NL MARITIME NEWS

NL MARITIME NEWS

A NewsLink service for Dole Colombia International maritime news for seafarers

Tuesday, March 12, 2013 Headland SatNews

NATIONAL

US Navy sends new ship to Singapore

The US Navy's hottest new ship and the centrepiece of its renewed focus on Asia isn't its largest vessel, or its most technologically advanced. But it has advantages that its bigger siblings lack. The 388-foot USS Freedom is small enough to move among the many islands and shallow waters of Southeast Asia, a trait that allows the Navy to train alongside similar-sized vessels in the region's navies and build relationships with them, The Associated Press reported. All this, the Navy believes, will help it make sure the region's critical waterways stay open to the trillions of dollars in oil and other trade that passes through each year. It's an objective so important the Navy is sending the Freedom to Singapore this month even as automatic federal spending cuts carve into its budget. "We hold our commitment to them, to our area, our theatre, so highly that this deployment has not been affected," said Rear Adm. Hugh Wetherald, the U.S. Pacific Fleet deputy chief of staff for plans, policies and requirements. "The Navy and the Pacific Fleet are still on watch," he said. Freedom on Monday sailed to Pearl Harbor, into the prime mooring spot the Navy often reserves for ships it wants to show off. The blue and gray camouflage painted on its sides - designed to confuse hostile small boats and make it less visible from shore - stood out amid the plain gray hulls of the other surface vessels in port. Until now, most US ships visiting Southeast Asia have been aircraft carriers, destroyers, cruisers and other large boats well equipped for jobs like firing cruise missiles or defending against fighter jets. But they dwarf smaller ships US partner navies from other countries - such as Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand - use for missions like patrolling the seas, catching pirates and stopping human and drug trafficking. The larger vessels are also too big to pull into shallower ports, forcing them to sometimes anchor offshore while in the region.

Cruise line executives start annual conference

Cruise line executives will discuss industry trends and its future at a 29th annual conference, AP reported. Seven executives are expected to address the on-board experience, globalization of the industry and more on Tuesday for the State of the Industry session at the Cruise Shipping Miami conference. On the panel will be a representative from Carnival Cruise Lines, part of Miami-based Carnival Corp. The company owns both the Triumph that spent days without power in the Gulf of Mexico and the

SAFETY Onboard injury

Crewmembers should jointly conduct a proper appraisal and risk assessment, ensuring that sufficient manpower is deployed for safely conducting every task. If an unsafe situation arises, work should be immediately stopped and the situation should be rectified with all the appropriate safeguards put in place prior to resuming work. All team members must also

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Costa Concordia that ran aground off the coast of Italy a year ago, killing 32 people. The conference runs through Thursday. It's expected to attract more than 10,000 people in the industry.

maintain a high level of situational awareness at all times. Two crewmembers were recently injured while securing the grit blasting equipment on deck. While moving the machine to its intended stowing position, the trailing grit hose snagged on an obstruction. As one person went to free the hose, the other crewmember found it impossible to hold the top-heavy, wheelmounted unit. As the unit toppled over, the seaman let go and tried to jump clear, but the equipment fell on his left foot. Despite his steel-toed safety boots, the impact inflicted a serious crush and cut injury. He was stretchered to the ship's hospital and was given first aid and treatment according to radio medical advice. In order to reduce the risk of accidents on board ship, crew should use safe working systems like the 'permit to work'. Under this system, seafarers must get written permission from a senior officer before they can perform hazardous tasks, like working aloft and outboard, working with boilers, 'hot work' (work which could result in the ignition of flammable material), working in unmanned machinery spaces, entry into enclosed spaces and electrical testing. Source: MARS/MCA

EU forum tackles effects of piracy, solutions

The negative impacts of sea piracy were the main agenda of an international forum held recently in the European Parliament office in Athens, Greece. Delegates, which included Member of the European Parliament George Koumoutsakos and rapporteur of the opinion on maritime piracy Anna Bredima, discussed the effect of sea piracy to the maritime sector, as well as measures to eradicate the problem. Describing the human cost of piracy as "critical," delegates said that there are 208 seafarers currently held by sea pirates. Such illegal activity is also causing financial losses of between USD7 billion and USD12 billion to various industries world-wide. According to Bredima, one crucial step is to raise public awareness on the issue so that international organisations such as the EU will be "pressured" with regards to finding solutions to the problem.

Philippine Navy looking for two new frigates

The Philippine Navy said it is in the market for two brand new frigates.

"The PN will be acquiring two new frigates under public bidding," PN spokesperson Lt. Cmdr. Gregory Fabic was quoted as saying by PNA. But he declined to give details as the project is still under the auspices of the Dept. of National Defence. "The project is still within their level," Fabic stressed. Earlier, DND undersecretary for finance, munitions, installation and materiel Fernando Manalo said the option to acquire second-hand frigates to boost up the numbers and capabilities of PN had been waived. This is because evaluation studies found out that acquiring these vessels will be more costly in the long run. "The PN found out that it will be more expensive to maintain second hand vessel(s) than buying a new one," he added. With this conclusion, the Italian-made "Maestrale" frigates are no longer in the running for possible acquisition by the Philippines. "It's no longer being evaluated," Manalo stressed. The "Maestrale" was earlier touted by the DND as the next ships to be acquired for the PN due to its credible missile and anti-submarine capabilities. With this development, Manalo said that the Philippines is now looking for new build naval ships with the same configuration. The DND earlier said that five countries have expressed their intention to sell the Philippines modern frigates and offshore patrol vessels which will help the country protect its vast maritime territories.

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These offers came from the United States, Israel, Croatia, South Korea and Australia. All vessels being offered by these nations are brand new.

INCIDENTS Three oil workers kidnapped off Nigeria released

Three crew members of a cargo ship kidnapped by heavily-armed pirates last month off Nigeria have been released, the company said Monday. Neither the Britain-based shipowner nor Nigeria's security forces had previously confirmed the February 7 attack and the nationalities of the sailors have not been disclosed. The firm "is pleased and relieved to report that the three officers who were taken from the vessel by armed men 80 miles off the south coast of Nigeria in February and held hostage, have now been released," a statement said on Tuesday. They were "safe and in good spirits" at the time of their release on Monday, the statement further said, thanking "governments, government agencies and other professionals who assisted in bringing this difficult situation to a close." The kidnapping of oil workers, typically expatriates, is common in the oil-producing Niger Delta region, with the hostages often released following a ransom payment. The companies targetted and the security forces rarely comment on the circumstances surrounding the release of hostages, including whether a ransom was paid, AFP reported. The owner said the vessel had been "ransacked" by well-armed pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, a region that includes the waters off Benin, Nigeria and Togo, which has been called an emerging piracy hub. There have also been a series of kidnappings in northern Nigeria, claimed by an Islamist group called Ansaru, but those attacks are considered a different phenomenon. Nigeria is Africa's most populous country and top oil producer, roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and mostly Christian south.

RORO ship sinks after being hit by spin drift in Cebu

A huge spin drift, triggered by a passing vessel, caused the sinking of roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ship which was loading its cargoes off Cabahug Wharf, Mandue City, on Monday morning, PNA reported. The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday identified the stricken vessel as the M/V Angelica Grace. Her skipper, Capt. Wilson Dieta, said they were loading five eight-wheeler trucks when a still unidentified ship passed close to them, triggering a spin drift, which caused his vessel to roll and pitched to the port (left) side, cutting the mooring line and resulting in one of their rolling cargoes to shift and bear on the starboard (right) side. This had the effect of causing the vessel to severely list to the starboard and eventually capsized. The PCG in Cebu immediately deployed an oil spill response team from Maritime Environmental Protection Unit Central Visayas and a team from Special Operations Unit Central Visayas with complete diving gears, rubber boat with outboard motor to assist in the situation.

ENVIRONMENT NSW mulls marine parks management overhaul

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Australia's New South Wales (NSW) administration is considering overhauling measures in managing its marine reserves, one key change is reopening the state's previously protected areas to fishermen. A special panel will soon be set up by the NSW government to give advise on how to properly manage the state's reserves, as well as the socio-economic impact and marine science that will be involved in the programme. Under the scheme, the government plans to open up an additional 85 kilometres of coastline to line fishing in the state's marine sanctuary, according to Environment Minister Robyn Parker. "There is little or no scientific basis for preventing line fishing from land," she said. But when asked if the programme meant a possible reduction of the state's marine estates, Primary Industries Minister Katrina Hodgkinson said that the matter would still be studied by the panel. The plan drew negative reactions from several quarters who claim that the government is only using the issue to encourage NSW to support its controversial public sector wage laws.

MARITIME INSTITUTIONS Comando de Guardacostas

The Venezuelan Coastguard is integral to that country's Navy. The formal creation of the coast guard as a permanent instution was made in September, 1980. In terms of naval lore, the coast guard traces its roots to when Venezuela sealed its independence from spain at the heroic naval battle of Lake Maracaibo on 24 July 1823. The Venezuelan Navy (Fuerzas Navales) by law includes Marines and Coast Guard. Headquartered in La Guaira, Vargas, the Guardacostas is responsible for the surveillance of Venezuela's jurisdictional waters In 1825, Ship Lieutentant Pedro Lucas Urribarri was given command of the schooner Independence and commissioned to engage in the functions of a coastguard ship in the area of Cabo Codera and the island of Orchila. Thus began Venezuela's almost two centuries of enforcing its law over the maritime domain. Starting in the 1940s, coastguard vessels were commissioned as ships of the Navy. It was effective in pursuing smugglers, who were caught on the islands and in the waters near the coasts. Admiral Lino de Clemente expanded the project of defending the coasts of Venezuela, New Granada and Ecuador, to protect the fledgling country when Spain refused to recognise its independence. This same project is carried on in the present day by the Coast Guard Command squadron across all waters; maintaining the fundamental sovereignty of Venezuela's waters, and the protection of the marine resources of the country. Presently, the Guardacostas has six main stations and six satellite stations. Two patrol vessels of the "Admiral Clemente" class, four patrol craft of the "Petrel" class, twelve patrol crafts of the "Fascione" class, a harbour tug of the "Captain Fernando Gomez" class, two boats of the "Los Taques" class, a hydrographic boat of the "Lely" class, seven boats of the "Polaris" class, one vessel type of the "Chichiriviche" class, and eight Marine Signalling boats of the "Punta Macolla" class, comprise the coast guard fleet.

SHIPPING DATA
BALTIC EXCHANGE
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Market snapshot: 12:05 GMT Dry Capesize Panamax Supramax Index Index Index Index BDI BCI BPI BSI 847 1260 1128 876 +4 -2 +4

+12 +2

Handysize Index

BHSI 485

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Mon Cls) Fgn Currency in USD Britain (Pound) Canada (Dollar) China (Yuan) Euro India (Rupee) 1.4929 0.9743 0.1608 1.3038 0.0184 USD in Fgn Currency 0.6698 1.0264 6.2205 0.7670 54.4200 9690.00 96.2700 5.7212 40.7000 3.1800 30.7146 1.2482

Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000103 Japan (Yen) Norway (Krone) Philippines (Peso) Poland (Zloty) Russia (Ruble) Singapore (Dollar) 0.010387 0.1748 0.0246 0.3149 0.0326 0.8011

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