Australia to help resolve whaling standoff

Australia offered to help resolve a two-day standoff between Japanese whalers and protesters who climbed aboard a harpoon boat in frigid Antarctic waters by sending an Australian vessel to pick the activists up.

The proposed assistance — which would allow a resumption of Japan’s interrupted whale hunt as well as the harassment activities of its staunchest opponents — underscores the high stakes contest fought each year in the remote and dangerous seas at the far south of the world. Australia would send a ship to pick up the two activists from the anti-whaling group the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society who have been on the Japanese harpoon boat Yushin Maru 2 since they leaped aboard uninvited. The Australian boat would then return the activists to a Sea Shepherd ship, the Steve Irwin. Japan put its hunt on hold after Australian Benjamin Potts (28) and Giles Lane (35) of Britain jumped from a rubber boat onto the Japanese ship’s deck after a high-speed chase.

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The Port City of Kochi soon to witness the Ist Marine BizTV International Conference

Mr. Sohan Roy, CEO, Marine BizTV and M.D, Aries Marine has announced the first International Conference on Ship Building and Conversion Technology to be held at Kochi, on April 29^th and 30^th of 2008.

The two-day conference held at Renaissance, Kochi will feature 20 international paper presentations by distinguished personalities and over 200 delegates from the worldwide maritime community. The conference will throw light on topics such as Demand and future of shipbuilding around the world, Infrastructure of development of shipbuilding industry, New trends in ship building, Repair and Conversions, Ship Financing , Ship Building Softwares, Indian shipbuilding scenario, Classification society and Rules for new shipbuilding etc.
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RES Americas commences Hackberry Wind Project

Austin, Texas-based Renewable Energy Systems Americas Inc., the North American arm of the Renewable Energy Systems group of companies, began construction on the US$350 million Hackberry Wind Project in Abilene, Texas.

The project will produce 165 MW of clean, sustainable wind energy for use by residents of Austin and surrounding communities. The target completion date is December 2008. The project will be built, owned and operated by RES Americas through its wholly owned affiliate, Hackberry Wind LLC. Last year, RES Americas completed 870 MW at seven projects in Texas, Washington and Wyoming, enough to power over 230,000 homes. This year, the company plans to build 1,387 MW of wind energy in Texas, Wyoming, Kansas and Washington that will bring nearly 1,000 construction jobs to the local economies and power 375,000 homes.
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Sydney Harbour development may create 3,000 jobs

Redeveloping Sydney Harbour could create at least 3,000 new jobs and funnel millions of dollars in tax revenue into the local economy.

The $380,000 blueprint outlining the harbour’s future stressed the importance of capitalizing on trade coming from Asia through the Suez Canal. A $300-million container terminal to be built at the Sydport greenfield site, the redevelopment of the International Coal Pier, and reconstructing the pier at Sydport Industrial Park are the linchpins in the plan to attract cargo vessels. Upgrades to the Sydney Marine Terminal are also planned so that more cruise ships can visit the region. The plan expects that by 2030, commercial and tourism ventures associated with the port would generate up to $160 million in yearly tax revenues, with up to $51 million going to the province and up to $4 million to the local economy from marine cargo. By that time, about 8,800 jobs could be connected with the port, compared to 2,400 positions now.

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Erika: Industry guilty, master acquitted

A court in Paris has ordered French oil group Total, Italian classification society RINA and the Italian owner and manager of the tanker Erika to pay damages and compensation totaling €192M ($284M) for their role in the Erika disaster.

The court ruled that Total, RINA and the ship’s Italian owner and manager were jointly responsible for causing maritime pollution when the Erika sank off Brittany in 1999. After finding the industry players criminally responsible, they were found guilty of civil responsibility. For this, Total and RINA have each been fined €375,000, and Giuseppe Savarese and Antonio Pollara, the Erika’s former owner and manager respectively, have each been fined €75,000. The sentence finds Total and industry companies guilty of imprudence in the chain of events leading up to the sinking and subsequent pollution, and recognizes the right of local authorities and ecology groups to receive compensation for environmental damage. Ugo Salerno, CEO of RINA, promised to "appeal and vigorously defend our interests" following the judgement.
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Marine climate change is on the increase

Climate change is having a significant impact on our marine environment.

The Marine Climate Change Impacts Partnership (MCCIP) report card 2007-08 highlights just how much climate change has affected the United Kingdom's marine environment and what the future impacts may be. Key findings from the report published says that 2006 was the second warmest year for UK coastal waters since records began in 1870; seven of the 10 warmest years have been in the last decade. Warmer winters have been strongly linked to reduced breeding success and survival in some seabird populations. Models predict fewer storms in future but there will be increased numbers of severe storms. Coastal erosion and flooding is expected to increase. Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and the Environment Richard Lochhead said: 'Climate change, including marine climate change, is one of the most serious threats facing today. It is a truly global issue and can only be tackled if we work together. Our seas play a vital role in regulating our climate and are a lifeline for the communities that live around them. Healthy seas are central to our wellbeing, shaping our climate as well as providing food and livelihoods.
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Fairplay Towage naming ceremony in Rotterdam

Fairplay Towage has named its latest tug-new building on June 28, 2007 ’Fairplay III'.

In Fairplay's 102 years of history, this name is now appearing for the fourth time. The first 'Fairplay III' was built for Carl Tiedemann, Hamburg in 1897, taken over by Fairplay in the early 1900reds and scrapped in 1953. The second tug with this name was built for Hapag in 1900, taken over and renamed by Fairplay in 1951 and finally be sold for scrap in 1963. The Theodor Buschmann Yard, (still today a 100 percent Fairplay subsidiary), built the third ‘Fairplay III’ in 1963, She belonged to a series of 6 sister-tugs. 2002 this last 'Fairplay III' was sold. This latest fleet addition has, however, little in common with her predecessors. It is the strongest Fairplay tug and it is built according to the latest standards by the Spanish yard Astilleros Armon in Navia/Spain. With an LOA of 25 metres and a width of 11.2metres 'Fairplay III' and her sister 'Fairplay I', presently under construction, will primarily serve in the Ports of Rotterdam resp. Hamburg.
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