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UK Rolls-Royce Confirms Order of Its New Fuel Efficient Fish Transporter Vessel

World's largest transporter of live fish and fuel efficient vessel Rolls-Royce, the global power systems company, has won its first order for a new ship developed specifically for transporting live fish. Norwegian ship owner Sølvtrans AS, the world's largest transporter of live fish, is the first customer for this advanced, fuel efficient vessel.In order to transport live fish efficiently and in a healthy condition, customers require spacious, temperature controlled tanks in the hold of the ship. This new, specifically tailored design makes that possible.Monrad Hide, Rolls-Royce, General Manager - Fishing Vessels said: "The live fish carrying market is a growing one. This order demonstrates how our advanced ship designs can be tailored to specific purposes while retaining the world-leading features of fuel efficiency, lower operating costs and environmental performance.""This vessel marks a new era for this specialist segment of the fishing industry and we're delighted that Sølvtrans has chosen our design and equipment." The new Rolls-Royce NVC 386 design incorporates the Group's latest developments in hull design to ensure fuel efficiency, cost-effective operations and stability. The vessel features an advanced diesel-electric propulsion system including two Bergen C 6 diesel engines and a hybrid shaft generator which significantly reduces energy consumption ...

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The UK firms who tackle Somali pirates

The influx of British private security firms to Somalia echoes their spread after the 2003 Iraq war The release of a UK hostage in Somalia has drawn attention to the British security firms which are increasingly dominating Somalia's lucrative anti-piracy industry.It was a family ransom which ultimately secured the release of Hertfordshire social worker Judith Tebbutt this week, but there have been media reports of negotiators who paved the way for the 56-year-old's safe return.With the UK government saying it refuses to talk to kidnappers, the door has opened for private security firms to fill the void in this troubled African country.The Times reported that specialist lawyers at one such company, Control Risks, spent months thrashing out the deal - but the firm will not confirm or deny helping free the mother.Andy Bearpark, director of the British Association of Private Security Companies, says negotiators are making "enormous" amounts of money, but carry a heavy burden.'Capability gap'"It's a relationship of trust, and as in all negotiations, it's a question of little steps, where you build up that relationship," he said."It's an art, or skill, or science in its own right, which exists regardless of participants. The fact that one is morally ...

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Firearms Restriction Is Big Issue For Training Armed Guards

Current UK law that prohibits private maritime security companies from training with firearms The current UK law that prohibits private maritime security companies from training with firearms in the UK contradicts the International Code of Conduct and could encourage firms to cut corners.Maritime Asset Security and Training director Phillip Cable said the firearms issue was a difficult one to overcome. The ICOC includes an obligation that men deployed in complex environments are trained with the weapons they are going to use and also have refresher training."The private maritime security industry is growing and is fairly new and international in nature. There is currently little formal regulation. The ICOC has been drafted by the Swiss and it is good, but there are questions over how far it understands the space we operate in," he said. "Thirty years in the British army may provide great experience, but it doesn't mean someone will be experienced with the right type of weapons."In the UK, firearms commonly used by PMSCs are prohibited. There has been a change in UK law that allows security companies to apply for permission to purchase, possess and export firearms. However, they are not allowed to train with these firearms. Mr ...

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Cut ship pollution but negotiate to stop gold-plating of EU rules

Say MPs More stringent limits are essential to cut sulphur emissions from ships, but the UK government must negotiate to ensure the EU Directive goes no further than the revised MARPOL Annex VI agreed in 2008, say MPs in a report examining a draft EU directive aimed at curbing this significant source of air pollution.Launching Sulphur emissions by ships, Louise Ellman, Chair of the Transport Committee said,"We endorse the Government's support for the more stringent regulation of sulphur emissions contained within the revised Annex VI because it will markedly improve air quality and deliver significant health and environmental benefits. These regulations were agreed on a worldwide basis through the International Maritime Organisation after several years of discussion.We believe that it's not appropriate for the Commission to go further than these globally-agreed limits by imposing tighter regulations on shipping operators at this time. We therefore endorse the UK Government's efforts to resist any additional requirements.We do not agree, however, with the Minister's assertion that the Government will not negotiate with the Commission on its proposals; the Government will have to forge alliances with other Member States. We recommend that UK negotiators focus on removing the tighter emissions limits for passenger ships ...

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Mixed Reaction Towards Outcome Of UK Somalia Conference

Cautions against any move to ban ransom payments to pirates The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) - the principal international trade association for shipowners representing all sectors and trades and over 80% of the world merchant fleet - has responded to the outcome of the intergovernmental conference on Somalia hosted by the United Kingdom on 23 February.The shipping industry welcomes the commitments made to try to restore government and civil society in Somalia - the absence of a functioning state being one of the underlying causes of violent Somali pirate attacks against international shipping, which have so far led to more than 60 seafarers losing their lives and 4,000 seafarers being taken hostage. However, addressing these issues will take years if not decades.The international shipping industry notes with some concern that the Conference outcomes do not appear to include any firm political commitment or new actions to eliminate or significantly reduce the scourge of Somali piracy in the immediate future.Governments must task their military forces to take the attack to the pirates and ensure that the military assets required to do this are maintained so they can continue to defend merchant ships in the best way possible. Little mention seems ...

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Eight Foreign Ships Under Detention In The UK

During January 2012 The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) announced today that eight foreign flagged ships were under detention in UK ports during January 2012 after failing Port State Control (PSC) inspection.Latest monthly figures show that there were three new detentions of foreign flagged ships in UK ports during January 2012 and five 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 Decembers twelve month rate. Out of the detained vessels two were registered with a flag state listed on the Paris MOU white list, two were registered with a flag state on the grey list two were registered with a flag state on the black list and two were unregistered.1.In response to one of the recommendations of Lord Donaldsons Inquiry into the prevention of pollution from merchant shipping and in compliance with the EU Directive on Port State Control (95/21/EC as amended), the Maritime and Coastguard agency (MCA) publishes full details of the foreign flagged vessels detained in UK ports each month.2. Inspections of foreign flagged ships in UK ports are undertaken by surveyors from the Maritime and Coastguard ...

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Britain funds Seychelles anti-piracy plan

Britain will spend $870,000 Britain said this week it will spend $870,000 to fund an anti-piracy intelligence center in the Seychelles to help with international policing efforts.British Foreign Secretary William Hague announced the measure Tuesday in London, saying it will be used to target "pirate kingpins" operating out of Somalia and the Horn of Africa."The establishment of a new intelligence coordination center will allow the international community to target the kingpins of piracy and ensure piracy does not pay," Hague said.The new Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Center will be used to collect and disseminate intelligence about pirate activity to tactical officers in the Gulf of Aden, then assemble obtained evidence and make it usable in court prosecutions.That way, pirate gang leaders based on land can better be brought to justice, Hague said."For too long, the international community has focused its efforts on the young desperate men who are sent out to sea, without seeking to hold to account those who finance and enable huge pirate operations," he said.The new intelligence center, however, "will ensure that is no longer the case."Also joining to fund its start-up are Interpol as well as the Seychelles and Dutch governments.Hague, speaking before the Thursday ...

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Argentina: Actions against UK linked vessels

Information by the North of England P&I Club As a result of the escalation of events between the Argentine and UK governments regarding ownership of the Falkland Islands, the Argentine Confederation of Transport Workers (CATT) has introduced measures to delay the provision of tug services to vessels arriving or departing from Argentinean ports.We have received the following information from our local correspondents regarding the measures introduced by CATT:The local stevedores union (SOMU), under the umbrella of the Argentine Confederation of Transport Workers (CATT), has announced that it will stall the loading and unloading of British flagged ships, in response to renewed tensions between the UK and Argentina over the ownership of the Falklands. Recently, a bulk carrier, a chemical and a container ship suffered delays of up to 6 hours on both arrival and departure in local ports.Unfortunately, the boycott does not seem to be limited to British flagged ships, with CATT delaying entry of a bulk carrier with a Panamanian flag, a chemical tanker with a Singapore flag (but owned by a Norwegian Owner) and a container ship operated by a Danish owner.According to the head of SOMU, the objective is to force the UK to negotiate with Argentina ...

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Pirate threat means more armed guards on UK ships

UK ships are allowed to carry armed teams A number of major UK shipping companies now carry armed teams to combat the threat of Somali pirates, a leading industry security spokesman has said.The prime minister said in October that UK ships could carry armed teams.Gavin Simmonds, defence and security head at the Chamber of Shipping, estimated that 20-30% of UK ships in the high risk area had armed guards.But a security industry spokesman said the process for approving security firms was "not fit for purpose"."There are a number of major UK companies who would not have wanted to have gone against the government's advice and did not change their policy on this until after the prime minister's announcement was made," Mr Simmonds told the BBC News website.But since then they had started the practice of carrying armed guards, he went on, "And I am totally confident that they are being carried in compliance with all the new procedures."He was speaking as the UK prepared to host an international conference on the problems of Somalia on Thursday.However, Peter Cook, director of the Security Association of the Maritime Industry (SAMI), said the circumstances surrounding approval of companies to provide armed teams for ...

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International community targets pirate kingpins

New Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Co-ordination Centre in Seychelles Foreign Secretary William Hague announced that the UK is to provide the Director and fund the construction of the new Regional Anti-Piracy Prosecutions Intelligence Co-ordination Centre (RAPPICC) based in the Seychelles.The RAPPICC will coordinate and analyse intelligence to inform tactical law enforcement options, including the turning of intelligence into useable evidence for prosecutions both in the region and further afield.Additional action by the International Maritime Organisation and the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia will ensure that shipping travelling through the Gulf of Aden has access to the best and most up to date advice on how to help tackle the scourge of piracy off the coast of Somalia.These new measures come two days ahead of the London Conference on Somalia, which is bringing together over 50 countries and international organisations to agree a series of practical measures to support Somalia including further measures to tackle piracy and its root causes.Piracy is a symptom as well as a cause of Somalia's lack of stability and it is essential that we continue to build on the success so far in combating it. We know that the problems of piracy ...

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