Tag: India

After Italy-India diplomatic spat The European Union called on Tuesday for international rules on the use of armed guards aboard ships amid a diplomatic spat between Italy and India over two Italian marines jailed in the south Asian country.EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton discussed the issue with Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti in Brussels after the two oil tanker guards allegedly killed two Indian fishermen they mistook for pirates last month."She underlined the need to put this incident into the broader context of international co-operation on counter-piracy and more specifically on the issue of regulating the protection aboard ships," her office said in a statement.Several nations have allowed shipping companies to hire armed guards to protect their ships sailing through pirate-infested waters off the Horn of Africa, stirring a debate about their use.The two Italian marines, Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone, have been imprisoned in India's southern state of Kerala pending a murder investigation despite pressure from Italy for them to be handed over to Rome for prosecution.Italy argues India does not have jurisdiction in the case as it involved an Italian-flagged vessel and occurred in international waters near India.India disputes this, saying the incident happened in waters under ...

India detains two Italian marines who killed two Indian fishermen at sea Italy warned India on Wednesday that it was creating a "dangerous" precedent by detaining two Italian marines who were on an anti-piracy mission when they allegedly killed two Indian fishermen at sea.Premier Mario Monti relayed the warning during a telephone call with his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh as the diplomatic standoff reached the highest levels of government as well as the halls of the European Union.According to a statement from Monti's office, Singh agreed to transfer the marines from prison to somewhere "adequate to their status."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.A court in the southern state of Kerala on Monday ordered them jailed for another two weeks while officials investigate.New Delhi says the case should be tried in India because the killings occurred on an Indian boat. Rome says the shooting took place in international waters and the case should be handled in Italy.Italy says the presence of military personnel aboard the cargo ship is governed by an Italian law conforming to UN anti-piracy resolutions, and ...

Calling on the international community to adopt a comprehensive counter-piracy strategy India has termed as "worrisome" the increase in attacks by pirates off the coast of Somalia, calling on the international community to adopt a comprehensive counter-piracy strategy to deal with the problem.India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh Puri said such a counter piracy strategy should involve effective sanitisation of the Somali coastline and enactment of national laws on a priority basis to criminalise piracy.It should also involve naval operations by UN-led anti-piracy force as well as coordination of anti-piracy operations by various naval forces, Mr. Puri said at an open debate on Somalia at the UN Security Council here yesterday.Mr. Puri said a number of seafarers, including over 30 Indians, are currently being held as hostages by pirates adding that the humanitarian condition of the hostages is a source of "serious concern" for the Indian government."What is more worrisome is that attacks by pirates have been increasing in spite of counter-piracy operations. Given the growing scope and expanding coverage of piracy off the coast of Somalia, the international community has to think about adopting a comprehensive counter-piracy strategy," Mr. Puri said.He said India, on its part, continues ...

8 per cent of the Indian cargo is being carried by Indian vessels The Union Shipping Ministry is on the verge of finalising a programme for cargo support for Indian flag vessels to help the shipping industry, which is passing through its worst phase on account of a slump in the global shipping business. Though the Indian trade has multiplied several times, tonnage is a little below 1 percent of the global tonnage, said Mr K. Mohandas, who retired as the Shipping Secretary last week."We will be able to attract more tonnage once we provide some assurance on cargo," he said, adding, that the Ministry is in the process of consultingwith other user Ministries - such as Petroleum, Power, Steel and Fertiliser - that can provide cargo support for Indian flag vessels. "Right now, our assessment is that only 8 per cent of the Indian cargo is being carried by Indian vessels. This figure was 30 per cent in early 80s," he said.On the relaxation of Cabotage law, the Shipping Secretary said, "It is now at an advance level of final decisions. The proposal will go to the Cabinet in the next two weeks." Once the Cabotage law is relaxed, ...

To handle vessels up to capacity of 6000 The Mumbai Harbor Channel and JN Port Channel will be deepened and widened to handle vessels up to capacity of 6000 Twenty feet Equivalent units and up to draught of 14 meters by using the tidal window.The channel length will be increased from existing 29 km to 33.54 km to meet the natural water depth of 14 meters at sea. Further, the width of the channel will also be increased so as to maintain a minimum width of 370 meters from the present dimension of 325 meters in the straight reach.Completion period of the work is 25 months including mobilization period after awarding of work. The key benefits/results on implementation of the project are as follows: 1. Handling bigger size vessels up to a draught of 14 meters by using tidal window. 2. Attracting international container vessels and enabling JN Port to develop as Hub Port on west coast. 3. Increase in future traffic 4. Savings in ship waiting cost and ocean freight costs per TEU due to larger volumes 5. Avoiding costly and time consuming feedeing operation 6. Optimum utilization of capacity 7. Faster turnaround of larger vessels 8. Incremental regional ...

Two Indian fishermen have been killed and three others have gone missing Two Indian fishermen have been killed and three others have gone missing when a ship collided with a boat in the southern state of Kerala, police said.Two other fishermen who were in the boat swam to safety after the collision which happened off the Kollam coast early on Thursday, police said.Last month, an Italian cargo ship fired at an Indian trawler off the coast of Kochi in Kerala, killing two fishermen.Reports say the Italians mistook the Indian boat for a pirate vessel.Police said a rescue operation had been launched to trace the missing fishermen.Coast guard officials said efforts were on to locate the ship.Source: BBC News

emarks by Shri AK Antony at the Annual National Maritime Foundation Conference The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has called for global efforts to uproot the threat of piracy. Inaugurating the Annual National Maritime Foundation Conference here today, Shri Antony said India has already submitted certain proposals at the United Nations. "If ever there was a need for consensual and cooperative effort, it is in relation to piracy and India has put forward certain proposals at the United Nations."The Defence Minister pointed out that the Indian Navy has made significant contribution to the global anti-piracy efforts in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) since 2008. "What is significant is that more than 85 percent of the ships escorted by the Indian Navy are of foreign flag." Shri Antony said that the challenge of piracy is yet to be effectively quarantined. "There is a consensus that while the pirates can be neutralized at sea, the real solution lies in addressing the root causes, which are complex and are actually located on land."The Defence Minister also voiced concern at the military presence of world's major powers in the IOR despite the waters being far from their shores. "Unlike the Atlantic and Pacific, few ...

Information provided by the Britannia P&I Club The Britannia P&I Club issues bulletin regarding Loading of iron ore fines at Indian ports (pre-loading surveys) as follows:Reference is made to the Association's bulletin of October 2009 dealing with the implementation of a precautionary survey programme and the subsequent circular of December 2010, more generally dealing with the safe shipment of iron ore fines from Indian ports including an overview of incidents involving liquefaction, obligations under the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code (IMSBC Code), specific problems encountered at Indian ports and the Managers' recommended precautions.Members are reminded of their overriding obligation to ensure that iron ore fines cargoes to be carried comply with the IMSBC Code and the Managers continue to recommend the precautions listedFor more information, click Loading of iron ore fines at Indian ports - protective pre-loading surveysSource: The Britannia P&I Club

$1-billion Seychelles' economy losing about four percent of GDP to piracy With its $1-billion economy losing about four percent of GDP to piracy, Seychelles has sought India's help in putting an end to this threat to trade in the Indian Ocean, particularly in prosecuting the sea brigands.Seychelles Foreign Minister Jean-Paul Adam, who was in India on a three-day visit last week, told IANS in an interview that he had asked his Indian counterpart, S.M. Krishna, to assist in the trial of pirates and help increase convictions."In Seychelles, we have estimated that piracy has cost us four percent of the GDP in terms of growth and this is a terrible cost to our economy...there is a huge opportunity cost," Adam said when asked about the impact of piracy on his country's economy.He said the next step in the anti-piracy operations is prosecuting the sea brigands to end the impunity they enjoy."In Seychelles, currently we have convicted 67 pirates who are serving sentences in our jails and we also have another 18 who are awaiting trial."We look forward to working with India and one of the key issues I discussed with the minister (Krishna) is further support that India can give to ...

So far, 242 Indian crew members on board merchan have been hijacked The instances of piracy off the coast of Somalia have been a constant source of concern for the Indian Government. The Ministry of Shipping, in close co-ordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Navy and other agencies has been making discreet efforts to secure the release of Indian maritime personnel.So far, 242 Indian crew members on board merchant vessels of various flags have been hijacked by the Somali pirates. As a result of concerted efforts of the Government, in co-ordination with ship owners, managers, etc., 220 of them have been released and all efforts are being made to secure the release of the remaining 22 personnel. This was stated by the Union Shipping Minister Shri G.K.Vasan when a business delegation from USA led by Undersecretary to the Government of the United States of America, Mr. Sanchez met him in Chennai today. He further stated that India can explore the possibility of working together to counter the menace of piracy on the basis of the 2006 Indo-U.S. Framework for Maritime Security Cooperation which provides for expanding cooperation in areas such as counter-piracy and littoral security.Source: Press Information Bureau, ...