterday.He declined to comment on the Italian marines facing court charges in India for killing two Indian fishermen, but said ...

Vessels to exercise extreme caution when within 50 nautical miles of the Indian coast Following the killing of two local fishermen off the Kerala coast by Italian marines aboard an oil tanker, Directorate General of Shipping here has issued a notice, saying that merchant vessels should report the presence of armed guards to the Navy or the Coast Guard."All merchant ships are advised to report the presence of armed guards on board to the Indian Navy or the Indian Coast Guard," says the notice signed by Captain Harish Khatri, Deputy Director General of Shipping and issued on March 7.It also advises vessels to exercise extreme caution when within 50 nautical miles of the Indian coast.Fishing trafficThe merchant vessels should take note of dense fishing traffic on the Indian coast, along with the possibility that they may be approached by the boats for safeguarding fishing nets, and should not mistake such boats for pirate skiffs (as happened in the Kerala incident), the notice reads.The merchant vessels are also expected to report any suspicious craft within the Indian Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) to the Coast Guard.According to the notice, over three lakh fishing boats operate off the Indian coast. "Fishing off the ...