A NewsLink service for Dole Chile

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Tanker market improves; crude
segment down - report
An increase in demand for tankers prompted the
segment to slightly strengthen in the past week.
In its latest weekly report, shipbroker Charles
Weber said a rise in trans-Atlantic arbitrage
trade brought about by a slowdown in regional
distillate costs, along with surging shorter-haul
trades to Latin America and the Caribbean,
allowed the tanker market to exceed its previous
weekly performance, with total regional fixtures
standing at 27.
The figure marked a 17% week-on-week gain
and equalled the year-to-date's weekly average.
Charles Weber likewise highlighted the
performance of LR1s, LR2s and MR units in
both USG and UKC routes, with the shipbroker
noting that demand for such vessels will play a
key role in determining freight rates for the
segment over the coming week.
"Against the likelihood of softer UKC-USAC
rates, owners will probably seek compensatory
gains on the USG-UKC route to steady
triangulated Atlantic earnings. While this may
imply an extending of this week's rate strength, a
number of prompt USG positions remaining at
the close of the week could be compounded by
the reappearance of units trading short-haul
regional cargoes and weigh negatively on rates,"
the shipbroker said.
As for the crude tanker market, the shipbroker
noted that the segment's weekly performance
was greatlty affected by a weak demand for
VLCCs in the Middle East, as well as in West
Africa. Crude tanker rates had also been in the
low as regional fixtures failed to hit owners'
initial forecast.
SAFETY
LISCR ALERTS CREW ON PIRACY IN
ASIAN WATERS
The Republic of Liberia has issued a Marine
Security Advisory highlighting enhanced
security measures for vessels transiting the
Singapore Straits, Malacca Straits, the waters
off Mangkai and the Anambas Islands in the
South China Sea and operating in the coastal
waters of Malaysia and Indonesia. The
advisory provides recommended procedures
to further enhance security and deter piracy
and armed robbery for vessels transiting these
areas. Vessels transiting or operating in the
affected areas should implement measures in
accordance with the ship's security plan
equivalent to Security Level 2.
Given that masters are often required to
follow multiple reporting procedures in these
difficult circumstances, it is necessary to
simplify these procedures as far as
operationally feasible. It is therefore
recommended that in the event of an
occurrence, masters should report all actual or
attempted attacks of piracy and armed
robbery or threats thereof, to: (i) ReCAAP ISC
per MSC.1/Circ.1334; (ii) the Administration
and (iii) the IMB Piracy Reporting Centre.
The advisory came in the wake of a report
by the Regional Co-operation Agreement on
Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against
Ships in Asia (ReCAAP) that an alarming
number of significant incidents in Southeast
Asian waters have taken place over the past
year.
These incidents involve syphoning of marine
gas oil/marine diesel oil, robbery of scrap
metal and petty theft. In these incidents, the
pirates/robbers appeared to be well organised
and have good knowledge of the victim ship.
Source: LISCR
Ships warned of hazy weather in
Singapore Strait
The hazy weather has prompted the Maritime
and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore to warn
the shipping community of possible reduced
visibility at the Singapore Strait and port waters.
The MPA told shipmasters to "comply with
the International Regulations for Preventing
Collisions at Sea and in particular Rule No19,
Rule No20 and Rule 35 concerning conduct of
vessels in restricted visibility, exhibition of
navigation lights and sound signals in restricted
visibility, respectively."
Shipmasters were also informed by the MPA
regarding the Pollutants Standards Index
reading, which was listed "between 101 and
200."
New Northern Sea Route
regulations on drawing board
The International Maritime Organisation (IMO)
is set to draft safety and environmental rules for
the Northern Sea Route.
It marks the first time that the IMO will
enforce regulations for the said route amid rising
maritime trafficking cases. There has also been a
steep surge in the number of vessels utilising the
route on the back of melting ice in the Arctic
Ocean caused by global warming.
The IMO's move is also meant to prevent
coastal nations such as Russia from drafting
their own regulations for the said route.
According to the London-based organisation,
it intends to revise relevant conventions such as
the International Convention for the Prevention
of Pollution from Ships in imposing safety and
environmental policies for the Northern Sea
Route.
Among the new rules sought are requiring
ships plying the route to be equipped with
thicker hulls to protect them against collisions
with ice at sea, as well as equipping vessels with
special radars against ice and installing
anti-freezing devices onboard.
Environmental-wise, the IMO seeks to ban
ships from discharging oil and other harmful
substances into the sea.
MPHRP helps piracy survivors
return to sea
A programme that helps seafarers cope with
piracy attacks proved to be beneficial for two
survivors, who were given a second chance to
work again at sea.
The two survivors were given a break by two
shipping companies by providing humanitarian
consideration to them and allowing them to
work again despite still having their fear from
their previous experience. This would not be
possible for the survivors if not for their
enrolment into the Maritime Piracy
Humanitarian Response Programme (MPHRP).
MPHRP regional director for South Asia
Chirag Bahri said piracy survivors can still get
their jobs back again because the program has
proven to be an effective tool in giving
continuum care every step of the way from
preparation until the first emergency response to
aftercare.
"Most of the seafarers affected by maritime
piracy in South Asia have re-joined maritime
life and have been provided with job
opportunities by the shipping industry. The
industry has recognised and supported those
affected with humanitarian considerations. This
has immensely helped piracy affected seafarers
to start a new living and be able to support their
families," he said.
PAGE 2 - Tuesday, September 16, 2014

SHIPPING DATA
BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: (September 15)
Dry Index BDI 1173 -8
Capes!e Index BCI "5"3 -"3
#anamax Index B#I 8$% -15
S&pramax Index BSI 1%1$ '1%
(andys!e Index B(SI )7* '"
EXCHANGE RATES
+e, -ork (Mon C.s)
/0n C&rren1y 2SD n /0n
n 2SD C&rren1y
Brtan (#o&nd) 13$""8 %3$1$"
Canada (Do..ar) %3*%5% 131%)*
Chna (-&an) %31$"8 $31)"%
4&ro 13"*37 %3773%
Inda (5&pee) %3%1$) $13%*5%
Indonesa (5&pah) %3%%%%8) 11*753%%
6apan (-en) %3%%*3"8 1%73"%%%
+or,ay (7rone) %315$3 $33*$"
#h.ppnes (#eso) %3%""$ ))3"8%%
#o.and (8.oty) %33%81 33"5%%
5&ssa (5&b.e) %3%"$1 3833"*$
Sn0apore (Do..ar) %37*%8 13"$)$
2krane ((ry9na) %3%77% 1"3*8%%
SAARC Home Ministers' meet
to tackle maritime security
Terrorism, piracy, trafficking of drugs and
women and children are among the issues to be
discussed at the conference of Home and
Interior Ministers of South Asian Association
for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) countries
to be held in Kathmandu on September 19, PTI
reported.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh will lead the
Indian delegation at the conference where he is
expected to flag issues like cross-border
terrorism and dismantling of terror infrastructure
operating from some SAARC nations.
Issues like suppression of terrorism, maritime
security, piracy, narcotic drugs and psychotropic
substances, combating corruption, cyber crimes
will be discussed threadbare at the
ministerial-level and official-level meetings of
the law enforcement authorities of SAARC
countries.
Other topics to be tackled at the conference
include mutual assistance in criminal matters
and promotion of child welfare in South Asia, an
official release said.
PORTS
Vietnam OKs Global Container
Control Programme
Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung
has approved Vietnam's participation in the
Global Container Control Programme (CCP),
which is sponsored by the United Nations Office
on Drugs and Crime through a non-refundable
aid.
Dung assigned the Ministry of Finance to
complete the documents and sign the agreement
with the representatives of the sponsors, a
government news release said.
The CCP has a global reach and aims to fortify
the structures and processes which allow for the
application of sustainable laws for states and
selected ports, so as to minimize the exploitation
of maritime containers for the illicit trafficking
of drugs and other transnational organised crime
activities.
Hence, for greater efficiency, while facilitating
co-operation in the fight against crime among
states and international agencies involved in the
regulation of container traffic, the program
maintains strategic alliances with various
entities within states with operational ports.
Aside from Vietnam, the programme will be
realised in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and
the Philippines.
INCIDENTS
12 sailors rescued from sinking
ship in south China
Twelve Chinese sailors were rescued by a
government flying service team from a flooded
vessel Tuesday before Typhoon Kalmaegi made
landfall in southern China, the Ministry of
Transport said.
The 12 crew members were aboard the vessel
"Shenjia 33" at 8:45am Tuesday when it began
to sink amid strong winds brought by Typhoon
Kalmaegi about two nautical miles south of
Zhuhai Hebao Island in southern Guangdong
Province, PNA and Xinhua reported.
Upon receiving reports, the ministry's marine
rescue team dispatched a helicopter to the area,
and rescuers picked up all 12 sailors in about
half an hour, according to the ministry. All
rescued seamen arrived safely in Zhuhai at
10:53am.
The 15th typhoon to hit China this year,
Typhoon Kalmaegi first landed in China's
southernmost island province Hainan on
Tuesday morning and re-landed in the coastal
areas of Xuwen County, Guangdong Province at
12:45pm, forcing flight cancellations and boat
evacuations.
EXPLORATION
Researchers explore shipwrecks
near San Francisco
US Federal researchers are exploring several
underwater sites where ships sank while
navigating in the treacherous waters west of San
Francisco in the decades following the Gold
Rush.
Over the past week, a team from the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) used a remote controlled underwater
vehicle, equipped with sonar and video cameras,
to examine and record the historic shipwrecks.
The five-day expedition was part of a
long-term archaeological survey of the Gulf of
the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary,
which covers about 1,300 square miles (3,367
square kilometres) of the Pacific Ocean off the
Northern California coast, The Associated Press
reported. NOAA researchers say more than 300
ships have wrecked in the gulf, where heavy fog,
strong winds and protruding rocks have
bedeviled many vessels heading in and out of
the San Francisco Bay - especially before arrival
of sonar and other navigational technologies.
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MARITIME INSTITUTION
DUBAI CITY MARITIME AUTHORITY
The Authority was founded in 2007 by the
government of the UAE to achieve "a
radical change in the local maritime sector
through an extensive range of industry
initiatives and regulations which support its
ambitious approach to creating a safe
investment environment for industry
leaders from all over the world."
The vision has helped to reaffirm Dubai's
position as a first-class international
maritime hub in the region.
The DMCA is tasked to develop
world-class regulations and guidelines as a
maritime authority by ensuring quality
infrastructure, operations and logistics
services as it offers investment
opportunities to boost Dubai's global
competitiveness.
The Authority aims to build effective and
strategic partnerships with relevant
government agencies, private businesses
and stakeholders in line with its vision to
create a safe and vibrant maritime sector
and therefore drive economic sustainability
and growth in the emirate.
It is keen on expanding its scope of work
and laying down effective policies under
high standards of maritime safety and best
environmental practices, in adherence with
the local and international laws.
DMCA offers the following services to
clients:
- Marine Craft Crew Licensing, including
navigation and engineering licenses, pilot
and trainers' permits to individuals
including citizens and UAE residents.
- Marine Craft Licensing, for all types of
marine crafts operating in the Emirate, on
behalf of individuals, including UAE
nationals and expatriates residing in the
UAE, in addition to the companies licensed
in the UAE.
- Maritime Commercial Licensing for
companies to carry out any maritime
activities in Dubai and recreational licenses
for individuals engaging in recreational
activities in Dubai waters.
- Licensing including renewals of licenses
for maritime companies in the Emirate of
Dubai.