Maritime News

June 9 ------ To mark World Ocean Day, the IMO is calling on its 176 Member States and the global shipping industry to step up implementation of measures to protect the marine environment. In a video message for World Oceans Day, IMO Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez said: “At IMO, we take our responsibility to protect the ocean seriously. With shipping being one of the main users of the ocean space, it is the reason why we focus on enhancing our regulatory framework to red

June 9 ------ The European Council announced that it was imposing sanctions, including on Iran’s IRGC, while calling for freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The move comes as the Europeans also appear to be setting the stage for a mine clearance program in the Strait of Hormuz. The Council said it was extending its legal framework targeting those involved in Iran’s actions and policies threatening the freedom of navigation in the Middle East. It said the actio

June 9 ------ Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi movement said that it had launched a missile attack on Israel and declared a “complete and total ban” on Israeli maritime navigation in the Red Sea, warning that Israeli-linked vessels would again be considered legitimate military targets. The announcement raised concerns over renewed disruption to the Red Sea shipping route that had previously been heavily affected. In a statement, the group said it fired missiles at what it describe

June 9 ------ In an open letter to the industry, ABS has set out a measured and data-driven approach to support the development of an effective global framework for maritime decarbonization. Titled, The ABS View: A Practical Path Forward on IMO Mid-Term Measures, it reflects broad alignment across the industry on the need for one international approach to emissions reduction, while recognizing that implementation will be shaped by real-world constraints across the global flee

June 8 ------ Education and upskilling of the next generation of seafarers took center stage at the Eugenides Foundation event during Posidonia 2026. The Eugenides Foundation, alongside leading representatives of international maritime education and industry, addressed the pressing challenge of training and upskilling the next generation of seafarers during a high-level event held within the framework of the Posidonia 2026 international maritime exhibition. During the event “

June 8 ------ The Panama Canal Authority issued an advisory to shipping companies announcing that it plans to reduce the maximum authorized draft for the Neopanamax locks. It emphasizes that this is a precautionary step based on the lessons learned during the 2023-2024 water shortage and should have a limited immediate effect on shipping, but raises concerns as transit levels are at peak levels. The restriction will lower the draft limit by half a foot to a maximum of 49.5 fe

June 8 ------ On Friday night, a small container ship went down in the middle of the Strait of Singapore, just hours after leaving the pier. At about 2200 hours local time on June 5, the small container feeder Golden Star 1 - a local vessel involved in coastal trading - began taking on water, and she quickly went down at a position about three nautical miles north of Batam, in the middle of the strait. The ship had nine crewmembers and about 100 containers on board. Golden St

June 8 ------ ABS issued approval in principle (AIP) for the integration of a nuclear reactor into a cargo vessel propulsion system developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (HD KSOE) and Capital Maritime Group. This design uses a special synthetic fluid to carry heat from the reactor core. Today’s designs typically focus on micro-scale thermal outputs of 10 to 20 megawatts. The MIT design’s near-atmospheric ope