NL MARITIME NEWS

NL MARITIME NEWS

A NewsLink service for Dole Colombia International maritime news for seafarers

Monday, March 18, 2013 Headland SatNews

NATIONAL

China military officials admit ship radar lock: report

Senior Chinese military officials have admitted for the first time that a frigate locked its radar on a Japanese destroyer during the two nations' spat over disputed islands, Kyodo News reported Monday. In one of the more serious incidents in an escalating row over ownership of the islands in the East China Sea, Tokyo said the Chinese vessel effectively had a Japanese ship in its sights earlier this year. Beijing has consistently denied the allegation and has accused Tokyo of exaggerating the "China threat" in a bid to manipulate world public opinion against its giant neighbour, AFP reported. But Kyodo News agency cited unnamed "senior Chinese military officials" saying the weapons targeting had taken place. The officials, including "flag officers" - those at the rank of admiral - told Kyodo it was an "emergency decision", not a planned action, and was taken by the commander of the frigate, the report said. The Tokyo-datelined report said the comments were made "recently", but gave no specifics. The radar incident marked the first time the two nations' navies have locked horns in the increasingly bitter spat over the Tokyo-controlled Senkakus, which China claims as the Diaoyus. The Chinese officials told Kyodo that on January 30 the frigate and the Japanese destroyer were three kilometres (two miles) apart in international waters some 110 to 130 kilometres north of the outcrops, the report said. The commander of the frigate directed his vessel's weapons-targeting radar, based on the Chinese military's rules of engagement, without seeking instructions from the fleet command or navy headquarters, Kyodo cited the Chinese officers as saying. It was not known if the commander had been reprimanded, Kyodo said. Tokyo has also charged a Chinese frigate locked its radar on a Japanese helicopter in the middle of January.

Queen Mary 2 continues journey, tours Milford Sound

Queen Mary 2, the world's largest passenger ship, has visited New Zealand's Milford Sound, often described as the eighth wonder of the world. The Cunard flagship, currently on a round-the-world voyage, sailed into the World Heritage-listed Fiordland National Park in South Island. It is the country's top tourist destination. The vessel is 200

SAFETY Lifting appliances

Lifting appliances such as derricks and cranes are subject to regular inspection, but even these items frequently cause problems prior to thorough examination. They are usually clearly marked and recorded in the 'Register of Lifting Appliances', but it is the smaller items such as shackles, wire strops and

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feet tall but its size was nothing compared to the park's iconic mountains. The vessel's next stop will be Sydney. Queen Mary 2 began its 106 days-long journey off Southampton on January 10 and will return home on April 26 following stops in South Africa and Spain.

lifting beams that are often poorly marked or not marked at all. Such equipment should always be examined by a competent person, who has the necessary skills to effectively carry out such tasks. These skills should cover awareness of lifting accessories, visual inspection and some knowledge of what testing is required by 'shore-based' establishments. Shackles are by their nature a 'link' between two components and therefore play an essential role in terms of safety. They can be made of mild steel, galvanised steel or stainless steel. There are many differing types of shackles in common use on board ships - 'D' shackles, long 'D' shackles, bow shackles, twist shackles, long twist shackles and key pin shackles, to name a few. However they should all be marked and stamped with the Safe Working Load (SWL). Shackles when manufactured are randomly batch tested and are marked with a batch reference number and a SWL. Moreover, a certificate of test is also to be issued. Source: UK P&I Club

MARINA to allow other vessels to ply ZamboTawiTawi route

The Philippines' Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) will allow other sea vessels or motor launches to make side trips to Tawi-Tawi near Sabah to pick up evacuees or people, Philippine News Agency reported. Officials said these people may be fleeing from the armed confrontation in Lahad Datu between Malaysian police and military as well as followers of the Sultanate of Sulu. The MARINA will issue to them what is called an Emergency Deployment Permit to authorize them to also pick up passengers in Tawi-Tawi. MARINA Regional Director Irving Saipuddin said several motor launches that ply the Zamboanga Tawi-Tawi sea route have stopped operations from this city because of the lack of passengers from Zamboanga and other parts of the region.

Most of the dozen or so motor launches docked at a privately owned wharf here take in passengers from this city bound for Tawi-Tawi.

In-depth look on maritime crime in Southeast Asia

The rising incidence of targeted hijacking in Southeast Asia will be the main topic of a special report that will be released by Dryad Maritime, the United Kingdom's leading maritime intelligence provider. The "Special Advisory Southeast Asia. Disorganised theft to organised crime" report, slated to be issued on Monday, tackles the security situation in Southeast Asia, particularly the increasing number of maritime crimerelated cases in the region. In the report, Dryad Maritime will differentiate tactics being used by hijackers of merchant vessels to the ones utilised by their counterparts in the Horn of Africa, wherein in most cases, ships and crews are taken and usually requires ransom before they are returned to their owners. In Southeast Asia, according to the report, maritime criminals are more sophisticated as their operations involve tactical planning and that their main target is either the vessel's main hull or its cargo. The report seeks to highlight the importance of addressing the problem and raise the awareness of shipowners, managers and charterers who operate in Southeast Asia's "high-risk" areas such as the Singapore Straits, the South China Sea and the Indonesian archipelago.

TRAINING Six other nations to take part in PH-US joint exercise

Australia, Brunei, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand will take part in this year's Balikatan joint

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military exercise to be held in the Philippines next month, apart from the host and the United States, a Philippine military official said. They will participate in the Multinational Maritime Security Roundtable Discussion for the upcoming Balikatan Exercise 2013, which will run through from April 5 to 17, said Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos, spokesman of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). However, Burgos said the six countries will not be taking part in the actual field training exercises which will be limited to Filipino and U.S. forces alone, Philippine News Agency reported. "The roundtable discussion seeks to determine specific humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in high- traffic international waters, and build response confidence among multi-national partners," said Burgos. "The event will be one of the highlights of this year's military exercise wherein more than 8,000 soldiers from the AFP and U.S. military are set to participate," he said. Burgos said the annual Balikatan exercise seeks to "further promote and foster the existing friendship" between the two countries and "advance the security and stability of the region in the near future."

COMMERCE New RoRo facility, route opened at Sarangani town port

Trade exchanges between emerging markets in southern Mindanao and parts of North Sulawesi in Indonesia are seen to perk up with the full opening of the new Roll-On Roll-Off (RoRo) facility at the Glan international port in Sarangani Province, Philippine News Agency reported. Sarangani Gov. Miguel Rene Dominguez said Monday they expect the trade traffic between Glan port and the Regency of Sangihe in North Sulawesi, Indonesia to increase considerably in the coming weeks through the operationalization of additional RoRo services between the two areas. The new RoRo facility at the Glan port, which is being developed as an alternative gateway for trade links and inter-island route, was formally launched over the weekend by the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA). The port's launching was joined by Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is on a two-day official swing in this city and nearby Sarangani Province. Binay said the new RoRo port will eventually benefit thousands of farmers in the region as this would facilitate "fast transport of perishable goods" and would resolve the "burden of high cost of transportation using commercial vessels." He said the RoRo route will enable farmers and traders in the area, which is being promoted as a the next vegetable basket in Mindanao, to immediately ship local produce at a cheaper cost. "This service will boost the emerging cross-border trading and people mobility between the Jose Abad Santos-Glan-Sarangani Cooperation Triangle and trade partner Regency of Sangihe in Indonesia," he said.

INCIDENTS Indians rescued from Somali pirates set to return Monday

Most of the 28 Indian seafarers rescued from Somali pirates after their vessels were hijacked last year are returning to India on Monday, PTI reported. Seventeen Indian seafarers have been in captivity of pirates since March 2, 2012 while 11 others on board another vessel were in captivity since May 10, 2012.

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While most of the seafarers are to return to India on Monday, some of those rescued await the arrival of a replacement crew before they can fly back to their families in India, official sources said Sunday. Indian embassy officials had arranged for doctors to conduct medical checkup and provide necessary assistance to those rescued. All crew members were provided new clothing, toiletries and shoes by the Embassy and were provided opportunities to speak with their family members, reports said.

PORT OF THE WEEK Port of Tacoma

The Port of Tacoma is a privately-managed port located in Tacoma, Washington. The port is 95 years old, hving been created by ballot by Pierce County citizens on November 5, 1918. Located in the Pacific Northwest in Washington state, the terminal is one of the top ten container ports in North America. The US transcontinental railroad system is connected to the port, which makes it an ideal point to discharge any cargo bound for the US mainland. Deep water, superior intermodal operations and ample land for expansion make Tacoma an optimal gateway for international trade. It handles an average of USD34 billion of cargo every year in various modes: containerized cargoes, roll-on/roll-off, bulk, breakbulk and heavy-lift. The terminal is also the gateway to Alaska since 1976, as over 80% of water-borne commerce moving between the lower 48 states and and Alaska pass through Tacoma. The port started out on 240 acres of land and now owns more than 2,400 acres that are used for shipping terminal activity, warehousing, distributing, and manufacturing. Each year, the port handles between about nine and 13 million tons of cargo, and more than USD25 billion of commerce. In ternms of tonnage, the port's largest export is grain (corn and soybeans) that come into the port by rail from the Midwest. In 2010, the Port of Tacoma's top trading partner, based on two-way trade value, was China/Hong Kong. China/Hong Kong was also the top partner ranked by volume imported and value imported. Japan was the top partner ranked by volume exported and value exported. The top commodities exported, by value, were cereals and grains. The top commodities imported, by value, were vehicles and parts, followed by industrial machinery and electronics. The Port's faciltities, transportation connections and highly skilled longshore labour workforce make Tacoma an ideal location for handling breakbulk, heavy-lift and project cargoes.

SHIPPING DATA
BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: 12:15 GMT Dry Capesize Panamax Supramax Index Index Index Index BDI BCI BPI BSI 892 1299 1162 925 . +12 -3 +15 +12

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Handysize Index

BHSI 506

+12

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Fri Cls) Fgn Currency in USD Britain (Pound) Canada (Dollar) China (Yuan) Euro India (Rupee) 1.5078 0.9809 0.1608 1.3054 0.0185 USD in Fgn Currency 0.6632 1.0195 6.2182 0.7661 54.0310 9710.00 95.5000 5.7667 40.5900 3.1800 30.6700 1.2481

Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000103 Japan (Yen) Norway (Krone) Philippines (Peso) Poland (Zloty) Russia (Ruble) Singapore (Dollar) 0.010472 0.1734 0.0246 0.3149 0.0326 0.8012

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