Philippine News

November 29 ------ Conversations about seafarer welfare rightly focus on life at sea: safety, rest, and fair pay. But there is another, often overlooked, element that shapes how seafarers feel about their work and their lives: what happens when they send money home. For most seafarers, supporting loved ones through their earnings is not just a financial act but one of care and responsibility. Yet the simple process of transferring funds can be slow, expensive, and unpredictab

November 29 ------ An estimated 11 billion tons of cargo pass through global ports and harbors every year, illustrating the importance of maritime facilities to international trade. However, as with other examples of critical infrastructure, this importance can introduce unique security challenges. Port security teams face continual threats of theft, unauthorized access, smuggling, and acts of sabotage that often require continuous observation to reliably address. In high-tra

November 28 ------ The challenges of the past few years have increased the awareness of the vulnerability of the shipping industry to delays as congestion builds in key ports and routes faced disruptions ranging from geopolitical issues to piracy, terrorism, or natural hazards driven by extreme weather. A new study estimates that disruptions at these critical points affect around $192 billion worth of maritime trade each year. These disruptions result in estimated economic lo

November 28 ------ Shipping moves 90% of global trade and produces nearly 3% of global emissions. The sector has proved challenging to clean up, as cargo ships can travel for weeks between ports and typically rely on cheap, energy-dense and extremely polluting heavy fuel oil. Earlier this year, international efforts to move shipping towards net zero by using cleaner fuels fell apart under pressure from the United States. But as battery prices fall year on year, there might be

November 28 ------ Reporting that LNG supply conditions in France and Europe have stabilized, TotalEnergies announced that it is demobilizing the floating LNG storage and regasification unit (FSRU) it established at Le Havre. The vessel Cape Ann was pushed into the role as a quick solution in the fall of 2023 in response to a perceived gas crisis as Europe moved to replace supplies from Russia. According to the company, the LNG terminal, which was the fifth established in Fra

November 28 ------ With the firefighting efforts completed and the fire aboard the vessel reportedly contained, the ONE Henry Hudson was shifted late on November 26 from the anchorage one mile offshore back to a berth in the Port of Los Angeles. The plan calls for offloading the containers that were affected by the fire, as well as others that were scheduled for discharge when the fire began on November 21. The Unified Command established by the U.S. Coast Guard, and the Port

November 27 ------ Ship recycling can play an important role in decarbonizing the European steel and construction sectors, according to the NGO Shipbreaking Platform’s new position paper. The coalition participated in the European Commission’s consultation on the upcoming Circular Economy Act. As explained, with a significant number of ships expected to reach the end of their service life in the coming years, ship recycling presents a strategic opportunity to achieve not only

November 27 ------ Ukraine is continuing its efforts to increase pressure on Russia, with the latest action being the imposition of sanctions on vessels exporting grain and other food crops from the occupied ports in Crimea. It follows previous actions that have included seizing ships that entered the closed ports, as well as the prosecution of the captain of vessels accused of exporting crops and other materials from Crimea. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the decree on

November 27 ------ Three seafarers have reportedly been injured in a fire aboard a boxship at the port of Wilmington, Delaware, according to local media. At about 0930, the crew of the container ship Chiquita Voyager reported a fire in the engine room. The blaze started with a generator and grew in size, according to local First State Update. Two crewmembers were initially reported missing. The Wilmington Fire Department responded to the scene and deployed multiple units, inc

November 27 ------ The China Tourism Group reports that it will be leading an effort to boost the cruise ship market that includes the consolidation of the management of the various brands that have been launched in China. It is one of several initiatives by the Chinese government to consolidate industries where it sees strong potential but believes have lagged in performance. A new company called Huaxia was launched as a subsidiary of China Tourism and China COSCO Shipping G

November 26 ------ The Arctic is warming four times faster than anywhere else on Earth, and this is a warning sign for elsewhere on the planet. The shipping sector has been gifted an opportunity to cut black carbon emissions from shipping in the region, which would have a near-immediate positive impact. But time is tight. December 5th is the deadline for countries to submit a crucial proposal for polar fuels, ahead of next February’s meeting of the International Maritime Orga

November 26 ------ Animal advocacy groups are again sounding the alarm about a livestock carrier that appears to be roaming the Mediterranean seeking ports to unload its cargo after it was turned away from Turkey. The Animal Welfare Foundation is calling attention to the situation aboard the Togo-flagged vessel Spiridon II as it continues to advocate for a ban on live animal transport on the high seas. The vessel has been at sea since September 20 with an initial load of 2,90

November 26 ------ Belgium’s three main labor unions banded together into what is likely the largest of the strikes over the past 10 months, protesting the country’s austerity budget. Ocean-going shipping and inland cargo operations have ground to a halt along with trains, airports, and many services, with officials warning the strike is expected to culminate on Wednesday, November 26, in a nationwide effort that could paralyze Belgium. The country has faced many strikes sinc

November 26 ------ The Suez Canal Authority announced during a joint press conference with Maersk CEO Vincent Clerc that the two organizations had signed a new strategic partnership agreement and that Maersk would be returned to the Suez Canal routes. The SCA said the return would come in December, while Maersk later reiterated that it will proceed “as soon as conditions allow, with safety of our crew as the top priority.” Resumption of transits by the major container carrier

November 25 ------ Since October 2023, the Houthis, a Yemeni rebel group that seized control over much of the country over a decade ago, have waged a campaign against shipping vessels in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and Gulf of Aden, attacking over 100 commercial maritime vessels. The Houthis have long cited Israel’s war in Gaza as the raison d’être for its campaign, claiming that the attacks on Israeli ships or any vessels conducting business at Israeli ports are inten

November 25 ------ This week will be a tense one at the International Maritime Organization (IMO)'s London headquarters overlooking the River Thames in London. At the IMO's 35th General Session, delegates will vote on November 28 to elect 20 Category C members of the IMO's Council. Category A and B members of the Council are selected on the basis of calculation, for having the largest interests in shipping services and in international seaborne trade. But Category C members a

November 25 ------ Last week, passengers aboard the cruise ship Carnival Dream reported that one of the vessel's lifeboats broke away from its davit and fell into the water while the ship was berthed at Cozumel, Mexico. The dropped boat was on the starboard side, opposite the pier, according to Cruise Hive. It fell into the water and drifted up to a wharf, where it was retrieved. The remainder of the lifeboat's bow was still hanging from the davit's falls. "The team on Carniv

November 25 ------ South Korea’s HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE), the intermediate holding company for HD Hyundai’s shipbuilding business, has inked a ‘major’ contract with compatriot maritime transport company HMM for eight 13,400 TEU dual-fuel boxships. As disclosed, the order for the ultra-large container vessels, which was revealed on November 23, was signed under an agreement valued at a whopping $1.46 billion. Officials from HD Hyundai have called

November 24 ------ Maritime investigators are yet again highlighting the dangers associated with free-fall lifeboats on commercial vessels after an inadvertent release sent a lifeboat flying into the water and caused serious injuries to a crewmember. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its investigation report on a lifeboat incident involving the bulk carrier Golden Zhejiang, highlighting that cases of accidental lifeboat release remain prevalent and ofte

November 24 ------ As part of a brand-new environmental strategy, starting from 2026, vessels that sail emission-free in and out of the Norwegian Port of Oslo are to be exempt from quay fees while plugged into shore power. Officials from the Port of Oslo have explained that those ships that are sailing in an eco-friendly manner and, therefore, accomplish a “high environmental score” are to earn additional discounts, while the vessels that have not yet adopted any green soluti