NL MARITIME NEWS

NL MARITIME NEWS

A NewsLink service for Dole Colombia International maritime news for seafarers

Thursday, May 23, 2013 Headland SatNews

NATIONAL

Arabian Sea coast more vulnerable to quake, tsunami

A team of British and Canadian scientists recently found that the western coast of India is more vulnerable to massive earthquakes and tsunamis than previously thought. The team has cautioned in their study that the Indian government should evaluate its preparedness for natural disasters, especially on its western coastline that hosts India's biggest nuclear reactor. The scientists were of the opinion that undersea quakes, much stronger than the 2004 Sumatra temblor that triggered a tsunami killing over 220,000 people, could strike anytime under the Arabian Sea off the Pakistani and Iranian coast. In that case, India and Oman will be the biggest causalities. The British and Canadian scientists also said that India had made a mistake by setting up the 1400mw Tarapur Power Station on its Arabian Sea coast near Mumbai. According to them, Indian experts had already identified the country's largest operational nuclear plant in 2011 as the least prepared for handling a scenario similar to Fukushima in Japan a couple of years back. The scientists mentioned in their report that despite being a subduction zone (the meeting place of tectonic plates), the Indian western coast along the Pakistan-Iran border was the epicentre of the 2004 tremors. So, no one should consider the Arabian Sea as less vulnerable to large quakes or tsunamis. Although giant undersea quakes are common in the Pacific and the Indian Ocean, the Arabian Sea could also experience such quakes. The region has been quiet since the 7.3 magnitude tremor in 1947, but things might not remain same in the future. Scientists of Britain's Southampton University and the Canadian government's Pacific Geo-science Centre made it clear that India, Pakistan, Iran and Oman should be prepared to tackle major untoward incidents. Commenting on the issue, lead author and PhD student at Southampton Gemma Smith said: "The Makran subduction zone is potentially capable of producing major earthquakes, up to magnitude 8.7-9.2. Past assumptions may have significantly underestimated the earthquake and tsunami hazard in this region."

Arctic Council signs Oil Spill Agreement

The Arctic Council recently signed an agreement to jointly tackle oil spill disasters. At their recent meeting, ministers of all the eight member states, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the US, signed the council's second ever binding accord - the Agreement on Co-operation on Marine Oil Pollution Preparedness and Response in the Arctic. As per the pact, they will jointly clean up oil spilled anywhere in the ecologically sensitive region. In a statement, the council said that the newly signed agreement would be a tool for the circumpolar countries to clean up any oil spill under specific guidelines.

SAFETY Propelling machinery

The propelling machinery of every passenger ship should have sufficient power for going astern to ensure proper control of the ship under all circumstances. The arrangements should be such that the propulsion machinery can be reversed rapidly enough to enable the ship to be properly handled. There are no statutory requirements for passenger vessels to have multiple propellers, however Regulation 64(3) requires that trials be undertaken to

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On the basis of the agreement, the Arctic countries will also inform each other about incidents pertaining to oil spills in the region.

Greek minister expresses hope on European Sea Day

While speaking at a special event held in the Parliament on the occasion of European Sea Day on Wednesday, Greek Shipping and Aegean Minister Costis Mousouroulis said that the government activated all aspects of sea policy to boost the economy. According to him, the government formulated the policy to maximise the utilisation of European programmes and funds in support of maritime labour and decreasing bureaucracy. Mousouroulis told the House that maritime policy and growth are directly linked with investments and according to the existing law on the reestablishment of the ministry, the issue in question is being organised in a more effective way. He, meanwhile, informed the House that the government had already submitted an official request to the EC for organising the European Sea Day in Piraeus in 2015 or 2016. (ANA)

determine the ability of the ship to manoeuvre with one propeller inoperative. Such trial reports for vessels should be placed on board. Vessels not being able to manoeuvre satisfactorily with one propeller inoperative should not be permitted to go to sea. Various means should be provided which will automatically shut off the steam in the event of any faulty conditions. This automatic arrangement should preferably not shut off steam to the astern turbine, which may be required to stop the machinery quickly. Where two or more propulsion turbines are coupled to the same main gear wheel and only one overspeed governor is provided, it is to be fitted to the low pressure ahead turbine and trip gear should also be provided for shutting off steam. Overspeed governors should be fitted to steam turbines driving main or auxiliary generators or other auxiliaries. Auxiliary turbine arrangements are to be such that the steam supply is automatically shut off in the event of failure of the lubricating oil pressure. Source: MCA

Industry awareness urged on National Maritime Day

On the National Maritime Day celebrated on Wednesday, the American Waterways Operators (AWO) and the National Trade Association of the Tugboat, Towboat and Barge Industry urged people across the country to remember significant contributions made by domestic mariners. The National Maritime Day was observed for the first time on May 22, 1933 mainly to honour US merchant mariners for their dedication to promote commerce and protect the country. On the occasion, President and CEO of AWO Tom Allegretti said: "The original purpose is still very meaningful today. This is a modern, vibrant industry that is moving the commerce of our nation safely and efficiently." He added: "We rely on waterborne commerce to sustain and grow our economy. So many essential industries depend on reliable water transportation - agriculture, petroleum, chemical, coal, manufacturing and construction. There is really very little that is not impacted by what is moving on our rivers and along our coasts." While expressing satisfaction over the positive role played by American tugboat, towboat and barge operators in helping the national defence and homeland security, Allegretti stressed: "We have looked to our domestic mariners to assist the nation in rebuilding after natural disasters. Our members take great pride in being the eyes and ears on the nation's waterways to assist with homeland security. And on one of the nation's darkest days, in the wake the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the larger maritime community helped over 500,000 people leave Manhattan in the largest maritime evacuation in history." He added: "Water transportation is a part of our rich national tradition, but it is also vital to our continued prosperity. National Maritime Day gives us all the chance to reflect both on the dedication and hard work of the many men and women who serve in this industry and the responsibility we all share to ensure that the domestic maritime industry remains strong and vital to meet national security and economic needs today and in the future."

COMMERCE China drives ore import prices as other sectors wallow

China's ore imports from Australia surged by 27% in April, driving demand for the commodity, triggering hopes
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that this would positively influence rates for freight. But the Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index that tracks rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities continued its lacklustre performance on Tuesday as spot freight rates for the capesize and panamax niches continued their downward slide. China's demand for steel products climbed last month as more construction projects gained traction on warmer weather, bolstering the report on Wednesday by the Australian General Administration of Customs. Average daily earnings for panamaxes, which usually carry 60,000 to 70,000 tonne cargoes of coal or grains, were down USD 35 to USD 7,888. The overall Baltic Dry Index, which gauges the cost of shipping commodities such as iron ore, cement, grain, coal and fertilisers, fell seven points or 0.8% to rest at 872 points.

SECURITY Passenger Bill of Rights announced

In an attempt to guarantee "safety, comfort and care" for passengers, the cruise industry on Wednesday adopted a Passenger Bill of Rights. As per the Bill of Rights, the industry will take new measures aimed at providing better services to their clients. In the coming days, cruise ship companies will refund the full amount for trips, cancelled due to mechanical problems. There will also be a backup power source in every vessel to help keep emergency systems running in case of a main generator failure. In a statement, the Cruise Lines International Association that represents 25 major companies said that it had got the idea of the Bill of Rights from US Senator Charles Schumer. Earlier, Schumer had urged the industry to guarantee passengers minimum standards and protections onboard ships. He stressed the need of sanitary conditions, back-up power supplies, medical care and refunds in the event of a power failure.

TRADE Rotterdam port opens major extension

Europe's busiest port of Rotterdam on Wednesday opened a multi-billion Euro extension, with wider and deeper basins to accommodate bigger freight ships. The Maasvlakte 2 project is the largest feat of Dutch maritime engineering in decades and is forecast to only reach full completion in 20 years. Project Director Rene van der Plas told reporters that the initial stage of the extension has been completed at a cost of EUR 1.55 billion, EUR 150 million less than planned. The overall project will cost around EUR 3 billion and is seen as the crown jewel at the entrance of the iconic Port of Rotterdam, the world's fourth-biggest harbour. Meanwhile, Infrastructure and Environment Minister Melanie Shultz van Haegen said: "This means more space for big new sea containers, space for new beautiful terminals and 2,000 hectares for Rotterdam. It also means thousands of direct and indirect jobs. I am unbelievably proud of this." She made the comment after officially inaugurating the project. In a statement, the port authorities said that engineers had already completed the bare bones of a vast harbour network by moving 240 million cubic metres of sand, enough to fill Rotterdam's De Kuip football stadium 160 times. "While the port is now accessible to sea traffic as well as trains and inland water traffic, the first container ships are only expected to unload at two new container terminals in late 2014," Van der Plas said. The development includes a 3.5km hard seawall built with seven million tonnes of stone and 20,000 concrete blocks to resist the North Sea's relentless onslaught. By 2033, when its four deep-water basins become
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fully operational the new addition will nearly double the port's current capacity of handling 19 million containers per year to 36 million. It will allow super-sized container ships larger than aircraft carriers to dock around the clock and push Rotterdam's sea traffic from a current 34,000 to an estimated 57,000 ships per year by 2035. Over the last decade container ship capacity has nearly doubled to 18,000 containers, while their size has swollen to some 400m long and 60m wide. Despite the global economic crisis, container traffic is expected to double by 2030, even according to the most pessimistic forecasts. (AFP)

WORLD TRAVEL El Salvador

El Salvador, the smallest Central American country, is basically a part of North American continent. The country of about 21,040sqkm shares borders with the Pacific Ocean in the south-west and lies between Guatemala and Honduras. El Salvador, divided into 14 sections called Departments, is rich with natural beauty, as it has 25 volcanoes and 14 lakes. Although the official language in El Salvador is Spanish, foreign tourists will not have any problem in communicating with local people as a large population can speak English. Salvadorans are popularly known for their great hospitality and are friendly people, always willing to help others. Their behaviour helped El Salvador earn the nickname of "the country with a smile". It is advised to address local people in a formal manner, using senor or senora. The ideal time to visit the country is during the drier, cooler months from November to April.

Major cities
Apart from the capital city of San Salvador, other major cities are San Miguel, Acajutla, La Libertad, Puerto Cutuco, San Francisco Gotera, Santa Ana, Santa Tecla and Suchitoto. As far as top destinations in El Salvador are concerned, they are Parque Nacional Cerro Verde, Parque Nacional El Imposible and San Miguel beaches. Foreigners are also advised to experience Chaparrastique - one of the most active volcanoes in El Salvador - and waterfalls. In San Salvador, tourists must visit Museo de la Palabra y La Images or the Museum of Word and Image. It is a museum of Salvadoran writing and writers which heavily emphasised on the revolutionary movement of the '70s and '80s. Travellers should also visit the Playa San Diego La Libertad Museum in El Salvador to know about the country's history. Foreigners can enjoy their holidays in La Bocana beach and Playa Los Cobanos beach. The second one also has El Salvador's best diving facilities.

Visit by plane
Visitors can catch a El Salvador-bound plane from any major US or Latin America cities to arrive at Comalapa International Airport. The airport is located just outside the capital city. Foreigners should not forget to pay USD 32 as departure tax must before their departure. Depending on the airline, the full amount or part of the tax may already be included in the ticket price. So, you will have to check your ticket first and the amount you must pay will vary from USD 0 to USD 32.
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SHIPPING DATA
BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: 11:30 GMT Dry Index Capesize Index Panamax Index Supramax Index Handysize Index BDI BCI BPI BSI BHSI 829 1333 880 853 552 -1 +12 -19 +2 -2

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Wed Cls) Fgn Currency in USD Britain (Pound) Canada (Dollar) China (Yuan) Euro India (Rupee) 1.5038 0.9633 0.1630 1.2845 0.0180 USD in Fgn Currency 0.6650 1.0381 6.1358 0.7785 55.6600 9767.00 103.1500 5.8242 41.2000 3.2600 31.3670 1.2666

Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000102 Japan (Yen) Norway (Krone) Philippines (Peso) Poland (Zloty) Russia (Ruble) Singapore (Dollar) 0.009695 0.1717 0.0243 0.3067 0.0319 0.7895

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