HM Coastguard informed that a consortium of salvage companies, Multraship, Ardent, Wagenborg, have been appointed by the owner of ‘MV Priscilla’ to move the ship. Representatives from Ardent will arrive at the vessel later today, to conduct an initial assessment on Saturday 21 July.
The remote location of polar oceans, their vastness and dangerous environment raise significant challenges when gathering data and conducting science. However, advances in technology are providing new opportunities for data collection that go beyond what was possible even 20 years ago.
The British Antarctic Survey and the Norwegian Polar Institute published a joint report on the state of the polar oceans, which are critical for the planet. The report says that despite the importance of polar oceans, science has still so much to discover. Namely, we might be advancing our understanding about them. but there remains an urgent need for further investigations.
On 18 July, HM Coastguard received a report that a vessel ran aground on the Pentland Skerries approximately 5nm north east of Duncansby Head. The 89m cargo ship ‘Priscilla’, carrying six people onboard, did not report significant damage, while there is no sign of any pollution.
UK’s Oil and Gas Authority released its Production efficiency for 2017. OGA reports the PE continued its rise for the fifth year in a row. Namely, in 2017 it reached 74%, increasing production in the UK Continental Shelf. Th total UKCS production potential in 2017 was 800 million boe, a slight increase from 2016.
The UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson revealed an ambitious plan on 22 June, to bring together all of the Government’s international oceans work under a single strategy for the first time. The strategy will provide a blueprint for international action towards the oceans that supports the long-term prosperity of the marine environment.
The RRS Sir David Attenborough, the new polar research ship for Britain, was launched into the River Mersey, on Saturday July 14. The ship is being built at Cammell Laird shipyard in Birkenhead, near Liverpool. Once the ship becomes fully operational in late 2019, it will be operated by British Antarctic Survey
A group of major British businesses and trade bodies gathered on 6 July in Southampton, to ink a new charter aimed at tackling gender diversity in the maritime sector. The parties signed the ‘Women in Maritime pledge’, a statement of intent to improve fairness, equality and inclusion in the sector.
According to HM Coast Guard, latest figures show that commercial fishing is by far the most dangerous job and UK fishermen face a risk of death over six times higher than the most dangerous land based industry. For this reason, it published a safety guide, in order to ensure that fishermen conduct their work in a safe manner.
After the UK government released its Brexit White Paper, describing how this will happen, Maritime UK and BPA welcomed it. As they both say, this White Paper will ensure the free flow of trade between the EU and UK borders, which remains amongst Brexit’s major concerns.
