Hundreds Arrested Over Illegal Wildlife and Forestry Trade
Nearly 20,000 live animals, all endangered or protected species, have been seized in a global operation against wildlife and forestry trafficking networks, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and the World Customs Organization (WCO).Operation Thunder 2024 (November 11 – December 6) brought together police, customs, border control, forestry and wildlife officials from 138 countries and regions, marking…
Incorrect Valve Led to Deadly Engine Room Fire
The installation of an incorrect valve in a pipe to a diesel oil tank led to a fatal fire aboard a cargo vessel docked in LaPorte, Texas, an National Transportation Safety Board shows.On Jan. 8, 2024, a fire broke out in the engine room aboard the cargo vessel Stride during bunkering, or fueling, operations while docked at the Barbours Cut Marine Terminal. The fire self-extinguished after crewmembers shut down all ventilation to the engine room.
Bahrain: ASRY and Noatum Maritime Form JV
ASRY has formed a joint venture (JV) with Noatum Maritime, part of AD Ports Group’s Maritime & Shipping Cluster, offering a diversified portfolio of maritime solutions for the provision of marine services in Bahrain.The collaboration aims to sharpen the current marine service offering at ASRY Shipyard on an exclusive basis by leveraging Noatum Maritime’s operational expertise and modern fleet. It will then target external clients within Bahrain.ASRY CEO…
Interim Guidelines Agreed for Training Seafarers on Green Ships
The IMO’s Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW) has agreed on draft interim generic guidelines for training seafarers working on ships powered by alternative fuels and new technologies. These draft guidelines will be submitted to the Maritime Safety Committee for approval in June 2025.Meeting in London from February 10 to 14, the Sub-Committee agreed that such guidance should…
IMO Working Group Fails to Finalize GHG Emissions Pricing Scheme
International efforts to curb GHG emissions from shipping took a step forward as the IMO's Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships (ISWG-GHG 18) concluded its latest round of discussions on Friday.The IMO's 2023 GHG Reduction Strategy commits Member States to adopting mid-term measures to reduce GHG emissions from ships in late 2025, including:• a technical element, namely…
Chinese Drills Upset Australia and New Zealand
New Zealand said the Chinese navy conducted a live-fire exercise in international waters near the Pacific nation on Saturday, a day after it held a similar drill between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights."Reporting from the New Zealand Defence Force that the Chinese naval Task Group has advised of a second window for live firing activity, on Saturday afternoon," a spokesperson…
Russia Orders Divers to Inspect Ships After Tanker Blasts
Russia has ordered divers to inspect ships in its ports, a government letter seen by Reuters shows, after suspected attacks on four oil tankers that visited in recent weeks.At the same time the Russian navy will help protect from the threat of drones and unmanned vessels, it said.Three oil tankers around the Mediterranean, and another in the Russian Baltic, have been damaged by blasts in the last month.All four had recently called at Russian ports…
Bulk Carrier Sustains Damage to Ballast Tank
A Liberia-flagged cargo ship carrying corn from a Russian port to Turkey is trying to stop water leaking in after sustaining a crack in the Sea of Azov earlier this week, Russia's port agency said.The vessel, Pavel Grabovskiy, was loaded with 2,939 tons of corn.
Underwater Sabotage: A Baltic Sea Timeline
The Baltic Sea region is on high alert after a string of power cable, telecom link and gas pipeline outages since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, and the NATO military alliance has boosted its presence with frigates, aircraft and naval drones.Several investigations are under way but no suspects have been brought to trial.FEBRUARY 2025: FINLAND-GERMANY TELECOM CABLESwedish and Finnish police said on…
Trump Hopes to Ship Alaskan Gas to Asia
When President Donald Trump sat down to lunch with his Japanese counterpart this month, talk turned quickly to how Tokyo could help realize a decades-old proposal to unlock gas in Alaska and ship it to U.S. allies in Asia.Trump and his energy tsar Doug Burgum framed the venture as a way for Japan to replace Middle East energy shipments and address its trade imbalance with the U.S., according to two…
Suez Canal Chairman Positive About Returning Business
Egypt's Suez Canal Authority chairman Osama Rabei said on Sunday that 47 ships have been rerouted from Cape of Good Hope to Suez Canal since the start of February.Earlier this month, Rabie said that the Red Sea crisis did not create a sustainable alternative route to the canal and that there were positive indicators for the return of stability in the region.Iran-backed Houthi militants have attacked vessels in the Red Sea area since November 2023, disrupting global shipping by forcing vessels to