Somali pirates release Greek ship
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The East Africa Seafarers Assistance Program (SAP) issued a statement today confirming that the bulk carrier CAPT. STEFANOS (sometimes spelled CAPT STEPHANOS) was released by its hijackers yesterday.
The vessel was captured by Somali pirates in September along with her crew of 19 in the Gulf of Aden.
“The Greek ship-owner’s company Chartworld Shipping Corporation (Athens) finally [...]
Terror on high seas, now a major worry for ship owners
Plummeting freight rates and shrinking cargo as a result of the global financial meltdown are not the only issues presently gnawing at shipping companies. The recent flare-up of terror on high seas, off the coast of Somalia, has become a sharper concern for ship owners.
Even after the Indian seafarers aboard Stolt Valor, which was hijacked [...]
Piracy scourge affecting India’s merchandise trade
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Twenty seven-year-old Jasmeet Singh, third officer with a Norwegian merchant vessel cruising along the Horn of Africa en route to the Mediterranean sea, is a worried man. Satellite phone usage on-board is limited to senior officers like the captain and chief engineer.
But these are exceptional times. Besides his family, Singh has repeatedly called four of [...]
2008 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea presented to Brazilian seafarer
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The 2008 IMO Award for Exceptional Bravery at Sea has been presented to a Brazilian seafarer who saved fellow crew members from a dangerous fire on a ship.
Mr. Rodolpho Fonseca da Silva Rigueira, of the drill ship Noble Roger Eason, nominated by the Government of Brazil, for his decisive, selfless action to rescue six fellow [...]
Legal Hurdles in West Slow Pursuit of Pirates
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Somali pirates firing automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades hijacked yet another ship in the Gulf of Aden on Friday, this time seizing a chemical tanker. A German military helicopter from a nearby warship arrived in time to pull three security guards out of the water, but not soon enough to prevent the hijacking of the [...]
Saudi, French Leaders Call For International Efforts To Protect Shipping
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French President Nicolas Sarkozy and Saudi King Abdullah on Saturday called for international efforts to protect shipping in the Gulf of Aden amid a spate of attacks by Somali pirates. The two leaders also discussed the global financial crisis and Middle East peace, during a brief visit by Sarkozy to Saudi Arabia, the official SPA [...]
Shoppers won’t notice ship piracy insurance rise
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By Stefano Ambrogi
LONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Insurance costs have risen for merchant ships to transit the piracy-prone Gulf of Aden, but not hugely, and still represent only a fraction of the overall cost of the asset and cargo, marine hull insurers said on Monday.
They said extra transport costs feeding through to consumers [...]
Shipping industry urges EU governments to take up arms against Somali pirates
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Abdul Hassan, chief of the pirate group called the ‘Central Regional Coastguard’, carries a rocket-propelled grenade on to a boat with some of his crew. Photograph: Veronique de Viguerie/Getty Images
European shipowners are urging their governments to wage war on Somali pirates and seize vessels by force, the Guardian has learned, amid growing fear that shippers [...]
Shipping insurance costs may double due to rise in piracy
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The escalation of piracy activities off the coast of Somalia is threatening to greatly increase insurance costs for ships sailing along the Gulf of Aden, said insurance and maritime experts.
The more than 10-fold increase in insurance premiums witnessed on the same route this year is likely to increase by another 60 per cent in December, [...]
Exxon Valdez Put to Rest
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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 [...]
