European Commission opens an investigation into the activities of petrol tankers in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The European Commission is to open an investigation into the allegedly uncontrolled activities of the so-called floating petrol stations in the Strait of Gibraltar.

The EC will decide whether any penal action is needed. Antonio Muñoz gave the news from Verdemar-Ecologistas en Accion, who said that he had been notified of the investigation by letter last Friday. It comes after his organization had called on Brussels to investigate the matter, claiming that there was not adequate monitoring in the Strait, nor an efficient system of fines, which would persuade the petrol companies to stop putting marine life and people’s health in danger. Verdemar has estimated that nearly seven million tons of oil is transferred between tankers in the Gibraltar Bay. The recent case of the New Flame, the scrap metal boat that remains half sunk off Gibraltar after colliding with a tanker last August, has highlighted the dangers to the environment in the bay. Reports indicate the vessel has a cargo of 44,000 used exhaust pipes, car batteries and other toxic products on board, with pollution from the ship reaching beaches in Algeciras. An earlier investigation into the practice of ‘bunkering’ moving petrol from one tanker to another while at sea, took place in the Strait in 2006 when two Scottish MPs made a complaint, and that merely resulted in some observations coming from Brussels a year later that such operations should always be carried out with attention being made to the environment.
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Dubai to host maritime arbitration conference

The first Maritime Arbitration Conference will be held with the support of the Federation of UAE Chambers of Commerce and Industry.

The emirate of Dubai will be hosting the activities of this conference from April 5 to April 7, 2008, with the participation of a panel of commercial and maritime arbitrators and law figures on both levels — regional and international. This conference is regarded as a major move towards the solving of any legal and professional disputes in relation with maritime arbitration and to communicate the same to the concerned entities and organizations.
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Fremantle based Sea Corporation signs the world's largest ship agency contract for 2008

Fremantle based ship broking, ship agency and marine service provider Sea Corp has signed an agreement to handle the shipping needs of the Pilbara's new force in iron ore, Fortescue Metals Group.

The three-year contract, which can be extended for five years, becomes effective from April 2008 and is understood to represent the world's largest ship agency tender signed this year. Seacorp will handle all the ship agency, local representation and document execution for Fortescue, and will be the exclusive agent for all ships calling at the Pilbara port of Port Hedland to handle Fortescue cargo. Seacorp managing director Craig Thompson said Seacorp would also be the shipping agent for Fortescue's CFR, cost and freight terms, shipments at various discharge ports in China. Seacorp, which was set up by Craig Thompson in 1998, is the nation's largest independently owned Australian ship agency and Shipbroking Company. Seacorp brought a unique dimension to the Australian transport scene in that it brought an all encompassing shipping and international trade consultancy service to clients. Seacorp's diversified range of services includes ship broking, ship agency, document execution, marine surveys, inspections and the provision of specialized marine personnel.

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Carnival Uses Intersleek 900

International Paint completed a hull coating project on Carnival Cruise Line’s Carnival Victory.

The seven-year-old Italian-built vessel, one of a fleet of 23 passenger liners, was coated with Intersleek 900 during a recent drydocking in the Grand Bahamas Shipyard in Freeport, Grand Bahama, in late 2007. Carnival Valor is was due to be coated with Intersleek 900 in early 2008. Intersleek 900 was chosen following a long evaluation of the Intersleek 700 foul release system by Carnival Cruise Lines. According to International, Intersleek 700 demonstrated that the coating decreased fuel consumption and improved hull maintenance. Secondary benefits of using Intersleek 700 included a reduction in the amount of hazardous wash water and contaminated grit produced during coating repair, fewer coats and less paint applied at subsequent drydockings, fewer volatile organic compounds released during the painting process and less time spent in drydock. “The Intersleek coating has definitely proven to be effective on Carnival’s vessels in terms of improving vessel speed and energy efficiency along with preventing fouling build up on the underwater hull,” said Roberto Martinoli, the Executive VP of Carnival Cruise Lines who was involved in the evaluation of Intersleek 700. Carnival Cruise Lines chose Intersleek 900, the new patented fluoropolymer foul release coating for the recent docking of the Carnival Victory and the impending docking of the Carnival Valor.

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China's export container transportation market coming out of stagnation

China's export container transportation market is gradually coming out of its previous stagnation with cargo volumes restored to normal on the three main routes of Europe, North America and Japan during the week ended March 21.

SSE says that the latest data Freights on part of the routes have reversed the previous decline. SSE's China Containerized Freight Index closed at 1,145.41 points on March 21, which levels with the previous week. SSE's freight index for Europe and the Mediterranean routes were 1,716.6 and 1,696. 14 points respectively in the week, up 1.1 percent and 1.2 percent respectively over the previous week. SSE's freight index for the Japan route dropped 4.2 percent from the previous week to close at 797.16 points. According to SSE's information department, freight demand on the Europe and Mediterranean routes continued to restore last week. Resumed cargo volume is keeping shipping companies' average capacity utilization at 80 percent despite the release of new shipping capacities onto these routes.

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Iran singled out by US Coast Guard

The U.S. Coast Guard has alerted the maritime community that Iran has been placed on the port security advisory list.

The Coast Guard determined that Iran has not maintained effective anti-terrorism measures. The determination was made in accordance with the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002, which authorizes the Secretary of Homeland Security to take into account several factors, including whether a foreign port poses a high risk of introducing terrorism to international maritime commerce. Vessels will be targeted for increased boardings when arriving in U.S. ports if they have visited one of the countries in the port security advisory list during their last five port calls.

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US vessel 'shoots at Suez boat'

A US container ship approaching the Suez Canal has opened fire on a small Egyptian motorboat, killing one man and wounding two others.

The Global Patriot, carrying used US military equipment, was in the Gulf of Suez when it was approached by a motorboat selling local merchandise. Its crew apparently fired after the boat failed to heed warnings to stop when asked, the US navy said. It added that it was in contact with Egypt through the US embassy in Cairo. As many as 100 other local vessels are said to have gathered at the scene, carrying hawkers demanding an inquiry. Some 7.5% of world sea trade passes through the Suez Canal, which is 190km long (118 miles) and 120m wide (395ft) at its narrowest point. It was after sunset on Monday when a motorboat carrying three local Egyptian traders approached the Global Patriot in the Gulf of Suez as it prepared to sail towards the Mediterranean, according to Egyptian officials. The Global Patriot's crew are reported to have ordered the motorboat to stop and when it did not, they opened fire, killing one and wounding two others, the officials added. According to the US Navy's Military Sealift Command (MSC), the Global Patriot is a US-flagged roll-on, roll-off container ship chartered from Global Container Lines. In the past, it has been used by the MSC to transport a US military Patriot Missile defence battery, ammunition, and MRAP (Mine Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicles around the world.
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