Tag: UK

On March 12, during night hours the HM Coastguard rescued six crewmembers from a disabled fishing vessel off Lands End in challenging weather conditions. All six members were airlifted, whereas the Coastguard continues monitoring the drifting vessel.

The Baltic Ports Organisation conducted a seminar in order for discussions to begin concerning port emissions in European ports. Approximately 80 participants gathered in Gdynia, Poland, in the early days of March to discuss the issue of air pollution in ports. 

The British Office and Taiwan International Ports Corporation signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on joint co-operation of Taiwan’s offshore wind development. Under this cooperation, both countries will exchange information in the areas of policy, strategy, technology, operations and maintenance.

The Port of Rotterdam Authority, the Municipality of Rotterdam, the Municipality of Vlaardingen and highways authority Rijkswaterstaat, are creating five new buffer parking sites. Trucks will be able to wait there at a temporary base if their customs documents have not been properly prepared for maritime crossings to the UK, when the country leaves the European Union on 29 March 2019.

HM Coastguard was called into action after a 25ft humpback whale beached itself at Oban in Scotland, on 28 February. A multi-agency response was called for with Oban, Appin and Inveraray Coastguard Rescue Teams all sent along with Police Scotland and the Scottish Fire & Rescue Service.

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2019, Maritime UK and its Women in Maritime Taskforce will mark the launch of two new resources aimed at promoting gender diversity within the maritime sector. The two new resources aim to respond to specific challenges companies have raised in their mission to improve diversity.

As the UK P&I Club informs, on 21 February the English High Court ordered charterers to provide security for the release of a ship under an LOI given to enable cargo to be delivered without production of the original bills of lading. Providing its comment on the decision, the UK Club stated that it is clearly a positive development that the Court interpreted clause 3 of the IG standard LOI favourably for shipowners.

The UK government will announce plans to increase the proportion of women working in the offshore wind sector and triple the number of highly skilled jobs, on March 7. The plan also aims to increase the number of green collar jobs in the industry to 27,000 jobs by 2030, up from 7,200 today. Ensuring more diversity in the low carbon economy is part of the UK government’s commitment to create a fair workplace.

The Port of Tyne secured a £60m refinancing package from Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking to support its investment programme. The five-year agreement includes a £30m revolving credit facility and a £30m term loan, in order for the port to develop a number of major infrastructure projects. Lloyds Bank will lend up to £700million during 2019 to companies across the North East, and up to £18billion across the UK.

The UK Chamber and trade union Nautilus International met with UK's Shipping Minister Nusrat Ghani last week to discuss the recognition of UK Certificates of Competency following the UK’s departure from the European Union. UK Chamber CEO, Bob Sanguinetti, said that the Minister is committed to guarantee that UK seafarers will still be able to work for EU operators.