Tag: Straits of Malacca

There are about 70,000 transits by ships each year The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represents 80% of the world merchant fleet, has welcomed the outcome of an important meeting between governments to advance navigational safety in the strategically vital Malacca and Singapore Straits, where there are about 70,000 transits by ships each year.During a meeting last week in Singapore, of the 'Co-operative Mechanism on Safety of Navigation and Environmental Protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore' (which involves the littoral states of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia), ICS expressed concern about the continuing lack of new large scale navigational charts.ICS Marine Director, John Murray explained: "We all want to deliver safety and environmental benefits in the Straits which is a primary objective of the Marine Electronic Highway project. But these benefits simply cannot not be realised unless navigational charts are based on modern and appropriate hydrographic surveys."Encouragingly, says ICS, this deficiency was acknowledged at the meeting by the littoral states. India, moreover, one of the many observer nations present, offered the use of a survey vessel to conduct appropriate hydrographic surveys in the area. Training of personnel from Malaysia and Indonesia in hydrography has also been offered. ICS ...

Malacca Straits tidal model likely to save thousands in bunker costs

More than 70,000 vessels each year transit this area - Safety is a priority Navigation safety and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore could further improve following a detailed investigation into accident reports by the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).ICS (as part of a wider initiative being undertaken by the Round Table of international shipping associations) has conducted a survey of incident reports which it is anticipated will result in the development of agreed proposals to enhance the management of traffic in the Straits.With more than 70,000 vessels each year (over 150 a day) transiting this strategically important international waterway, ICS believes it is imperative that safety continues to be prioritised. While only a very small proportion of these transits result in accidents or near misses, the ICS survey has identified heavy shipping traffic, inappropriate speed and the loss of situational awareness as significant factors that need to be addressed.The ICS report praises the skill and professionalism of those managing, operating and navigating ships in the Malacca and Singapore Straits. However, ICS suggests that improvements could be made to the location of pilot boarding areas and the timing of pilot departures. There is also concern about the ...

IMO Cooperative Mechanism in Malacca Malaysia meeting to boost protection in the area BIMCO is participating at the IMO Cooperative Mechanism in Malacca Malaysia during a week of meetings aimed at improving the safety of navigation and environmental protection in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore.The first of the three meetings was the 4th Cooperation Forum opened by the Director General of Malaysia's Marine Department Y.BHG Dato' Captain Ahmad Othman on 10 October 2011. Captain Othman pointed out that the Cooperation Forum has successfully provided "meaningful opportunities for all interested parties to share their interests towards ensuring the Straits remain safe and open for international navigation."Picture above: BIMCO's Mr. Aron Frank Sørensen, Chief Marine Technical OfficerIn his welcoming address, Malaysia's Minister of Transport, YB Dato' Sri Kong Cho Ha emphasized the importance of Article 43 of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as the very basis for which the Cooperative Mechanism was established. "It is vital that all stakeholders embrace the meaning and intent of Article 43 to ensure the sustainability of the straits of Malacca and Singapore", said the Minister, adding that the enhanced collaborative efforts between the littoral States, the User States and the ...

Pirates attempted to attack a Japanese-operated chemical tanker Pirates attempted to attack a Japanese-operated chemical tanker in the Strait of Malacca on Friday, a Singapore-based anti-piracy watchdog said Monday.Panama-flagged "Ginga Falcon," a 13,292 gross ton vessel, was anchored in port waters of Indonesia's Pulau Karimun Besar Island when it was attacked by three pirates shortly after midnight.But the pirates fled, taking with them only a life ring, when the ship's crew raised the alarm, the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre said in a statement.The vessel is operated by Tokyo Marine Co. of Japan.It had stopped at Karimun to deliver a cargo of chemicals.No one among its 23-member crew -- all Bangladeshis - was injured and the ship, which had been in the Persian Gulf and India, has already continued its journey to Bangkok, Capt. Amit Jain of Singapore-based Unix Line Ltd., which manages the vessel, said.According to the statement, another vessel, the Singapore-registered tugboat GM Shine, was attacked at night by pirates in the same vicinity on Sunday. The pirates stole the crew's personal belongings and disrupted all the ship's communication system before escaping.The anti-piracy center has advised ships to be vigilant in the vicinity of Pulau Karimun Besar as there ...

The troubled vessel had collided with another vessel On July 30, Ikaruga, an NYK containership, rescued 23 sailors from a troubled cargo vessel in the Malacca and Singapore straits.Ikaruga was sailing from Colombo, Sri Lanka, to Singapore, when a distress call was sent at around 11:50 p.m. (local time) on July 29 from the troubled vessel. Singapore Port Operation Control Center asked Ikaruga to assist, and rescue operations were immediately set in motion.The troubled vessel had collided with another vessel, and at about 0:48 a.m. on July 30 Ikaruga arrived on the scene to rescue all 23 sailors (1 Bulgarian, 8 Ukrainians, 14 Filipinos) from two lifeboats.The rescued sailors are in good health and disembarked from Ikaruga at Singapore at around 10:50 a.m. on July 30.About IkarugaCaptain: Molina, Arnold B.Flag: Singapore Crew: 22 Russian and Filipinos (including the captain)Gross Tonnage: 18,619 tonsType of vessel: ContainershipSource: NYK Lines

The Pirate Patrols

The pirate patrols

The pirate patrols

The pirate Patrols