Tag: UK

Shipping companies and charterers will want to continue to pay British rates ? As regulation slowly and painfully filters down the private maritime security industry, a "proliferation" of new firms from emerging countries is inevitable and British PMSCs will price themselves out of the market, according to Norton Rose partner Philip Roche.The big question, Mr Roche said, is whether shipping companies and charterers will want to continue to pay British rates?"There will be a proliferation of PMSCs from countries like the Philippines and China. Their standards won't necessarily be worse but they will have a different approach. It is likely that, like so many other industries, UK PMSCs are going to price themselves out of the market," he predicted.Mr Roche said that the legal wrangling surrounding the Enrica Lexie incident - in which two Italian marines shot dead two Indian fishermen they thought were pirates - reflects the concern that large parts of the industry still have about putting guns on ships."We have opened a Pandora's box in a way and it has happened due to shipping's ability to self help. The legal and insurance world has reluctantly followed. It has always been a question of when rather than if ...

UK Government advisors on climate change say There is no longer any reason to exclude international aviation and shipping emissions from carbon budgets according to the Committee on Climate Change. This was the conclusion in the Committee's report "Scope of carbon budgets - Statutory advice on inclusion of international aviation and shipping".Emissions from international aviation and shipping were initially left out of carbon budgets and the 2050 target when the Climate Change Act became Law in 2008, with the decision on inclusion delayed to 2012.In the meantime, the Committee and the Government have acted as though international aviation and shipping emissions are in the 2050 target, based on a certain interpretation of the legislation. The risk is that a new Government would not adopt the same interpretation.In order to mitigate this risk, the Committee recommends that the current approach should be formalised through including international aviation and shipping emissions in carbon budgets and the 2050 target, therefore providing more certainty that it will be continued in future. Moreover, inclusion would provide the most transparent, comprehensive and flexible accounting framework under the Climate Change Act.Lord Adair Turner, Chair of the CCC said: "Including international aviation and shipping emissions in UK carbon ...

Britain criticised for 'particularly poor record' in international crackdown on Indian Ocean piracy Hundreds of suspected pirates arrested by the Royal Navy off the coast of East Africa have been immediately set free - to continue threatening merchant vessels in one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. Fewer than one in every five suspects picked up around the Horn of Africa over the past four years have been prosecuted for piracy-related offences, the Ministry of Defence has admitted. The figures will fuel growing criticism of Britain's involvement in the anti-piracy operation.Official MoD figures obtained by The Independent on Sunday show the Royal Navy has boarded 34 vessels suspected of piracy in the Indian Ocean since volunteering to lead Operation Atalanta, the EU's first naval mission, in 2008. However, on all but six occasions, the gangs rounded up were taken to the nearest beach and released - despite often being caught with equipment including guns and ladders. A list of boardings since November 2008 shows that the navy has detained a total of 279 likely pirates but allowed 229 of them to go free, some in groups of up to 17 at a time. Fifty more were sent on for prosecution ...

Committee on Climate Change's report on carbon emission budgets Today the Chamber of Shipping, the UK shipping sector's trade association, has responded warmly to the Committee on Climate Change's report on carbon emission budgets.The Chamber's Director of Safety & Environment, David Balston, said:"The Chamber of Shipping warmly welcomes the outcome of the work that has been done by the Committee on Climate Change with respect to UK shipping emissions. It provides the most accurate figures that we have seen and we unreservedly support its aims and recommendations. We are also very pleased to note their conclusion that any measure aimed at tackling emissions should be global in nature rather than regional, reflecting the truly international nature of shipping."A regional instrument, such as is being discussed within the EU at present would distort trade, be easily evaded and be extremely difficult to administer. The Chamber of Shipping continues to play a leading role in identifying the most appropriate and convincing strategies to reduce carbon emissions from shipping, recently producing detailed analysis on how both an ETS and Compensation Fund might work."The report can be downloaded from the Committee on Climate Change website by clicking here.Source: UK Chamber of Shipping

Climate change video - action needs to be taken in the UK in order to reduce emissions

Climate change committee says that continuation of exclusion would be a watering down of carbon goal The government's green credentials will be put to a "key test" on Thursday, as ministers will be urged by their advisers to include greenhouse gas emissions from aviation and shipping in the UK's carbon targets.If airlines and container ships are included, the task of meeting the targets is made much harder. These two large and growing sources of emissions are currently excluded from the goals under a technicality.David Kennedy, the chief executive of the Committee on Climate Change, challenged ministers to include the sectors in order to ensure the UK is meeting international obligations in spirit as well as in the letter of the law. "This will be a key test for the government," Kennedy said. "If we don't include these sectors, that would in effect be a lowering of the UK's carbon targets."The issue is one of acute political sensitivity, because politicians appear reluctant to jeopardise the rise of low-cost airlines offering cheap flights. Within the Conservative party ranks, it is likely to be particularly controversial given the increasingly open climate scepticism of many Tory MPs.Kennedy said he was aware of the potential ...

Carrying 40,000 litres of fuel Concern is growing that fuel tanks may have ruptured in a cargo ship which ran aground off north Wales, leading to the dramatic late-night rescue of the crew.Seven crew members were saved and an operation to refloat the stricken vessel, the Carrier, is expected later.The ship is in one piece after hitting a rock in rough seas near a quarry jetty at Llanddulas, near Colwyn Bay, but has not yet been secured.Salvage and pollution experts are on their way to assess the damage.Strong winds and rough seas remain a problem for those trying to secure the vessel, which is carrying 40,000 litres of fuel.Ray Carson, rescue co-ordination centre manager at Holyhead Coastguard, said there was a smell of fuel around the vessel, which is currently lying on the beach a few feet from the A55.The A55 eastbound was closed to allow the helicopter to land and take off. The road remained shut on Wednesday morning between junction 22 (Old Colwyn) and 23 (Llanddulas), and westbound between junction 24 (Abergele) and 22 (Old Colwyn). The closure will be reassessed at 10:00 GMT."The tide has dropped away now and the next high water is about 10 o'clock ...

ClassNK -TEC 0899 ClassNK issues Technical Information TEC-0899 regarding Fall Preventer Devices (FPDs) for the UK Flagged vessels as follows:The UK Government has notified ClassNK of the special requirement for fall preventer devices (FPDs) for lifeboats on board UK flagged vessels (MGN 445 (M+F)).The UK Government strongly urges that all UK vessels fitted with lifeboat on-load release systems (LRRS) should be equipped with FPDs in accordance with MSC.1/Circ.1327 pending the evaluation of the systems for compliance with the requirements of the revised LSA Code.For more information, click here.Source: ClassNK

IRE EXTINGUISHERS, type MFZ/ABC6 and MPZ9L are prohibited under MED UK MCA issues Safety Alert regardingFIRE EXTINGUISHERS, type MFZ/ABC6 and MPZ9L which are prohibited under Article 13 of the Marine Equipment Directive (MED) as follows:The French Maritime Administration has informed the European Commission and EU Member States that they have prohibited Fire extinguishers type MFZ/ABC6 and MPZ9L from being placed on board French Flagged vessels.These products are manufactured by DONGTAI CITY XINGHAI MARINE EQUIPMENT, 888 New Kok Road Xinjie Town, Dongtai, City Jiansu Province, China. It was discovered during an on board inspection that the striking pin did not activate the CO2 bottle.The Manufacturer and approving Notified Body - Korean Register Hellas Ltd (Id 2198) were contacted and requested to provide clarification. During the investigation it was also discovered the manufacturer had attached the MED "wheelmark" before the conformity assessment (Module D) certificate was issued.As a result of the above, the French Administration implemented the safeguard clause procedure (Article 13 of the Council Directive 96/98/EC on marine equipment) prohibiting fire extinguishers type MFZ/ABC6 and MPZ9L, bearing the MED "wheelmark" 2198/10 and 2198/11, from being placed on board French flag vessels until the manufacturer guarantees that extinguishers with this defect problem, ...

After failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced ysterday that 15 foreign flagged ships were under detention in UK ports during February 2012 after failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection.Latest monthly figures show that there were nine new detentions of foreign flagged ships in UK ports during February 2012 and six vessels remained under detention from previous months. The overall rate of detentions compared with inspections carried out over the last twelve months was 2.32% this is slightly down from Januarys twelve month rate.Out of the detained vessels seven were registered with a flag state listed on the Paris MOU white list, two were registered with a flag state on the grey list four were registered with a flag state on the black list and two were unregistered.You may view full details of the ships detained during February 2012, by clicking here.Source: UK MCA