Tag: reports

  The NGO Shipbreaking Platform issued its Annual Report 2014. The report includes: a summary of the Platform’s findings about global shipbreaking trends in 2014, statistics on the total number of ships dismantled in 2014, when 62.5% of all end-of-life ships from all over the world were broken in South Asia (India: 309 ships or 30%; Bangladesh: 222 ships or 22%; and Pakistan: 110 ships or 10.5%); NGO Shipbreaking Platoform's activities and campaigns in 2014: the Platform’s Annual General Meeting in Brussels; Platform's European campaign to ensure that European policy makers find sustainable solutions to the current shipbreaking crisis; Platform's corporate campaign led with progressive shipping companies, cargo owners and ship recyclers who commit to responsible recycling practices; our international campaign; and the South Asian campaign in the shipbreaking countries, where the Platform and its member organisations advocate for regulation and action to stop illegal imports of toxic ships and the implementation of existing legislation to protect the workers and the environment; and a presentation of Platform's new partner organisations, and the changes to the Platform’s Board structure and the secretariat. More than 1,000 large commercial vessels were dismantled in 2014 around the world - bulkers, cargo and container ships, tankers and passenger ships. Most ...

he Office of Naval Intelligence has issued Worldwide Threat to Shipping Report for period 17 May - 17 June 2015

  New research by NOAA, University of Alaska, and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the journal Oceanography  shows that Chukchi and Beaufort Seas could become less hospitable to shelled animals by 2030 “Our research shows that within 15 years, the chemistry of these waters may no longer be saturated with enough calcium carbonate for a number of animals from tiny sea snails to Alaska King crabs to construct and maintain their shells at certain times of the year,” said Jeremy Mathis, an oceanographer at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and lead author. “This change due to ocean acidification would not only affect shell-building animals but could ripple through the marine ecosystem.” A team of scientists led by Mathis and Jessica Cross from the University of Alaska Fairbanks collected observations on water temperature, salinity and dissolved carbon during two month-long expeditions to the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort Seas onboard United States Coast Guard cutter Healy in 2011 and 2012. These data were used to validate a predictive model for the region that calculates the change over time in the amount of calcium and carbonate ions dissolved in seawater, an important indicator of ocean acidification. The model suggests these levels will drop below the current range in 2025 ...

According to BCG Report Image: East Coast Ports stand to gain 10% additional share of container traffic from East Asia to the US (Image Credit: BCG)Following the Panama Canal expansion in 2016, up to 10 percent of container traffic to the U.S. from East Asia could shift from West Coast ports to East Coast ports by 2020, according to new research conducted by The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) andC.H. Robinson. Rerouting that volume is equivalent to building a port roughly double the size of the ports in Savannah and Charleston.The researchwhich involved extensive scenario analyses based on differing levels of demand, capacity, and costsis believed to be the most comprehensive public study of how the canals expansion will likely change the way cargo moves, by both water and land, into and within the U.S. The findings have been released in a report titledWide Open: How the Panama Canal Is Redrawing the Logistics Map.The $5 billion expansion will permanently alter the competitive balance between ports on the East and West coasts. With global container flows rising, West Coast ports will still handle more traffic than they do today, but they will experience lower growth rates and their market share will likely ...

  International shipping has to half its emissions says a new report by the Tyndall Centre at the University of Manchester. Cutting the shipping sector’s CO2 emissions in line with global climate change targets will need an approach that goes beyond current regulations, according to a new report by researchers from the Shipping in Changing Climates Consortium at UCL and the Tyndall Centre, University of Manchester. The new research presented to the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) illustrates the wide gap between what is needed to avoid 1.5/2°C of warming, compared with the current direction of travel of shipping CO2. The analysis shows how avoiding 1.5/2°C, whilst maintaining shipping’s present 2-3% share of total anthropogenic CO2, requires at least a halving of its CO2 emissions by 2050. This is the first time that the scale of the challenge has been presented directly at the IMO and articulated in terms of trajectories for individual ship types. The paper coincides with the submission to the IMO of a paper by the Republic of Marshall Islands calling for MEPC to agree a quantifiable and ambitious GHG emissions reduction goal for international shipping. Constraining CO2 budgets in line ...

  The Global Ocean Commission (GOC) welcomed the strong position on marine security and the protection of the marine environment expressed in the G7 Leaders’ Declaration and related Action Plan. GOC commends G7 leadership for highlighting the health and governance of the ocean as priority issues. GOC hopes that the G7 countries follow up from on this Declaration and lead accelerated action to reverse the current cycle of ocean decline. Regenerating and protecting the marine environment is vital to shifting the world onto a sustainable path, which is why the Commission fully supports the G7’s concrete commitments to tackling marine litter. GOC also notes the G7 pledge to promote a transparent, precautionary approach to deep sea mining. Like the new G7 Action Plan to Combat Marine Litter, the Global Ocean Commission stressed the growing problem of plastic pollution in its 2014 report and has been calling for coordinated, targeted action to eliminate plastics entering the ocean. GOC said it is ready to extend assistance or support to the G7 as they implement their important Action Plan. It is also very encouraging that climate change is a major focus of the G7 Leaders’ Declaration. The Global Ocean Commission welcomes the leaders’ stated determination to ...

Suggestions for safer working on board in heavy weather conditions Working on deck in heavy weather conditions is dangerous, and should only be considered if essential to the safety of the ship and crew. Linda Wright, claims executive for UK P&I Club, reviews heavy weather incidents and suggestions for safer working in heavy weather."Masters and owners have an obligation to provide a safe workplace. Heavy seas and raging winds try to defeat any attempt to be "safe."However, if a loose anchor is pounding the hull, or unsecured nylon lines on deck threaten to wash overboard and potentially tangle in the ship's propeller, the Master must make a decision as to whether the potential danger to the ship outweighs the high risk of sending crewmembers on deck."If the decision is that work on deck is necessary, procedures must be completed for a full risk assessment. Reference to the Member's ISM guideline and the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seaman should be considered. Although this code originates in the UK, the practical advice should be reviewed by any Master or crewmember, so unexpected dangers can be planned for."Additional precautions should include:Master must approve the order for workBridge officer on watch ...

With the decline of piracy incidents in the Western Indian Ocean, vessels have gradually returned to travelling along the shortest route

  Left unchecked the carbon emissions from international maritime shipping could increase by 250 per cent, according to the Global Shippers' Forum (GSF). The assessment by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is highlighted in the fourth edition of the GSF Maritime Emissions policy briefing.  The policy briefing states that at present carbon emissions from international maritime shipping make up 2.2 per cent of the global total, but left unchecked could increase by as much as 250 per cent in the period to 2050. The GSF briefing also examines the latest developments within maritime emission policy, and the sector's role in reducing carbon emissions, all prepared with the perspective of the shipper in mind. Participating in the Clean Cargo Working Group meeting in Rotterdam last week Chris Welsh, GSF Secretary General, highlighted the need for shippers' views to be taken into account as the IMO takes steps to address how shipping can reduce emissions and the EU starts to look at the technical details of its proposed MRV regulation. He said: "Shipping already offers a high carbon efficient mode for transporting goods, carrying approximately 90 per cent of all world trade.  However, it is predicted to grow significantly in pace with ...

ISWAN issues 2014 Annual Review for SeafarerHelp SeafarerHelp is the free 24 hour multi-lingual helpline for seafarers run by the International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN).ISWAN have just produced the 2014 Annual Review for SeafarerHelp which reveals that last year has been busy for the helpline with a 53% increase in the number of calls to SeafarerHelp and a 19% increase in the number of seafarers assisted.In 2014 the SeafarerHelp team dealt with 1,920 new cases and helped over 7,710 seafarers. Since 2011 there has been a dramatic growth in the number of calls coming into SeafarerHelp and the number of seafarers assisted - there has been nearly a 270% increase in the number of calls and over a 250% increase in the number of seafarers helped.The most common problems seafarers faced were upaid wages, problems with repatriation, contractual problems, sub-standard conditions on board and health issues. There were a lot calls requesting information and seeking employment.Number of casesIn 2014 the number of new cases dealt with by the SeafarerHelp team was 1,920, involving 7,710 seafarers.Most of the contacts that SeafarerHelp receives are referred on to specialist organisations for direct assistance. These include the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF) ...