Philippine News

November 4 ------ A product tanker operated by Stolt Tankers sailing near the coast of Somalia is reporting shots fired and a possible boarding attempt. It is the latest in a series of suspicious activities being reported in the past few days, increasing fears of renewed piracy in the region. Several security consultancies reported the incident, which was later confirmed by Stolt as well as the UK and EU forces in the region. The tanker Stolt Sagaland (44,000 dwt) was underwa

November 4 ------ The Clean Arctic Alliance has welcomed the Nordic Council’s adoption of a resolution concerning polar fuels, which calls on Nordic governments to craft and implement a regulation that would mandate the application of cleaner, marine fuels that could cut black carbon emissions whilst operating in the Arctic region. The Nordic Council had adopted the resolution, which called on the UN’s shipping body International Maritime Organization (IMO) specifically to cr

November 4 ------ The White House issued its fact sheet detailing the scope of the agreements reached with China during the meeting between the two countries’ presidents and discussions among the staff to make the agreements actionable. As reported last week, the U.S. and China will suspend the special port fees introduced against each other’s ships, as well start large agricultural shipments to China. The United States confirmed it will suspend, starting on November 10, for

November 4 ------ Satellite imaging of the loading terminal at Tuapse, Russia confirms that oil was spilled after the Ukrainian attack last weekend. The strike was a rare example of a Ukrainian attempt to target foreign-flag merchant tankers; historically it has limited its efforts to Russian-flagged vessels and shoreside infrastructure. The Telegram channel Dosye Shpiona ("Spy Dossier") - often cited by Russian military analysts - claimed that the prolonged, large-scale atta

November 3 ------ The Mission to Seafarers released its latest edition of the Seafarers Happiness Index, and it shows that after a period of encouraging improvement earlier this year, perception of working and living conditions at sea has taken a turn for the worse. With most indicators that define the lives of seafarers on a decline, the index shows that the average happiness level has plunged to 7.05 out of 10 in the third quarter of 2025. This is a sharp decline from 7.54

November 3 ------ Debate over whether the Hong Kong Convention’s (HKC) flag-state International Ready for Recycling Certificate (IRRC) can substitute for the Basel Convention’s Prior Informed Consent (PIC) goes to the heart of how the world manages end-of-life ships. Proponents claim the HKC delivers equivalent level of environmental protection through HKC compliant yards, Inventories of Hazardous Materials (IHM), and Ship Recycling Plans (SRP) tailored to vessels followed by

November 3 ------ Dutch maritime solar innovator Wattlab has delivered a seaworthy solar energy system for a diesel-electric vessel owned by compatriot shortsea shipping company Vertom. After two successful pilots with Wattlab in three years, Vertom chose to outfit its latest coaster with 79 kWp of installed solar power – the first seagoing vessel to do so. The 7,280-dwt diesel-electric multipurpose cargo vessel MV Vertom Tula was delivered earlier this year. As explained, th

November 3 ------ The U.S. military has eliminated another suspected drug-trafficking boat in the Caribbean, neutralizing a suspected cocaine shipment and three vessel operators. The 15th strike brings the number of suspected narco-traffickers eliminated using lethal force to more than 60 individuals. "This vessel—like every other—was known by our intelligence to be involved in illicit narcotics smuggling, was transiting along a known narco-trafficking route, and carrying nar

November 2 ------ The never-ending controversy over commercial ships' threats to endangered whales and other species in the Californian waters has flared up again after conservationist groups sued the Trump administration for failure to protect the mammals. With reports showing that at least 10 gray whales have been killed by probable ship strikes in the San Francisco Bay Area so far this year, while several more whales have died from undetermined causes, the Center for Biolo

November 2 ------ The energy sector is often front and center when the discussion revolves around breakbulk and heavy-lift cargoes. Windmills, on land or anchored to the ocean floor, have been all the rage for the past several years. And why not? Energy makes the world go around - whether it's green or liquid gold. Dry bulk is another sector critical to our developing society. However, dry bulk products, like breakbulk cargoes, would not be available or accessible were it no

November 1 ------ More than 80 percent of the world’s goods, measured by volume, are transported by ship. This transport accounts for three percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, according to the UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). “Many people probably think that we can simply switch fuel types or perhaps completely electrify these large ships, but as of today, technology has not come that far. The battery packs alone would have to take the place of all the goods that wo

November 1 ------ Antwerp's giant container port is notorious for cocaine smuggling, and for all of the ills that go with it - gangs, violence, bribery, and corruption. These vices have seeped out into the surrounding community for years and have gotten so bad that one investigator warns that the city could turn into a "narco-state" - an economy dominated by the illicit influence of traffickers and lacking the rule of law. In an open letter published Monday on the website o

October 31 ------ The Seafarer Happiness Index (SHI) report for Q3 2025 from the Mission to Seafarers does not make particularly comfortable reading with deep-rooted challenges surfacing across the profession. Overall, the index fell to 7.05 out of 10 in the third quarter from 7.54 in the second quarter of the year, with growing dissatisfaction from seafarers across almost all key metrics that the index measures. “The data paints a particularly alarming picture: nearly every

October 31 ------ AI is now a boardroom priority in maritime, but ambition hasn’t yet turned into readiness. New industry research reveals a striking disconnect in maritime AI adoption. While 82 percent of maritime professionals believe AI can improve efficiency, only 23 percent of companies are training staff to use it. Even more telling, 81percent are running pilots, but only 11 percent have policies and guardrails needed to scale. These were among the headlines from "Beyo

October 30 ------ Fatigue is not a new problem in shipping. It has been discussed, regulated, and reported for years, yet it remains one of the greatest threats to safety at sea. Work schedules, crew size, and external conditions — such as adverse weather or busy port operations — can all play a role in building up cumulative fatigue. Even a single night of inadequate sleep can impair cognitive function, causing reduced alertness, slower response times, and lapses in concentr

October 30 ------ Power and propulsion solutions provider Rolls-Royce has completed testing of what is said to be “the world’s first” high-speed marine engine powered exclusively by methanol. Together with its partners in the meOHmare research project, Rolls-Royce conducted the trial on its test bench in Friedrichshafen, marking “an important milestone on the road to climate-neutral and environmentally friendly propulsion solutions for shipping.” The joint project meOHmare is

October 30 ------ A report published in the Financial Times, quoting investigations carried out by TankerTrackers.com, a maritime intelligence company, has shown clear evidence of transshipments of sanctioned Russian oil at transfer locations in the Gulf of Oman. The cargo was destined for delivery to the Guru Gobind Singh Refinery in Punjab, a facility co-owned by Mittal Energy. The investigation tracked the outward voyages of four sanctioned tankers, which each loaded in Mu

October 30 ------ Swedish maritime battery system provider Echandia has signed an agreement to supply energy storage systems for at least eight newbuild cargo vessels to be owned by Dutch shipping company Spliethoff Group. As disclosed, the contract includes the option to equip an additional pair of cargo vessels with battery systems. The units are presently under construction at Wuhu Shipyard in China. According to Echandia, Finnish energy efficiency solutions provider WE Te

October 29 ------ The majority of top flag states voted either in favor of postponing the Net Zero Framework (NZF) by a year, or abstained, according to figures released by the IMO. A readout of the voting on whether or not to adjourn the recent extraordinary meeting of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) by a year showed that world’s two largest flag states – Liberia and Panama voted in favor of the postponement. Of 106 yes and no votes there was a simple majo

October 29 ------ A sanctioned Russian crude oil tanker traveling as part of the southbound convoy in the Suez Canal broke down on Tuesday, October 28, briefly interfering with transits. The Suez Canal Authority is emphasizing its quick response to get the tanker, which had grounded, back underway. The ship, which is currently trading under the name Komander, is another flagrant example of the tactics of the shadow fleet. Built in 2004, the 150,580-dwt tanker has had four nam