Weekly Edition 4th of June 2009

BIMCO leads move to keep ships unarmed

Owners’ group says arming merchant vessels is an ‘admission of failure’

Netherlands backs calls for global piracy tribunal

THE Netherlands is the latest country to call for the establishment of an international tribunal to try pirates.

Navy convert MISC joins anti-piracy push

IN THE latest bid to beat Somali pirates, Malaysian shipowner MISC has converted one of its feeder containerships into a naval auxiliary vessel to protect its ships, writes Marcus Hand in Singapore .

Stolt Strength suffers second attack

STOLT Strength, the chemical tanker held for five months by Somali pirates prior to being released in April, was again attacked some 50 miles north of Bab al Mandeb on Sunday, according to private sector security sources in the region.

Pirates attack Stolt Strength again

STOLT Strength, the chemical tanker held for five months by Somali pirates prior to being released in April, was again attacked some 50 miles north of Bab al Mandeb on Sunday, according to private sector security sources in the region.

Box lines slap piracy surcharge at Mombasa

TWO unnamed container lines have reportedly imposed piracy surcharges of $25 per teu and double that for a forty foot box for containers discharged in the key regional hub of Mombasa, according to the East African newspaper.

Netherlands backs calls for international piracy tribunal

THE Netherlands is the latest country to call for the establishment of an international tribunal to try pirates.

Navy convert MISC joins anti-piracy push

IN THE latest bid to beat Somali pirates, Malaysian shipowner MISC has converted one of its feeder containerships into a naval auxiliary vessel to protect its ships, writes Marcus Hand in Singapore.

Iranians and Pakistanis among Somali pirates

IRANIAN and Pakistani nationals were discovered among a group of pirates in the Gulf of Aden captured by the Russian navy some weeks ago, according to Russian media sources.

Rescue mission Passengers flee blazing Italian ferry

Serious blaze: 500 passengers were helped off the 1999-built Vincenzo Florio after fire broke out on board the ferry while en route from Naples to Palermo.

Hebei Two set to be released by South Korea

THE HEBEI Two’s prolonged captivity at the hands of the South Korean authorities looks set to end shortly. South Korean diplomats said last week they expected Jasprit Chawla and Syam Chetan would be allowed to head home to India, ending more than 18 months of incarceration in South Korea.

MSC Napoli final removal under way

WORK on the removal of the remaining section of the MSC Napoli is now under way, according to a statement from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA).

Casualty Briefs - 4th June 2009

 

Royal Navy intercepts two armed skiffs

A ROYAL Navy frigate has intercepted and disarmed two suspected pirate boats in the Gulf of Aden as part of the combined anti-piracy task force, the US Navy confirmed.

BIMCO trials new ship and voyage security tool

INTERNATIONAL shipping organisation BIMCO has introduced a web-based analytical tool to help ship operators and their masters assess security risks ahead of specific voyages.

Higher piracy surcharges threatened for East Africa services

CMA CGM has confirmed it is one of the container lines levying a piracy surcharge.

Australian exports: stuck in a slow lane

AUSTRALIA needs to improve its export procedures now, or risk being left behind on the international trade stage. That is the message from Deakin University international trade expert Dr Cong Pham, whose latest research in association with the World Bank revealed that Australia took much longer to export goods than some OECD peers due to red tape.

Talks explore the idea of taking gas to Newcastle

WHILE it was still early days, the idea of having a liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at the port of Newcastle had “real potential”, Eastern Star Gas chief commercial officer Roland Sleeman said.

Port of Brisbane to mull joining fee spree

PORT of Brisbane Corporation has refused to be drawn on speculation it is about to increase its wharfage fees by up to 25%.

Mixed results in latest Port Botany landside trial

IMPORTERS used as little as 20% of the weekend vehicle booking system slots available at Port Botany over a two-week period in April, a trial has found.

Call to back cruise tourism after Pacific Dawn chaos

CARNIVAL Australia chief executive Ann Sherry had no doubt of the damage the panicky response to swine flu and the media circus surrounding it might do. And that applied to Australia’s tourism industry in general, not only the cruise sector in particular.

Stuck in the slow lane

Australian exports: stuck in a slow lane......

NOL shares suspended ahead of statement

 

Queensland warning on fire sale

CONCERN that Queensland might embark on another Dalrymple Bay-style privatisation was behind the Queensland Resources Council’s (QRC) call for asset-sales caution, a QRC spokesman said last week. It wanted to avoid the Beattie Government’s error of sidelining users from any ports or rail sale process, the spokesman said.

Fortescue squares off another dispute

PILBARA iron ore producer Fortescue Metals Group last week reached an out of court settlement in a dispute with capesize operator Classic Maritime.

Infrastructure breakthrough

FORTESCUE Metals Group has agreed in principle to provide rail haulage and port services for BC Iron’s Nullagine mine in the eastern Pilbara, BC Iron said last week.

SAL seeks action on incidents

SHIPPING Australia (SAL) will take up its concerns about recent maritime incidents with the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), SAL chief executive Llew Russell said last week.

NSW shunting rolling stock on to GrainCorp

GRAINCORP has welcomed New South Wales Government agreement for ownership and management of the state’s branch line, or “broad acre”, trains to pass to it, the agribusiness said last week.

Melbourne wharfies refuse to load Pacific Brands box

WATERSIDE workers at Melbourne’s West Swanson Dock were this week refusing to load a container of Pacific Brands plant equipment bound for China as part of a protest at the company’s sacking of almost 2000 of its Australian employees.

Long road ahead for Tasmanian rail freight works

TASMANIA’S north-south rail line will not reopen until the end of June, state infrastructure minister Graeme Sturges said last week after his government and operator Pacific National agreed to a works program.

Fear Victoria is dragging chain on national plan

THE FEDERAL Government expected Victoria to pose no threat to the harmonisation of maritime safety in Australia, a spokesman for federal transport minister Anthony Albanese said last week.

Shipowners’ hands are full juggling today’s complex challenges

HAVING spent the past two weeks at the annual general meetings of the International Chamber of Shipping, International Shipping Federation (ISF) and Asian Shipowners Forum, several major issues clearly have the attention of the international shipowning community.

Shipowners’ hands are full juggling today’s complex challenges

HAVING spent the past two weeks at the annual general meetings of the International Chamber of Shipping, International Shipping Federation (ISF) and Asian Shipowners Forum, several major issues clearly have the attention of the international shipowning community.

Stopping piracy: on land or sea?

Maritime security specialists from US think tank Rand Corp talk to David Osler about a complex problem that may require some unconventional solutions

Measuring the impact of supersized ships

The rapid growth in the scale and power of tonnage has fired up the imagination of French shipping but the economies of scale offered by such behemoths are counter-weighed by the additional risks posed by larger hulls and cargoes.

When is a tax not a tax?

When it’s a contribution to a maritime greenhouse gas fund. A worldwide tax on bunker fuel is the best way to tackle shipping’s greenhouse gas emissions, argues Justin Stares. But supporters have almost no chance of success

Idle bulk carriers on rise

THE NUMBER of bulk carriers idle at ports around the world has risen over the last month, at a time when surging iron ore and coal shipments have seen rates more than double for larger vessels.

Forwarders attack Rotterdam Rules

EUROPEAN freight forwarders have stepped up their criticism of the Rotterdam Rules, describing the still-to-be-ratified cargo liability convention as “a very extended grey area of uncertainty” that will add to supply-chain confusion.

MSC back to Suez

MEDITERRANEAN Shipping Co (MSC) is routing all its Asia-Europe services through the Suez Canal in both directions, having apparently stopped diverting some ships round the Cape of Good Hope.

Asia-Europe rates worst

FREIGHT rates for shipping containers from Asia to Europe halved in the early weeks of the year as lines were hammered by an unprecedented collapse in cargo volumes.

Kenya accuses lines of using piracy fears to justify fee

TWO unnamed container lines have imposed piracy surcharges of US$25 per teu and double that for a 40 ft box for containers discharged in the key regional hub of Mombasa, according to local press reports.

Financial flu slows up project cargo but prognosis is good

As the global financial crisis swoops through the world, project cargo has not been spared the pinch. However operators expect the impact of the downturn to be short.

Secret of success in the packing

EXPERIENCE is a huge indicator of how successful a project cargo has been executed. Just ask Deugro Projects Australia.

Company has green touch in moving wind farms

THE POWER generation and renewable energy sectors continue to be one of Deugro Projects’ largest growth areas in the Australasian region, according to the group’s managing director Tobias Schultz.

Agility signs gas deal with Chevron

AGILITY Project Logistics has finalised a $250m deal with Chevron Australia to supply base operations and transport services for the Gorgon gas project in Western Australia.

New crane is big boost for NZ’s Tauranga port

NEW ZEALAND’S Port of Tauranga welcomed its fifth ship-to-shore Liebherr gantry crane from Ireland on May 19.

Plea for practical port progress

IF SOME of Australia’s ports do not get a revamp soon, they may find themselves unable to cater for upcoming project cargo activities, according to Asiaworld Shipping Services managing director Ken Fitzpatrick.

Rising to challenge of crawler cranes

TO FIND out a thing or two about the transportation of mine-related equipment and machinery and to build infrastructure, then it is not necessary to look further than International Export Group (IEG).

Tugs and barges tailor service for the north

SEA SWIFT, owner and operator of a fleet of vessels in Far North Queensland, allocates two tugs and barges to carry out project work through direct voyage charters.

New ro-ro is added to Airbus logistics chain

A THIRD ro-ro vessel, purpose-built to support the intra-European Airbus logistics chain, has been delivered by Singapore Technologies Marine Shipyard to Fret Cetam, a joint venture between Höegh Autoliners and Louis Dreyfus Armateurs.

Newbuildings aid flexibility

THE LATEST large car and truck carrier for Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics, the 71,673gt Tijuca, was named in Melbourne recently.

Tankers slip below line

ALL but one of the Baltic Exchange’s crude oil tanker routes showed time charter equivalent earnings below operating costs last Friday.

Capesize rally to fizzle as China cuts ore imports

THE RECENT rally in capesize bulk carriers is likely to be short-lived, as China’s iron ore imports decline from a record level, a leading London-based shipbroking house predicted.

Japanese demand steel price cuts

NEWS that Nippon Steel has negotiated a 33% price cut in its iron ore supplies from Australian miner Rio Tinto has bolstered Japanese shipyards’ stance in their fight for greater reductions in steel plate prices.

Capesize paper market jumps 25%

THE CAPESIZE market has sprung back to life on the back of a surge in iron ore demand from China. Capesize paper spiked 25% on May 27 as China’s relentless demand for iron ore shipments saw transatlantic spot rates from Brazil jump by more than US$10,000 in one day.

Shipowners shunning gulf over piracy fears

SHIPOWNERS prepared to risk Gulf of Aden transits are negotiating “crazy” rates, as charterers report rising difficulties finding bulk carriers willing to take cargoes through pirate-infested shipping routes.

Safety campaign aims to reduce fire onboard

FIRES and explosions on board vessels remain a significant hazard at sea, despite rigorous port state control inspections carried out to target shortcomings on vessels.

Calls for more naval forces after attack

A GREEK shipowner whose bulk carrier came under attack in the Gulf of Aden last week has launched an impassioned plea for more naval protection in the area.

US Navy pinpoints pirate prone vessels

CHARACTERISTICS of vessels most in danger of being boarded in the Gulf of Aden and of those most likely to escape the attention of pirates, have been profiled by US Navy Intelligence.

Owners told to invest now to fend off crewing crisis

THE FINANCIAL crisis will not end the shortage of qualified seafarers and shipowners need to invest in cadet training now, says the head of the Norwegian Training Center – Manila (NTCM), in the Philippines.

Warning on tanker newbuildings

JOHN Fredriksen’s Frontline believes that as much as a third of the tanker newbuilding orderbook could be delayed or cancelled after the company culled a similar proportion of its own newbuilding program.

APL rates chance of rise

NEPTUNE Orient Lines container shipping arm APL is making a second attempt to raise rates on the Asia-Europe trade this year, writes Marcus Hand.

Box lines face huge loss

THE WORLD’S container lines could be heading for collective losses of US$10bn this year, according to Mitsui OSK Lines president Akimitsu Ashida.

Financial crisis to see Asia dominate shipping

WHAT might feel like a global shipping meltdown will in hindsight be viewed as a worldwide shift to an Asian domination of the maritime industries.

Hong Kong cruise move

PRELIMINARY work will start by December on the development of a state-of-the-art but long-delayed HK$5.6bn (US$718m) cruise terminal in Hong Kong, with the first berth set for first use in mid-2013.

Queensland Budget – brace for sale

YOU CAN take the coal out of Queensland, but can you take the royalties out of the Budget?

Booking a passage on the good ship, big sail

MELBOURNE’S Port Ed Centre was a fitting place for the launch last week of Kate Lance’s celebration of the life of Alan Villiers.

Residual terror threat hangs over shipping in Sri Lanka

Port investment potential if stability returns following Sea Tigers demise and death of Tamil leader

Pirates attack bulk carrier off southern Malaysia

BULK carrier Garnet was attacked by pirates in the early hours of Monday morning, according to the Singapore-based reporting centre ReCaap.

Step up anti-piracy fight, urges BIMCO

SHIPPING association BIMCO has appealed for greater urgency and stronger action from the international community to stamp out piracy in the Gulf of Aden, with the emphasis on initiatives on land rather than on the seas off the Somali coast.