Tag: West of England Club

Mark Dunbar, Surveys Manager, West P&I Club provides recommendations on fitting and removal of temporary lashing points, after the club receiving a number of high value claims arising from these operations.

The EU’s fifth package of sanctions against Russia included a prohibition on Russian flagged ships entering EU ports after 16 April 2022. Under this light, the West P&I Club provides further information on the matter.

Every trade route has its unique risks. This principle stands across the maritime industry, especially for the smaller vessel classes that typically prefer fixed premium P&I cover. Indeed, these vessels will often face some challenging, complex risks that larger oceangoing ships will not, argues Mr. Damian Mustard, Senior Underwriter at West of England P&I / West Fixed. 

In light of the coronavirus outbreak and the major disruptions that has brought, the International Group and its 13 constituent P&I Clubs joined forces and issued a strong message to draw attention on the crew change crisis.

The South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD) Rule 1142 relating to gaseous leaks from tank vessels will continue to be enforced despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

West P&I Club informs that the Argentinian National Service for Health and Agrifood Quality (SENASA) is officializing the approval and implementation of a resolution, to set control measures following the Asian Gypsy Moth. 

As the West of England P&I Club says, it is well known that fires on ships require a lot of effort to address, they risk all those on board and they present extreme danger to the vessel. Engine room fires are especially challenging to put out, because of the potential confined nature of the scene and an abundance of fire triangle elements: heat, fuel and air.

While South African authorities used 'to turn a blind eye to fishing', the Department of Fisheries and Forestry has now appointed inspectors who attend on vessels to check whether there is any illegal fish onboard, the West Club informed citing information by the South Africa P&I Associates (Pty) Ltd.

As the West of England reports, the Asian Gypsy Moth (AGM) is a highly destructive forest pest that feeds on both deciduous and coniferous trees. The voracious appetite of AGM larvae (caterpillars) coupled with the ability of the female moth to travel significant distances, as much as 20 nautical miles, can cause widespread defoliation leaving trees weakened and susceptible to disease and other pests.

The West of England Club conducted an analysis on claims involving seafarers who have deserted their vessel, concerning the past ten years. Although these claims are not common and are not much of an expense to shipping companies, they can disrupt the operation of a vessel and take up management time to rectify. Sometimes, the deserter returns shortly, and other times they disappear for a considerable period of time.