NL MARITIME NEWS

NL MARITIME NEWS

A NewsLink service for Dole Colombia International maritime news for seafarers

Wednesday, April 10, 2013 Headland SatNews

NATIONAL

New report on economic cost of Somali piracy for 2012 released

Oceans Beyond Piracy (OBP), a project of One Earth Future Foundation, has released a report detailing the overall economic cost incurred worldwide from Somali piracy. The report "The Economic Cost of Somali Piracy 2012" was launched in the Assembly Hall of the National Museum in Copenhagen, Denmark on April 9. This is the third annual assessment of the Economic Cost of Somali Piracy by OBP. In 2012, the cost of Somali piracy to the global economy declined 13% to about USD 6 billion. Compared with USD 7 billion in 2011, the economic cost for 2012 was between USD 5.7 billion-6.1 billion. Hijackings went down 50% and attempted attacks dropped around 70%. Meanwhile, South Africa's President Jacob Zuma on Tuesday extended the piracy watch of South African National Defence Force (SANDF) in international waters. Under Zuma's order, the SANDF will monitor piracy in Mozambican and Tanzanian waters until March next year, the presidency said. Zuma has, in terms of the Constitution, extended the employment of Members of the Regular Force and the Reserve Force of the SANDF for service in Mozambican and Tanzanian waters as well as in international waters to monitor and deter piracy activities along the Southern African coast of the Indian Ocean from April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014, presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said. South Africa, Mozambique and Tanzania have been working together for the past year to secure safe passage along the Southern African coast of the Indian Ocean. Piracy attacks off the coast of Somalia have plummeted to a three-year low thanks to beefed up naval patrols. (With inputs from Xinhua)

Tsunami alert system launched

A leading Japanese ship-owning company has launched a Tsunami alert system to provide tsunami warnings to its vessels. Tsunami warnings, issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency and other weather service providers, will be sent to vessels via the company's e-missions system. The warnings should allow affected vessels to find out the best course of action through correspondence with those on shore and use of the Tsunami-Response Guidelines, which were released last year. After a tsunami warning is issued, a tsunami alert will be sent to the company's vessel operators and about 800 vessels that make use

SAFETY Door edges

Peripheral strip edges can be as sharp as a knife blade. Crewmembers engaged in any type of work on the doors and fittings must take all precautions and don appropriate Personal Protection Equipment. A crewmember suffered a serious laceration when his hand came into contact with the edge of the steel finishing strip that is commonly fitted around the perimeter of the accommodation door shutters onboard ships. Upon investigation, it was found that the steel

file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/DCO%20Master/Desktop/NL%20MARITIME%20NEWS.htm (1 of 5) [4/10/2013 4:14:13 PM]

NL MARITIME NEWS

of e-missions. The alert will be sent in English language.

NGOs ask EU to tighten marine litter targets

Civil society organisations from across the EU have urged the member states to tighten marine litter reduction targets and increase their level of ambition in order to end the marine litter problem within a generation. Dr Monica Verbeek, Executive Director at Seas At Risk, made the request at the International Conference on Prevention and Management of Marine Litter in European Seas, which kicked off on Wednesday in Berlin and runs until April 12. As per the Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the EU member states are required to set targets for reducing marine litter, but a majority of countries are not taking sufficient measures to achieve the targets. According to reports, quantifiable and measurable reduction targets have been proposed by a small number of countries. "The weak targets that most countries have set will undermine the fight against marine litter and the efforts of those countries that are truly committed to cleaning up our seas. Strong leadership is required and a cut of at least 50% in marine litter by 2020," Dr Verbeek said.

channel that was wrapped around the door margins had become slightly raised and its flange presented a burred and razor-sharp lip. This was most likely caused by the cutting process of the steel during the door's manufacture. It was subsequently discovered that several doors had the same hazardous defect. As a remedial measure, the crew spent considerable time and effort in depressing and then blunting the edges of the strips with a smooth file and emery cloth/paper. As a preventative measure, the ship's operator passed the information on the hazard to the vessel's builder and the door supplier. Similar sharp edges can potentially exist in pressed stainless steel or aluminium fittings around the living and common spaces onboard ship, eg air louvres, galley countertops and sinks, insulated bulkhead claddings, deckhead panelling, corrugated/perforated shelving, gratings etc. Direct contact with unprotected hands with these fittings must be strictly avoided during handling or cleaning. Source: WOE P&I

Tubbataha rangers radar off during time of grounding

Tubbataha Management Office (TMO) head Angelique Songco on Tuesday admitted that their radar was not switched on during the time of the Chinese fishing vessel's grounding midnight on Monday. "We switch on our radar every three hours. We do not have the resources to keep the radar equipment on 24/7. Sometimes it's between those three hours that our rangers are blind," Songco said in a radio interview. She added that even if they detected the Chinese early, the fishermen could have ignored their attempts to communicate with them via radio. The TMO head said Chinese vessels in the past had refused to answer radio calls. She added even attempts to use universal frequencies were futile because the Chinese would "block" those frequencies by playing music. Songco added that fishing vessel measured 48 metres long and eight metres wide. The Chinese fishing vessel had run aground off Tubbataha Reef 1.1 nautical miles from the ranger station shortly before midnight on Monday, PNA reported. Its 12 crewmembers are now undergoing interrogation, although Songco said they still could not communicate with them as the former is speaking in Mandarin. Songco said an initial inspection showed the fishermen had not yet caught any marine species, saying an inspection showed only dried fish and fishing nets aboard the vessel. But she said that under Tubbataha law, the entry of foreign fishing vessels with foreign nationals aboard is "prima facie evidence they are engaged in fishing." Songco said that if the fishermen are found guilty of poaching, they face six to 12 years in jail and a fine of up
file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/DCO%20Master/Desktop/NL%20MARITIME%20NEWS.htm (2 of 5) [4/10/2013 4:14:13 PM]

NL MARITIME NEWS

to USD 100,000, aside from the forfeiture of their vessel, equipment and catch.

Singapore's MPA to boost maritime research, development

The Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) plans to boost maritime research & development, productivity and manpower development, Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, said at the recent opening of the Sea Asia Exhibition and Conference, held in conjunction with the concurrent Singapore Maritime Week 2013. "Maritime is an important part of Singapore and contributes some 7% of Singapore's GDP. The MPA is committed to working in partnership with the industry and institutes of higher learning (IHLs) in developing Maritime Singapore and are pleased to work with the industry and IHLs on the new initiatives and investments in maritime R&D, productivity and manpower development," said Lam Yi Young, Chief Executive of MPA.

COMMERCE Dry bulk freight rates likely to be stable in coming weeks

The Baltic and International Maritime Council (BIMCO) has said in its latest report that in the coming weeks, Capesize time charter average rates will remain subdued around USD 4,500-8,500 per day. The Panamax market is likely to hold on to recent gains and is expected to remain in the USD 5,000 - 10,000 per day range, the report said. In the Supramax market, freight rates are expected to remain in the range of the USD 7,000 - 11,000 per day, while Handysize rates will be around USD 6,500 - 9,000 per day.

ENVIRONMENT 'Sea level rise threatens biodiversity in the Pacific'

The predicted rise in sea level in the Pacific in future will lead to heavy losses of habitat that will threaten numerous species, according to new study. Conducted by researchers from the Veterinary University of Vienna in conjunction with Yale University, the study is based on model calculations for the Southeast Asian and Pacific Region and is published in the journal Global Change Biology. The Veterinary University said its model calculations showed a sea level rise of about a metre by the end of the century, and up to 5.5 metres by the year 2500. It also examined more than 12,000 islands and 3,000 vertebrate animal species in the Southeast Asian and Pacific region. The findings showed that a sea level rise in the region of only one metre would result in the loss of about 1% of land, which would in turn mean 14.7% of primarily small islands in the region would be completely flooded, threatening local species, Xinhua reported. Should the sea level rise by up to 5.5 metres by 2500 as predicted, a loss of 9.3% of habitat in the region would occur, which poses a very significant threat to numerous species including those already endangered, and those who only live on certain islands. Researchers said their results also reflected the threat a sea level rise poses to island and coastal animal species across the world, the Austrian Press Agency reported.

INCIDENT

file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/DCO%20Master/Desktop/NL%20MARITIME%20NEWS.htm (3 of 5) [4/10/2013 4:14:13 PM]

NL MARITIME NEWS

Bulk carrier runs aground in Columbia River

A bulk carrier broke free from its mooring at Terminal 4 on the Willamette River and ran aground on Tuesday, US Coast Guard officials said. The same day, the captain of the ship admitted in court that he operated the vessel under the influence of alcohol. According to the prosecutor, the blood-alcohol level of the captain was 0.181, which is more than four times the legal limit of 0.04 foroperating a commercial vessel. Less than 21 hours later, the court sentenced him to two years of probation during which he will not be allowed to sail in US waters. In addition, the court also asked him to pay a USD 1,000 fine and USD 1,000 fine to a community alcohol treatment facility.

HI-TECH Aveva examines 3D laser surveying technology

Aveva's new business paper has examined how 3D laser surveying technology can transform brownfield asset information. Aveva has announced its publication of a new business paper "Seeing Through the Fog", describing how recent advances in both 3D laser surveying and Information Management technology combine to enable the capture and use of an accurate digital counterpart of a brownfield plant. It explains how owner operators of existing facilities can now take advantage of the kind of "digital plant" information asset created in new-build projects. "A third of plant information is typically out of date within five years, but users may not know which third, so it is easy to see how this can compromise plant safety for Owner Operators," said Bruce Douglas, Senior VicePresident, EDS Strategy and Marketing, Aveva. "The inability to share trustworthy information easily across a site not only hampers normal operations, it makes it difficult to find vital information rapidly when responding to an incident," he added. Whether a plant is new or old, owner operators need rapid access to comprehensive and reliable information. One essential element of this is accurate knowledge of the true as-operating condition of the plant. Laser surveying offers a rapid, non-invasive and affordable means of creating accurate and detailed 3D representation of brownfield assets. The business paper discusses the capture of the as-operating asset using 3D laser scanning and how technology can then add intelligence to the scan and link 3D objects to their associated information in many other sources, said a press release. "Asset information exists in a variety of incompatible forms," added Dave Coppin, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Solutions, Aveva. The paper further examines how, by going beyond simply visualising data, laser scan models can also be used for purposes such as determining accessibility or space constraints when performing risk assessments or the planning of major maintenance tasks.

SHIPPING DATA
BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: 11:30 GMT Dry Index BDI 856 -2

file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/DCO%20Master/Desktop/NL%20MARITIME%20NEWS.htm (4 of 5) [4/10/2013 4:14:13 PM]

NL MARITIME NEWS

Capesize Panamax Supramax

Index Index Index

BCI BPI BSI BHSI

1236 1077 902 518

+13 -7 -5 -5

Handysize Index

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Tue Cls) Fgn Currency in USD Britain (Pound) Canada (Dollar) China (Yuan) Euro India (Rupee) 1.5335 0.9852 0.1611 1.3099 0.0184 USD in Fgn Currency 0.6521 1.0150 6.2070 0.7634 54.4810 9722.00 99.2800 5.7078 41.2000 3.1400 31.0155 1.2387

Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000103 Japan (Yen) Norway (Krone) Philippines (Peso) Poland (Zloty) Russia (Ruble) Singapore (Dollar) 0.010072 0.1752 0.0243 0.3185 0.0322 0.8073

file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/DCO%20Master/Desktop/NL%20MARITIME%20NEWS.htm (5 of 5) [4/10/2013 4:14:13 PM]