News

Two More Tugs Sent to Assist Yantian Express
by The Maritime Executive
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Two more ocean-going tugs have been dispatched to meet the containership Yantian Express at a position about 900 nm southeast of Halifax. The Express has been drifting or moving ahead at a slow bell in the North Atlantic since January 3, when a cargo fire forced her crew to evacuate. 

The new additions to the salvage team are the DonJon-owned Atlantic Enterprise and the Boskalis AHTS Sovereign, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. The AHTS vessels Smit Nicobar and Maersk Mobiliser are already present and assisting. Operator Hapag-Lloyd says that the fire is now largely under control, thanks to a response effort headed up by salvage company Smit. Five crewmembers have returned to the Express to assist the operation. 

The Mobiliser has the Yantian Express in tow and is moving ahead at a "slow speed," but Hapag-Lloyd does not yet have an estimate for the time of her arrival at a port of refuge. The full extent of the damage from the fire is currently unknown. 

The cargo fire broke out on the foredeck of the Yantian Express as she transited about 650 nm off Canada's eastern seaboard. The blaze began in one container and spread to others. Efforts to extinguish the fire in the containers were launched immediately, but these initial operations had to be suspended due to a deterioration of the weather conditions. All crew safely evacuated from the Yantian Express onto the Smit Nicobar on January 6, and a subset returned to the vessel on January 9. 

China Dismantles Major Ivory Trafficking Syndicate
by The Maritime Executive
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

Chinese authorities have confirmed the capture and repatriation of the last of three of the key players in a massive ivory smuggling syndicate based in Shuidong, China.

In 2017, the Environmental Investigation Agency conducted undercover investigations into ivory smuggling in Mozambique and revealed a major Chinese-led crime syndicate operating out of the small Chinese town of Shuidong.

Over the course of more than a year, Agency investigators infiltrated the syndicate and uncovered the identity of ivory traffickers occupying key positions.

The findings were published in the 2017 report The Shuidong Connection: Exposing the global hub of the illegal ivory trade after the Agency had confidentially shared the information with the relevant Chinese authorities. The China Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau launched an extensive raid involving up to 500 officers in several locations in Shuidong and surrounding areas.

One of the three key figures was caught during these raids and subsequently jailed for 15 years. Follow-up operations resulted in the apprehension of the second key ivory trafficker who was tracked down in Tanzania and voluntarily returned to China to face trial. He was jailed for six years. Finally, the China Customs Anti-Smuggling Bureau (ASB) announced on January 5, 2019 it had apprehended and repatriated the last of the three main culprits linked to the Shuidong wildlife crime syndicate, from Nigeria.

Shuidong’s geographical location is advantageous to its role as China’s main raw ivory trading hub. To the east lies Hong Kong, one of the world’s busiest ports and an important transit route for bulk ivory shipments. To the west lies Guangxi Province, which shares a porous border with northern Vietnam where the port of Hai Phong is another frequent transit route for ivory. To the north-east lies Fujian Province, one of the biggest ivory processing areas in China.

Local Tanzanians were tasked with sourcing the poached tusks and storing ivory safely at locations on the mainland until a load of about three tons had been collected. The contraband would then be transported to Zanzibar on small vessels and stored at warehouses for packing in a container, concealed in legitimate and low-value goods such as seashells, plastics or agricultural products. 

One of the smugglers stated that only one in every 20 shipments was intercepted by authorities.

The Agency says that syndicates operating at this level were rarely specialists who trade exclusively in, for example, ivory. Traders instead seek to exploit legal loopholes, poorly regulated transport and logistic networks, and weak enforcement to trade in multiple threatened species. As well as elephant ivory, the Shuidong syndicate also traded in pangolins from Africa and Asia, totoaba fish maws from Mexico, rhino horn from Africa and had previously traded in sea cucumbers from Tanzania. 

During the course of the investigation, the Agency witnessed the group shifting its operations from savannah elephant ivory to forest elephant ivory and pangolin scales. Pangolin scales are becoming increasingly attractive as an investment, as they are cheaper to source and less risky to smuggle; the profit margins are higher than for either type of ivory. These pangolin scales are being traded to dealers and traditional Chinese medicine producers in China, who then sell them on to pharmaceutical companies. The syndicate was able to move rapidly from one group of species to another, and the main factor driving the decision to trade or not is, of course, profit. 

Transnational crime converging across Africa 

A series of analytical reviews recently published by INTERPOL under the ENACT project has highlighted the linkages between different types of transnational organized crime across Africa.

Findings suggest crime syndicates remain highly connected across borders on the continent and are active in a number of illicit markets. “No community, region or country is untouched by the effects of transnational organized crime and terrorism. Their impact is global, and their convergence represents an evolving threat which extends beyond Africa,” said INTERPOL Secretary General Jürgen Stock.

Key findings of the reports:

•  Transnational organized crime and violent extremism are increasingly interconnected. Criminals, terrorists and armed insurgents alike are profiting from crime and, through illicit trafficking routes and networks, are moving people and products, creating fault lines from one region to the next across Africa.

•  Operating in the shadow of the global economy, traffickers are progressively diversifying and interconnecting their activities, including drug trafficking, people smuggling, arms trafficking, wildlife crime, illegal logging, as well as fake medicines. Trafficking in cultural artifacts increasingly involves criminal organizations across the continent.

•  Drug trafficking is a growing and cross-cutting threat across Africa, with drug cartels and criminal groups operating illicit networks to connect crime markets across the continent and around the globe. Africa is a consumption, production and transit hub for various illicit drugs, with an estimated 18 tons of cocaine originating from South America and destined for Europe transiting through West Africa every year.

•  Migrants moving illegally across the continent are vulnerable to human trafficking and high levels of violence, with North Africa a transit hub for migrants seeking to reach Europe. While all aspects of human trafficking, including sexual and labor exploitation, occur on the continent, cases of human trafficking victims auctioned in open markets or falling prey to organ removal scams have been seen detected in some African regions.

•  The continent’s rapid technological development, including its e-commerce industry and mobile technologies, has come with a proliferation of cybercrime and illicit online activities. Criminal networks are exploiting the continent’s weak IT infrastructure, with threats including ransomware, new malware and social media scams. Online identity theft is also a concern, with the threat of terrorists purchasing forged documents as part of packages sold online to enter other countries.

The ENACT project is funded by the European Union and implemented by INTERPOL and the Institute for Security Studies, in partnership with the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime.

Royal Navy Delivers for Antarctic Ice Research Effort
by The Maritime Executive
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

The Royal Navy survey ship HMS Protector smashed through nearly 300 miles of Antarctic ice to help scientists begin a five-year mission to understand how West Antarctica is contributing to global sea-level rise.

Working together with British Antarctic Survey’s vessel RRS Ernest Shackleton, the ice-strengthened vessel crunched her way to a remote Antarctic ice shelf to support a team of around 100 scientists who seek to understand a glacier the size of Great Britain.

The gigantic Thwaites Glacier is melting – accounting for four per cent of the annual sea level rise every year. Scientists fear the huge mass of ice could eventually collapse, raising the global sea level 80 centimetres – more than two and a half feet – and so are beginning a five-year programme of field activities on the glacier.

With the nearest British and American scientific research stations more than 850 nm away from the research site, the two ships were called upon to deliver essential heavy stores to the ice edge in preparation for the arrival of the scientists next year.

The two vessels delivered four large tracked vehicles, 14 snow mobiles, numerous sledges, a caboose to act as living quarters, fuel and food to last nearly 5,000 days.

Upon arriving at the Stange Ice Shelf, a team went on to the ice to dig deep holes to secure the ship’s berthing lines. The crew then worked around the clock for 72 hours with their colleagues from the British Antarctic Survey to offload around 300 tonnes of equipment, machinery and supplies as quickly as possible.

“It was hard work yet extremely rewarding; having the opportunity to play a small part in such a huge project is something that I will certainly look back on with pride later in my life,” said Leading Engineering Technician Colin ‘Chappers’ Chapman, part of the team involved in the unloading.

The sailors and Royal Marines took a short break from the lifting and shifting to play rugby, a match organised by HMS Protector’s physical training instructor, David Clayton-Charlesworth.

“Without the assistance of HMS Protector, we just couldn’t have delivered all the necessary cargo to this remote part of West Antarctica in time to begin this vital research programme, which will help us predict future global sea-level rise," said BAS Director of Science Professor David Vaughan. “This partnership with the Royal Navy has been enormously valuable and the kit they have delivered will mean that our joint UK/US science teams can begin their fieldwork on schedule next year.”

HMS Protector has been away from its home port since September 2015, and she will not return home until May next year. She spends the summer in the Southern Hemisphere conducting research on the fringes of the frozen continent and austral winters in milder waters off West and East Africa.

Petition Started for Forty Abandoned Seafarers
by The Maritime Executive
Tuesday, January 15, 2019

The human rights charity Justice Upheld has launched a petition calling for action to help 40 seafarers abandoned in UAE waters.

The British charity is instructed by the international crews comprising of Indian, Sudanese, Tanzanian, Eritreans, Filipino and Ethiopian migrant workers on board various ships owned by Elite Way Marine Services, who say they have been abandoned at sea, some without pay for over 27 months.

Justice Upheld says the seafarers are enduring endure appalling and inhumane living conditions on board the unseaworthy ships and that they are denied access to medical treatment. Some of the seafarers have been posting videos of conditions on board.

 

abandoned Indians & Iratriya seafarers stranded by elite way marine UAE, stranded for 27mths @HHShkMohd@PMOIndia @SushmaSwaraj @hratsea @nchro@IndembAbuDhabi @ProtectorGenGOI @hrw @Justice_Upheld @sushilrTOI @LogicalIndians pic.twitter.com/A7tBqIc28D

— Shaheen Sayyed (@nihahs24) January 10, 2019

“We understand that one of seafarers is a diabetic; he has been denied access to medical treatment,” says Jas Uppal, founder of the charity. “The men are clearly traumatized.”

She claims that Elite Way Marine Services has confiscated the passports of all of the seafarers and is ignoring all communication from them.

Anecdotal evidence collected by Justice Upheld directly from victims of abandonment confirms that abandonment is widely practiced in the Gulf States. “The disturbing practice of ‘abandonment’ is a deliberate ploy used by some shipping companies in the Gulf States to avoid paying the salaries of migrant workers. It is targeted and discriminatory. The intention is clearly to exploit the migrant workers,” she says. “It is enslavement - modern slavery. Defenders and protectors of human rights must show solidarity by supporting this cause.”

The charity's research indicates that trade unions  have extremely limited presence and influence in the Gulf States. “It is game of wits used by shipping companies predominantly in the Gulf States to force seafarers to leave without the income due to them or compromise and settle for considerably less than due to them.”

In July last year, Justice Upheld acted to bring about the rescue of 17 seafarers abandoned by various maritime companies on Kish Island in Iran. None had been paid for over two years. 

Thales Enables the Big Ambitions of Iridium Certus and Global Partners
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 14, 2019

Marking the successful final launch to deploy the Iridium NEXT constellation, which occurred Friday, January 11, 2019, Thales announces it has signed Marlink and Speedcast to expand its official network of resellers for ThalesLINK satellite communications (satcom) solutions. These solutions enable connectivity for people anytime, anywhere with Iridium CertusSM. This visible commitment to Iridium Certus was also recently recognized by Iridium who dedicated satellite SV-125 to Thales for its role as a value added manufacturer in aviation, land and maritime markets.

As Thales strengthens its footprint in the mobile satellite services domain, Marlink and Speedcast now have rights to sell and distribute the Thales MissionLINK and VesseLINK solutions, into a broad range of land-mobile and maritime markets. This reseller expansion further demonstrates Thales’ commitment to Iridium’s big ambitions as all ThalesLINK satcom solutions are Iridium Certus certified to ensure the best capabilities are available to customers who need decisive technologies for mobile connectivity.

“At any moment, any person in our world has the potential to be connected and those connections rely on Thales,” said Alan Pellegrini, CEO of Thales USA. “We are excited to have partners that will help us push the boundaries and enable connectivity for people no matter where they are in the world.”

Through rigorous validation and testing, Marlink and Speedcast helped create benchmark standards for customers who will use the Thales MissionLINK and VesseLINK solutions. Mirroring Thales’ extensive worldwide presence, they will provide complementary reach and customer support to users.

“Marlink’s position as a key partner enables ship owners globally to develop a value-driven path towards maritime digitalisation and we are committed to integrating innovative new services and technology into our network to provide even more flexibility,” said Tore Morten Olsen, President Maritime, Marlink. “We are confident that the combination of Iridium Certus and Thales antennas will deliver the bandwidth and availability that our customers need, contributing to their ability to modernise operations using innovative, satcom enabled solutions.”

“Speedcast is excited to be offering the Thales terminals as part of our Iridium Certus offering to our customers for our maritime, offshore, and land-based customers,” said Tim Bailey, Executive Vice President of Products, Marketing, and Business Development for Speedcast. “Being one of the first service providers offering Iridium Certus with Thales terminals continues Speedcast’s commitment to providing customers with cutting-edge solutions for their remote communications needs.”

The addition of Marlink and Speedcast to Thales’ certified satcom reseller network will help foster a more healthy and competitive reseller environment as they join AST, Comsat, Globalsat Group, MetOcean Telematics, MVS USA, Network Innovations, Pivotel, SpaceNet and Trace Systems, who were the first nine resellers to sign with Thales. Now more customers will be able to think smarter and act faster by leveraging Thales satcom solutions available anytime, anywhere on Iridium Certus.

CDP, Fincantieri and Snam Partner on Ports Innovation
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 14, 2019

Cassa depositi e prestiti (CDP), Fincantieri and Snam have signed a preliminary collaboration agreement aimed at identifying, defining and implementing medium-term strategic projects for the innovation and development of port facilities in Italy, as well as for the development of sustainable technologies applied to maritime transport, in line with the provisions of the National Integrated Energy and Climate Plan Proposal (PNIEC).

The agreement was signed today in Rome by the CEOs of CDP, Fabrizio Palermo, of Fincantieri, Giuseppe Bono, and of Snam, Marco Alverà.

In particular, the agreement focuses on:

• Ports and coastal areas – projects for building infrastructure for the supply, transformation and use of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and alternative energy sources in maritime transport within port facilities or coastal areas;

• New technologies and innovative energies – research, development and implementation of maritime transport systems based on new technologies (turbines for LNG modules, containment and management of liquid and gaseous methane systems), innovative energy sources (LNG, hydrogen, fuel cells);

• Engineering – sharing operating models and best practice between the respective engineering and construction departments;

• Energy efficiency – initiatives to increase consumption efficiency, with a particular focus on the naval and industrial sectors.

As part of the agreement, Fincantieri and Snam will share their technical skills by launching dedicated workshops. CDP will support these initiatives from an economic and financial point of view, in line with its institutional mission to support projects that have a positive impact on the country.

The agreement may be subject to subsequent binding agreements that the parties will define in compliance with the applicable regulatory profiles, including those relating to transactions between related parties.

Fabrizio Palermo, CEO of CDP, said: “The agreement signed today is part of the path laid out in our new business plan towards a full collaboration between the Group companies to further the country’s growth. Under this CDP agreement, Fincantieri and Snam will share their knowledge and technical expertise to make a concrete contribution to the competitiveness of maritime transport, a key sector for both the Italian and wider European economies”.

Fincantieri CEO, Giuseppe Bono, declared: “Environmental sustainability is fast becoming a significant megatrend. This agreement will allow us to enhance our wealth of experience and expertise in such a rapidly growing area. It’s a trend that impacts every industry, including the shipping sector, and as such we welcome this important agreement between three Italian powerhouses, with the aim of increasing the positions of acquired leadership.”

Snam CEO, Marco Alverà, commented: “With this agreement, thanks to the support of CDP, we join forces with Fincantieri to contribute to reducing energy costs and increasing the environmental sustainability of the Italian maritime sector and our cities. LNG and bio-LNG represent the future of sustainable mobility, particularly for the heavy and maritime transport sectors. As such, Snam will share its expansive knowledge and expertise in these areas with the Italian port system”.

Navy Divers Retrieve Lion Air Voice Recorder
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 14, 2019

Indonesian Navy divers have recovered a cockpit voice recorder from the Lion Air plane that crashed in the Java Sea on October 29 last year, killing all 189 people on board.

The recorder was discovered under 26 feet of mud in around 100 feet of water using a “ping locator.”

Shortly after takeoff from Jakarta, as it headed out over the Java Sea, Lion Air Flight JT 610 called air traffic control and requested permission to return to the airport. However, the plane did not turn around, and it was not heard from again. 

The flight data record was found three days after the crash, and a preliminary report by Indonesia's transport safety commission considered maintenance, training, the response of the plane's anti-stall system and a recently replaced sensor, but did not find a conclusive cause for the crash of the brand new Boeing 737. It is hoped that the information contained on the voice recorder will offer fresh insight.

The Navy was brought in after a 10-day search funded by Lion Air failed to find the recorder. 
The L3 Technologies Inc voice recorder was designed to send acoustic pings for 90 days - so after the end of January, finding it may have been significantly more difficult.

Lion Air CEO Edward Sirait told local media at the time of the crash that the aircraft's crew had reported unspecified problems during a flight the night before. The issue had been examined by ground crews, repaired and marked ready for flight. A pre-flight checklist revealed no issues, and Sirait said that the plane was "airworthy."

The aircraft, a Boeing 737 Max 8, had only flown for two months and 800 service hours prior to the crash. The Max 8 is among the latest editions of the 737 model, the world's most popular commercial jetliner. Boeing has delivered over 10,000 737s since 1967, and the new "Max" series offers better fuel efficiency and range than its predecessors. Boeing says that it has nearly 5,000 orders for the 737 Max series, making it the fastest-selling jet in the firm's history. The Max 8 variant made its first commercial flight in 2017.

Singapore Posts Second Best Ever Annual Bunker Sales for 2018
by Ship Bunker
Monday, January 14, 2019

Steady as she goes for the world's biggest bunker port as volumes and call for bunkers see a slight dip.

Oil Market Roundup - Monday Week 3
by Ship Bunker
Monday, January 14, 2019

Crude prices fall again, but the Saudis say they're not worried about a global economic slowdown.

Sewol Survivors Receive Payout
by The Maritime Executive
Monday, January 14, 2019

20 survivors of the Sewol ferry sinking are to receive a payout of approximately $71,000. The vessel's operator Cheonghaejin Marine is to make the payment as a result of a ruling this week in South Korea's Suwon District Court. Around 80 relatives are to receive lesser sums.

On April 16, 2014, the 6,825-ton Sewol capsized off the coast of South Korea. Over 300 people, mostly high school students, died after they obeyed orders to stay in their cabins.

Channel NewsAsia reports that a court statement said: “The survivors experienced considerable difficulty escaping the ship after getting little or no guidance from anyone and suffered so much fear and anxiety while trapped inside. The survivors and their families also suffer from various symptoms including post-traumatic stress disorder, depression and anxiety.”

In July 2018, Seoul's Central District Court ruled that families of the victims of the disaster be paid $176,000 each. 

The disaster was blamed on cargo overloading, previous modifications to the vessel and what the court described as an “incompetent” crew. However, last year a year-long investigation concluded that the cause of the sinking was either problems with the ship or an unknown external shock such as collision with a submarine or other object.

The South Korean government has been criticized for what is widely seen as its botched rescue attempt. Dozens of officials and company officers have since been prosecuted in relation to the case. 

Members of the crew have also been criticized. Survivors said that shipboard intercom announcements at the time of the accident told passengers to stay in their cabins and await help. Meanwhile, the captain and crew departed the ferry in lifeboats and were the first on board Coast Guard vessels that responded to the situation.

Captain Lee Jun-seok was sentenced to life in prison in 2015 for the crime of “murder through willful negligence.” In announcing its decision, the court said that “it is fair to say that the captain knowingly and totally abandoned his role when he left the ship fully aware that passengers would drown.” 14 lower ranking crew members received sentences of between two and 12 years.