Monday, August 6

Maritime Monday 70

Welcome to this Weeks edition of Maritime Monday.

You can find Maritime Monday 20 here. (Published 31 July 2006)

Last Weeks Edition can be found here.

Please tell a friend about this post.

This Weeks Photos:
This week brings us to the world of Reefer vessels. (Explanation here)

Cool delivery, careful handling - A 2005 partnership agreement between LauritzenCool, J. Lauritzen’s reefer transport company, and NYK Reefers produced NYKLauritzenCool, which is today one of the world’s largest reefer operators.

With a fleet of more than 70 specialised reefer vessels of various sizes, NYKLauritzenCool provides temperature-controlled ocean transport of perishable commodities for customers in all major reefer markets. The company is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has support offices in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, UK and USA, many of which also provide terminals and cold store facilities.

To meet the increasing demand for innovative new logistics and transport concepts, LauritzenCool Logistics (LCL) – a wholly owned subsidiary of NYKLauritzenCool – provides integrated door-to-door, multi-modal and multi-destination logistics solutions for the world's perishables trades. Through a growing network of offices, LCL has a presence in virtually every fruit-producing and consumption area of the world and offers a single entry, one-stop-shop logistics service for fruit and other perishable goods. - J. Lauritzen



(IVORY ACE)


(CROWN GARNET)


(SUMMER FLOWER)


Now you can forget most of what you read above as NYK is fully taking over this joint venture.


Lauritzen pulls out of reefers - TOKYO 03 August – NYK has purchased J Lauritzen’s 50% stake in the NYKLauritzenCool reefer joint venture, effectively marking the end of the Danish Group’s long term involvement in reefer shipping. ”As a part of Lauritzen’s overall strategy we decided to sell our reefer fleet in 2006 and it is therefore only natural that NYK takes over our 50% share holding of our joint marketing company,” explained Torben Janholt, president and chief executive of J Lauritzen A/S. NYK Reefers CEO Hiroshi Yamafuji recalled the “excellent partnership” with J Lauritzen.

Mats Jansson will continue as chief executive of the new NYKCool. “We regret their decision to leave the company as well as the reefer business, but still we respect their standpoint and wish them great success in their new strategy,” Jansson said. J Lauritzen has increasingly been focusing on its highly profitable bulk carrier and product tanker businesses in recent years. NYKCool has headquarters in Stockholm and operates a fleet of about 70 owned and chartered reefers. - (Company Press Release)


This Weeks Items:

Eagle Speak has "China looks to the sea" as it tries to figure out how to protect the sea lines it depends on to transport needed raw materials. No Sunday Ship History this week as Eagle1 has gone fishing. (Imagine that. An Eagle fishing.)

UK Activist Craig Murray has "British map in Iran crisis 'inaccurate'". He had claimed so earlier, however now, his claims appears to be backed up with a bit of fact. This is not to say that they UK sailors and Marines were in Iranian waters, as it is, Iran and the UK don't agree on where the kidnapping happened in the first place. However, at the very least, if this nullifies the UK's claims that they were in Iraqi waters, then it would also nullify Iran's claims that they were in Iranian waters... (Not that any of this matters to the Iranians.)

The BBC has "S Leone boat tragedy 'kills 50'" 100 more are missing.

Molten Eagle examines the recent New York mini-sub stunt as if it were a movie in "Best Submarine Film of the Year: "Run Silent, Run Dumb" The one unanswered question at the moment, is whether the three idiots will be made examples of. They should, especially considering that their acts were intentional.

Dawn has the crisis that is shipping and port operations in India.

EU Observer has the appeal within the EU for additional resources in order to restart Border patrols in the Mediterranean Sea off Malta. These were being coordinated by the EU Border Control Agency, FRONTEX.

Tims Times (at sea) writes about one of his former ships, the VLCC BRITISH RESOURCE.

gCaptain has coverage and video of the grounding of the DENDEN also known as the "MANGAOREAN TITANIC" which resulted in loss of live.

----------------------------------

Maritime Links Editor's Blog has "Bush allies slam his support of maritime treaty - The Boston Globe" which concerns the Law of the Sea Treaty. It is under this Treaty that Russia is making its claim to the Arctic seabed.
The treaty defines national maritime territory as extending 200 nautical miles from shore—roughly the length of the continental shelf, the extension of continental land that stretches out from the coastline before dropping to the ocean floor. The treaty allows signatories to file claims with the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf that would expand their territorial zone by proving that the continental shelf stretches beyond 200 miles. Countries are rushing to file their claims before the treaty's 2009 deadline so they can gain control of valuable oil and gas deposits beneath the ocean's waters. - Center for Public Integrity

The relevant section of the Treaty is "PART VI - CONTINENTAL SHELF" which does put limits on how much can be claimed. Also, any 'extraction' of resources past the 200 mile EEZ will require payment of a 'Contribution' to the UN under Article 82 "Payments and contributions with respect to the exploitation of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles":

1. The coastal State shall make payments or contributions in kind in respect of the exploitation of the non-living resources of the continental shelf beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

2. The payments and contributions shall be made annually with respect to all production at a site after the first five years of production at that site. For the sixth year, the rate of payment or contribution shall be 1 per cent of the value or volume of production at the site. The rate shall increase by 1 per cent for each subsequent year until the twelfth year and shall remain at 7 per cent thereafter. Production does not include resources used in connection with exploitation.

3. A developing State which is a net importer of a mineral resource produced from its continental shelf is exempt from making such payments or contributions in respect of that mineral resource. [Surely, Russia will appempt to exempt itself under this clause, despite being a net exporter of oil.]

4. The payments or contributions shall be made through the Authority, which shall distribute them to States Parties to this Convention, on the basis of equitable sharing criteria, taking into account the interests and needs of developing States, particularly the least developed and the land-locked among them.

There you have it, redistribution of assets on a massive scale.

The treaty has a number of issues that were pushed for by the USSR that should be ditched. Also, the provisions for deep sea mining are in effect a UN tax on rich nations 'to benefit the world's poor'. They also scream 'Socialism':

The pact also spells out strict rules for seabed mining and establishes an International Seabed Authority to govern the harvesting of ocean minerals. That organization would set up its own mining enterprises, retaining mine sites equal in size or value to every site awarded to private companies; those firms would be required to sell their technology to the global authority under certain circumstances and to abide by production ceilings. - Time Magazine (1982)

Funny how that UN Mining Enterprise has gone nowhere without US participation. Good thing as it probably would have made the Oil-for-Food scam look like nothing.

The UN's Oceans and Law of the Sea webpage is located here.

----------------------------------

Shipping Times (UK) Notes the end of the line for UK-built riverboat DELTA QUEEN in the US, after failing to get a safety exemption extended by the US Congress.

The Edmonton Sun has a study on the disappearance of Atlantic Bluefin Tuna from European waters.

"If we don’t have that memory of what we once had, then it’s going to be hard to develop management or conservation strategy to promote recovery in the area,"
Turkish Daily News has Turkey's complaint to the UN over Greek-Cyprus's deal "with Lebanon and Egypt to divide the Mediterranean into economic areas where each country would conduct its own exploration" for oil citing that the deal does not take into account the rights of Turkish Cypriots.

The Stupid Shall be Punished discusses the reliability of the internet as a source of information on submarines. He uses a story suggesting that a US sub sank a North Korean freighter bound for Iran carrying nuclear material as an example.

Sailors, Mariners & Warriors League has the North Sea collision between the cargo vessel JORK and the Viking Echo natural gas platform. His follow-up post confirms that the ship has since sunk and that the Captain was drunk at the time. (No word on whether his condition contributed to the accident.)

Maritime Accident Casebook has "The Case Of The Bosun’s Crush" covering the dangers of onboard gantry cranes with the death of the Bosun on the M/V TASMAN RESOLUTION.

CDR Salamander covers a ship engine lying in the middle of the road.

Cruise Bruise covers the conviction of a QUEEN MARY II sailor for smuggling 4,000 cartons of cigarettes into the UK from Gibraltar, during one trip. This is pretty amazing considering the quantity that most likely would have required crew assistance to load and discharge. Where did he store them? Where were the UK's Customs Authorities? Out of all the countries I visited, the UK was the only place I visited where the crew had 'respect' for Customs. One reason for this was that every time they boarded the ship, they found something. They especially were determined to not call on a Saturday as apparently that is when the trainees were let loose on ships. (It wasn't that they were smuggling. They just did not want their porn confiscated, nor did they want it locked up in the ship's slop chest for the duration of the port call, for whatever reason.)

Cruise Bruise also has a summary of what is claimed to be a scam at sea: the cruise art auction.

Greenpeace's 'Making Waves' Blog has a study (Not theirs) noting that climate change is responsible for more hurricanes. Well, where are they?

MarEx Newsletter has "Africa to Use Satellites to Reduce Illegal Fishing". It seems that while large areas of Africa are full of starving people, the waters off Africa are teeming with fish, for Europe's poaching.

ZeroHostel has a summary of Great Submarine Movies.

BoingBoing points to a Flickr folder containing hundreds of shipwreck photos.

Messing About in Sailboats has a great video of the oceans returning everything that has ever ended up in it. Very impressive.

Never Sea Land has a summary of islands for sale on eBay.

Miami Herald has a new home for a deaf dolphin.

Special thanks to Squire Verstas for his assistance!


Haight's Maritime Items has:

Hearing on USCG marine safety program - On August 2, the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure conducted an oversight hearing on the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Program. Committee Chair Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) said that the purpose of the hearing is to assess whether the Coast Guard has the experience, expertise, and resources to effectively implement the program. Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, US Coast Guard, explained that the marine safety program is closely interconnected with maritime security and other Coast Guard missions. Mr. Richard A. Block, Gulf Coast Mariners Association, stated that the Coast Guard largely ignores the concerns of individual mariners and favors shipowners. Captain Timothy A. Brown, International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, recommended that the accident investigation and safety inspection functions be moved out the Coast Guard and assigned to a civilian agency. Mr. William P. Doyle, Marine Engineers’ Beneficial Association, testified that many Coast Guard personnel are inexperienced in marine safety matters and are more focused on maritime security and law enforcement. Mr. Thomas A. Allegretti, American Waterways Operators, testified that marine safety must be a clear priority of the federal agency administering the program, which it currently does not appear to be with the US Coast Guard. Mr. Joseph J. Cox, Chamber of Shipping of America, testified concerning the lack of uniformity in Coast Guard rulings at the local level and the inexperience of many Coast Guard inspectors. Captain Peter Lauridsen, Passenger Vessel Association, testified that the Coast Guard has allowed the marine safety program to deteriorate as it has focused on its enhanced military and security missions. Mr. Burt W. Thompson, US Marine Safety Association, noted that there is a severe lack of trained Coast Guard inspectors. Mr. James H. I. Weakley, Lake Carriers’ Association, recommended that the Coast Guard revive a version of its earlier program creating an influx of industry-specific expertise and experience. Mr. Ken Wells, Offshore Marine Services Association, stated that the recent Coast Guard reorganizations have lowered the importance of marine safety within the organization. (8/2/07). - Dennis Bryant Holland & Knight homepage (Used with Permission)

Fairplay Daily News has:

Opposition to scanning bill grows - WASHINGTON, DC 31 July – Opposition continues to grow to the politics-driven US Congress and its vote to approve mandatory scanning of all containers bound for American ports. And with President Bush pledging to sign the “9/11 Commission Recommendations” bill into law, it appears it will fall to a subsequent – and more level headed legislative session – to reverse the mandate slated to take effect in July 2012. Now on record against the measure are the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Customs and Border Protection, US Chamber of Commerce, all major cargo shipper organisations, the ocean carriers transporting the boxes, as well as the European Commission and the governments of America’s key trading partners, including Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, and the UK. The World Shipping Council, which represents liners, says the bill will negatively impact $500Bn is US commerce and criticises Congress’ failure to hold hearings on the issue or to allow amendments on the floor. Maritime lawyer Dennis Bryant of Holland & Knight points out that the scanning scheme was contained in the 9/11 Commission bill but was never suggested by the panel itself. [NOTE: See Mr. Bryant's comments highlighted in Last Week's Maritime Monday.]

AND:

Woodside unveils US regas project - SANTA MONICA, California 30 July – Australia-based energy giant Woodside Petroleum revealed today that it will flag two newbuilding LNG regasification vessels to the Stars & Stripes and crew them with US-licensed seafarers as part of the proposed OceanWay natural gas project off Southern California. The announcement from Steve Larson, president of Woodside Natural Gas – a Woodside Petroleum subsidiary – and US Maritime Administrator Sean Connaughton came after months of negotiations and it is hoped by the company and MarAd that the US flagging, combined with strong trade union support and hiring Larson – former executive director of the California Public Utilities Commission – to lead the project, will help reduce the anti-LNG outcry that doomed several other proposed terminals off California’s shoreline. In addition to using US flagged ships (being built in South Korea to USCG-approved specifications) with nearly 200 American seafarers aboard, this project will be based 20 n-miles offshore and its buoys will be located 5 n-miles from any shipping lanes – to ensure both safety and minimal interference with the sea-views from the area’s pricey beachfront homes – many of which are occupied by Hollywood celebrities who opposed previous projects. - Fairplay Homepage (Used with Permission)


Submissions for future editions:
Please submit articles for inclusion in next week' edition using the following submit form at Blog Carnival. You are also welcome to email photos for inclusion in future editions as well as suggest area of coverage.

** Sponsorship **
Send me an email (address in the sidebar) if you would like to sponsor an edition of Maritime Monday. I accept money and gear.

Previous Editions:
Here or click on the label below 'MaritimeMonday'.
.

No comments: