HELCOM report shows sharp decrease in ship collisions in the Baltic
helcom
While every year there are more and more ships plying the waters of the Baltic Sea, the occurrence of ship-to-ship collisions, one of the most serious types of accidents at sea, has decreased sharply since 2005, especially in such a busy traffic area like the Gulf of Finland, according to the latest HELCOM study. Analysis [...]
Exxon Valdez Put to Rest
valdez
The most anticipated maritime law decision in recent years has been the decision in June 2008 by the U.S. Supreme Court that reduced the award of punitive damages against Exxon from $2.5 billion to $500 million. After nearly 20 years of litigation against Exxon and the captain of its vessel, the case is finally at [...]
EU lawmakers clear tougher safety rules
European Union lawmakers approved a series of proposals to strengthen shipping safety and prevent oil spills but the package still faces tough negotiations with the bloc’s governments.
The European Parliament’s package will clearly define tougher duties for states under whose flags ships operate and will clarify vessel owners’ liability and insurance obligations.
The proposed rules would also [...]
‘Tighten ship cargo rules’ call
Accident investigators have called for hazardous cargo on ships to be more tightly regulated following the deaths of two seamen in the Channel.
The pair suffocated when oxygen levels dropped in a storage area of their vessel, the Sava Lake, in the Straits of Dover in January this year.
The Latvian-registered vessel was transporting ferrous metal turnings.
A [...]
Crew crunch may compromise shipping safety standards
Safety standards within the shipping industry risk being compromised further as the world grapples with an increasing shortage of skilled ship crew, believe senior industry players.
Specialist shipping sectors such as LNG (liquefied natural gas), oil and chemical shipping that require highly skilled and experienced seafarers are some of the worst hit sectors in the industry.
Besides [...]
IMO agrees improved shipbuilding standards
International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has approved of improved shipbuilding standards aimed at passenger and cargoships.
The new construction rules, designed to increase a vessel’s chance of surviving an accident, were agreed at the IMO’s committee on stability and load lines headed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (Amsa).
They will come into force following final approval in [...]
Permission to foreign seafarers to be employed on Indian flag vessels.
Background:
1. Shipping industry is one of the most globalized industries operating in a highly competitive business environment that is far more liberalized than most of the other industries and is, thus, intricately [...]
LNG Carriers Feel Pinch Of Officer Shortage.
LNG Carrier
The current ‘credit crunch’ has affected all industrial sectors and shipping is no exception to this. However, in the industry, one of the prevailing concerns in recent years has been the existing and anticipated significant shortfall in seafarers and qualified officers capable of fulfilling roles on vessels, and this one is likely to persist [...]
Boat capsizes, 10 children dead.
New Delhi - At least 10 children drowned and 10 more missing when a boat capsized on Friday in a river in India’s northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a news agency reported.
Police said the boat capsized in the Tons river in the Azamgarh district which is located 280km southeast of the state capital Lucknow, the [...]
