ITF News Update – 07th to 14th January 2022
BIMCO Urges Gulf of Guinea States to Step Up Prosecution of Pirates | G Captain – 7th Jan
Shipping association BIMCO is urging countries in the Gulf of Guinea region to step up the prosecution of suspected pirates following the release of three suspected pirates held on board Danish frigate Esbern Snare.
https://gcaptain.com/bimco-urges-gulf-of-guinea-states-to-step-up-prosecution-of-pirates/
How The Shipping Sector Will Come Of Age | Forbes – 7th Jan
What was once underappreciated and invisible, the shipping sector has become the zeitgeist of our post-Covid era. With a faltering journey for the shipping industry in 2021, there have been countless articles and predictions by pundits on when and how this sector will go back to normal. Consumers have also learned about the shipping sector the hard way, with the congestions in the ports of Long Beach and LA standing in the way of Christmas. The Ever Given container ship was a popular costume for last year’s Halloween.
Group seeks government help for 15 Pinoy seafarers | Manila Standard – 9th Jan
A party-list group advocating for the rights and benefits of ship crewmembers on Saturday asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) as well as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to immediately verify reports on the reported detention of 15 Filipino seamen in France.
https://manilastandard.net/news/314031656/group-seeks-government-help-for-15-pinoy-seafarers.html
Spain and Dubai will collaborate to improve maritime safety | Paris Beacon News – 9th Jan
Madrid, Jan 9 (Latest) .- The Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Dubai Police Services and the Maritime Safety and Rescue Society (Sasemar) that expresses the commitment of both countries in improving maritime safety.
https://www.parisbeacon.com/26660/
Trade between Bangladesh, India using inland waterways to get a boost this year | Daily Star – 10th Jan
Trade between India and Bangladesh using inland waterways is expected to get a boost by the middle of this year when heavy cargo ships from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Haldia in West Bengal sail to Pandu port in Assam through the neighbouring country.
UAE ship capture: 4 Indian seafarers in captivity for a week | Times of India – 10th Jan
Four Indian seafarers continue to be in captivity after a UAE flagged ship MV Rwabee was captured by Houthi rebels in Yemen last Sunday
It’s time for the industry to stand up and be counted in support of our seafarers | Splash 247 – 11th Jan
Several months ago we started a petition to get seafarers treated as essential workers with an enforceable international trade protocol. Global governments would collaborate and provide a recognised methodology to enable proper treatment of seafarers in travel, etc. This petition was promoted on Splash, on LinkedIn and other media.
Italy blocks migrant rescue ship after inspection | The World News – 11th Jan
Authorities in the Sicilian port of Trapani detained the Ocean Viking migrant rescue ship following an 11-hour inspection, the group that operates the vessel said Tuesday.
https://theworldnews.net/mt-news/italy-blocks-migrant-rescue-ship-after-inspection
Royal Caribbean is quarantining crew members who test positive for COVID-19 on 2 of its cruise ships | Yahoo News – 11th Jan
The cruise line’s COVID-19-infected crew members are now being transferred to the out-of-service Vision of the Seas and Rhapsody of the Seas “to keep our crew and ships as healthy as possible,” Royal Caribbean told Insider in a statement.
https://news.yahoo.com/royal-caribbean-quarantining-crew-members-160718312.html
IMO adopts resolution to address seafarer challenges during Covid-19 | Manila Times – 12th Jan
The resolution urges the member states to designate seafarers as key workers to facilitate shore leave and safe and unhindered movement across borders and recognize their relevant documentation for this purpose.
Seafarers’ union accuses police of extortion, harassment aboard ship | New Telegraph – 12th Jan
Nigeria Merchant Navy Officers and Water Transport Senior Staff Association (NMNOWTSSA) has accused the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) of extortion, harassment, detention and molestation of its members aboard ships. The seafarers’ union attributed the development to a recent clampdown on fake merchant navy groups by the Lagos State Police Command.
https://www.newtelegraphng.com/seafarers-union-accuses-police-of-extortion-harassment-aboard-ship/
Report: Crew Change Crisis is Waning, but Omicron Could Bring it Back | Maritime Executive – 12th Jan
The latest numbers from the Neptune Declaration on Crew Change appear to show good news for seafarers: The number of mariners working on an extended contract has fallen to its lowest level since at least May 2021, a major improvement in a key metric for morale.
Differing vaccine regulations create further crewing chaos | Splash 247 – 13th Jan
Differing vaccine regulations are once again causing crew change chaos. The latest update from the Neptune Declaration Crew Change Indicator, published monthly from aggregated data provided by the shipmanagers to the Global Maritime Forum, shows how seafarer travel remains challenging as there are issues with World Health Organization-recognised vaccines not being recognised by all countries and regions.
https://splash247.com/differing-vaccine-regulations-create-further-crewing-chaos/
MV Werften Insolvency Administrator Seeks Back Pay for Workers, Completion of Global Dream Cruise Ship| G Captain – 13th Jan
A court appointed insolvency administrator for German shipbuilder MV Werften is working on getting all 2,000 employees paid their December wages asap and will seek to continue construction on the Global Dream cruise ship, the law firm for the administrator said Wednesday.
Foreign seafarers say they were tricked into servitude on Iranian ships | Washington Post – 14th Jan
DUBAI — Iranian shipping companies in league with international recruiting firms have been forcing large numbers of Indian seafarers to work in dangerous conditions, often with little or no pay, according to more than two dozen men who say they were tricked into taking this employment.