Philippine News

January 21 ------ The ICC International Maritime Bureau, an international reporting center for piracy and maritime crimes, analyzed reporting for 2025, highlighting an increase in global maritime incidents. It warns of an increase in piracy and armed robbery, and while much of it was low-level crimes, the group emphasized the need for timely reporting to counter the spike in crimes. Overall, during 2025, the group received information on 137 incidents against ships, up from 1

January 21 ------ Major shipping companies are devising strategies for a return to the Suez Canal after more than two years of disruptions due to security risks in the Red Sea. They have been rerouting vessels via longer, costlier routes around Africa since November 2023, following attacks on commercial ships by Yemen's Houthi forces, reportedly in solidarity with Palestinians during warfare in Gaza. A ceasefire agreement reached in October 2025 led some companies to explore

January 21 ------ India’s Embassy and Consulate in Iran went public with their complaint that Iranian authorities have not permitted consular access to the crew of a small product tanker that was seized a month ago, accused of smuggling. The public statement posted on X came after the families of the 16 crewmembers made a personal appeal to India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the Embassy, Iranian authorities notified them in mid-December that the tanker Valiant

January 21 ------ James Fisher and Sons is investing in a U.S.-based autonomous marine technology company to support the development and deployment of what is said to be the world’s first and only wind and solar-powered autonomous underwater and surface vehicle (AUSV). James Fisher announced it was investing a strategic minority stake in the Series D funding round of Ocean Aero, which designs, manufactures, and operates the next-generation, low-emission Triton AUSV. According

January 20 ------ If mental health is not treated as safety-critical, we risk losing a whole generation of seafarers who are not willing to sacrifice their health for a career, regardless of how well-paid it is. Life at sea can be unforgiving, seafarers face long stretches away from home, shift patterns that disrupt sleep, demanding operational pressures, isolation, harsh weather, and often little privacy. We are already seeing heightened anxiety in younger seafarers before t

January 20 ------ The Baltic Exchange Dry Index halted a nine-session slide to mark a 2.3% U-turn, climbing to 1,567 points, reports cash buyer GMS. This was driven by gains across segments: Capes (up 2.3%), Panamax (up 4.3%), and the smaller segments adding four points by week’s end. “Notably, the overall benchmark index still finished the week down 7.2%. Oil too continued to trip on itself and stayed below the coveted USD 60/barrel mark despite a 0.4% increase, closing the

January 20 ------ A smaller cargo ship transporting containers along the coast between Portugal and Spain was forced to take refuge after it experienced a stack collapse last week. The ship Maria Francisca arrived at the Port of Vigo with two rows of boxes toppled over and several crushed boxes hanging over the side of the vessel. The 30,000-dwt vessel had departed Lisbon, Portugal, on January 14 and overnight encountered the heavy winter weather that has been disrupting oper

January 20 ------ DP World’s London Gateway Port, located on the Thames, reported strong growth in 2025 as it continues to expand its operations. The Times (London) asserts that the terminal, which has been in operation for a little more than a decade, is on track to claim the top spot in the UK, and become the largest UK container port. Today’s announcement of year-end data highlights that London Gateway port achieved a more than 52 percent growth in its container throughput

January 19 ------ The world’s first global treaty to protect ocean life in international waters enters into force on January 17, 2026, bringing into effect legally-binding rules for the sustainable use and management of marine resources in the high seas. Formally known as the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), the trea

January 19 ------ Tsuneishi Shipbuilding’s Philippines-based yard Tsuneishi Heavy Industries has delivered the world’s first methanol dual-fuel KAMSARMAX bulk carrier, Brave Pioneer. By adopting methanol as a propulsion fuel, the vessel achieves a reduction of approximately 10% in carbon dioxide emissions, 80% in NOx and 99% in SOx compared with conventional vessels. The use of green methanol further enhances the vessel’s potential to reduce environmental impact. The vessel f

January 19 ------ Spanish authorities are reporting that they successfully broke up a large drug smuggling operation that had been responsible for bringing large amounts of cocaine from Colombia. They described a number of methods, including so-called “monkeys” to get the drugs aboard the containerships, dropping off near Spain, and hijacking vessels and small boats to retrieve the smuggled narcotics. The investigation involved the National Police, Civil Guard, and Tax Agency

January 19 ------ The ultra-large Disney Adventure (208,108 gross tons) is making a brief appearance in the United States during its delivery run to Asia. The cruise ship pulled into Port Canaveral, Florida, on January 15 for a reported 12-day stopover before she resumes the trip, which will ultimately arrive in Singapore, her year-round homeport. Acquired by Disney in November 2022 from the bankrupt MV Werften shipbuilding, the ship was completed by Meyer Werft and reconfigu

January 18 ------ The ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre (ISC) issued its 2025 annual report on piracy and armed robbery against ships in Asia highlighting that 132 incidents of piracy and armed robbery were reported to in 2025 - a 23% increase over the 107 incidents reported in 2024.   One hundred and eight of these were located in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore (SOMS), a 74% increase over 2024 numbers. This is the highest number of incidents recorded in the SOMS during

January 18 ------ This week, a US federal judge cleared Danish offshore wind developer Orsted to resume work on its nearly finished Revolution Wind project, which US President Donald Trump's administration halted along with four other projects last month.   The halt was costing Orsted $1.5 million a day, noted the judge. The project is now expected to begin generating power later this year. Also this week, Ireland-based clean energy company ETFuels joined the SASHA Coalition,

January 17 ------ A set of amendments to key IMO treaties and Codes have entered into force on 1 January 2026. They include the following:   Preventing and responding to bullying, harassment and sexual assault Amendments to the Seafarers' Training, Certification and Watchkeeping Code (STCW Code) aim to prevent and respond to violence and harassment in the maritime sector, including sexual harassment, bullying and sexual assault.   The amendments are included in table A-VI/1-4

January 17 ------ Experts from the EU CLEANSHIP project have documented that the use of biodiesel of the type B100 FAME in real sailing can reduce black carbon emissions by up to 81 percent at low engine load and up to 61 percent at high engine load compared to traditional marine gas oil, MGO.   The measurements with 100 percent biofuel were made during a three-day voyage on the vessel Falstria Swan from Uni-Tankers. The collected data has been analyzed and compared with base

January 16 ------ The Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) has officially assumed several regulatory functions for Maritime Higher Education Institutions (MHEIs) as part of the implementation of the MARINA–CHED Transition Plan, in line with Republic Act No. 12021, or the Magna Carta of Filipino Seafarers.   Effective 01 January 2026, MARINA will now process and issue Special Orders (SO) for Graduation. MHEIs are required to submit their applications through their respective M

January 16 ------ Maersk is drawing a lot of attention with its announcement today that it has restarted its first service on its normal routing through the Red Sea and Suez Canal. Long seen as a bellwether for the industry, Maersk's move to fulfill its commitments to the Suez Canal Authority for a return is seen as a pivotal moment for the industry following a similar move this month by CMA CGM.   In an announcement from Maersk, it called the move the “next step” in its grad

January 16 ------ The German Federal Police are reported to be increasing their enforcement efforts on shipping attempting to enter the country’s territorial waters in the Baltic. In an investigation reported by the German media outlets NDR, WDR, and Süddeutsche Zeitung, they highlight that German forces last weekend turned away a “zombie” tanker that presented false papers, and it was preceded by a similar enforcement effort in December.   According to the investigation, the

January 16 ------ The Shanghai International Port Group is highlighting that its port operation has remained the world’s busiest container port for the 16th consecutive year. They also report completion of the 14th Five-Year Plan as it looks toward the future by taking more steps to build its role as a global container transshipment hub.   Releasing its final tally for 2025, SIPG says the Shanghai port overall handled 55.06 million TEU, which was a 6.9 percent increase in thr