1. Ship Owner, Operator Fined USD 1.8 Mn for Covering Up Vessel Oil Pollution.
18 October 2019 : Two shipping companies incorporated in Liberia will pay a USD 1.8 million criminal penalty for pollution caused by a cargo vessel and concealing evidence, the US Department of Justice said.
Vessel owner Nederland Shipping Company and operator Chart world Shipping Company pled guilty on October 15 in federal court in Wilmington, Delaware, to failing to notify the US Coast Guard of a hazardous condition on one of their vessels and to violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS) by presenting false documents to the USCG that covered up vessel oil pollution.
2. COSCO Panamax collided with French trawler in Irish waters, heavy damage.
17 October 2019 : Bulk carrier HUA SHENG HAI collided with 35-meter French trawler KIRRIXKI (MMSI 228005600) off Kerry coast, southwest Ireland, at around 0100 UTC Oct 12, while en route from Guinea to Aughinish Alumina, Ireland. Trawler sustained serious bow damages, one crew was injured, in need of hospital treatment. Trawler reached Dingle and as of Oct 17, remains at Dingle. Bulk carrier is cruising in legs off Kilrush, west of Aughinish, probably waiting for berth.
3. Cyber security is the new frontier in marine and offshore safety.
16 October 2019 : ABS will collaborate with Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, to provide cyber security for ship information technology (IT) and operation technology (OT) in response to increasing digital technology within marine and offshore energy sectors.
Cyber security will be implemented at the earliest stages of asset design and development to ensure cyber risk management is an integral part of operations from the beginning. “Cyber security is the new frontier in marine and offshore safety,” says ABS global head of cyber security Ian Bramson. “As these assets become more digital, the industry must be ready to deal with a broader range of threats. Working together, we are able to deliver a converged IT/OT solution for safer, more secure assets and operations.”
4. Gujarat brings out new port policy.
16 October 2019 : In a bid to boost infrastructure and attract investment in the port and logistics sector, the Gujarat government has revised its port policy brought out in 1995 and removed restrictions on 33 private jetties, allowing them to handle third party cargo.
The new policy allows the captive jetties to be full-fledged commercial ports across the 1,600-km-long coastline in the State. Gujarat Maritime Board (GMB), a nodal agency and port sector regulator in the State, is aiming at attracting approximately ₹4,000 crore of new investments in port-related infrastructure in the State.
“Gujarat has a coastline of about 1,600 km. It has four private ports along the coastline and 33 captive jetties, which handle about 45% of cargos, while private ports handle about 46% of total cargos handled by GMB ports. Emphasis was given to utilise the in-place capacity of captive jetties which are underutilised,” the preamble of the new policy stated.
5. Govt to come up with port development plan in 6 months for 204 minor ports: Shipping Minister.
16 October 2019 : The government will put in place a comprehensive ‘Port Grid and Port Development’ plan in six months for 204 minor ports in the country to boost coastal shipping and inland waterways, and bring a Bill in Parliament to provide a fillip to major ports, Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Tuesday.
India has 12 major ports – Deendayal (erstwhile Kandla), Mumbai, JNPT, Marmugao, New Mangalore, Cochin, Chennai, Kamarajar (earlier Ennore), V O Chidambarnar, Visakhapatnam, Paradip and Kolkata (including Haldia) – and 204 minor ports under the control of states. “A Port Grid and Port Development plan will be ready in six months and will be given to state governments for development of their ports. The minor ports will support major ports…small cargo will reach to major port from minor ports and boost EXIM cargo,” Shipping Minister Mandaviya said. “The plan will be comprehensive as states lack technical support and world-class guidance,” he added.
6. No GST on Maritime Courses conducted by the Maritime Training Institutes of India approved by DG Shipping: CBIC.
15 October 2019 : The Central Board of Indirect Taxes ( CBIC ) said that, Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) exempted for maritime courses conducted by the Maritime Training Institutes of India approved by Directorate General of Shipping.
Under GST Law, vide Sl. No. 66 of the notification No. 12/2017- Central Tax (Rate) dated 28.06.2017, services provided by educational institutions to its students, faculty and staff are exempt from levy of GST. In the above notification, “educational institution” has been defined to mean an institution providing services by way of education as a part of a curriculum for obtaining a qualification recognised by any law for the time being in force.
GST exemption on services supplied by an educational institution would be available if it fulfils the criteria that the education is provided as part of a curriculum for obtaining a qualification/ degree recognized by law.
7. ITF Urges Authorities to Continue Search for Bourbon Rhode Crew.
15 October 2019 : The International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) is joining Ukrainian and Croatian maritime unions in demanding that the search for seven missing seafarers continue in the mid-Atlantic following the sinking of the Bourbon Rhode vessel.
On October 14, ITF maritime coordinator Jacqueline Smith directly called on the French government to continue search and rescue operations and redeploy all resources. Smith also called on the US and other nations to provide assistance in the search while there is a prospect that the seven missing seafarers can be found alive.
“As Croatia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs said earlier this week, not all options have been exhausted. Together with our affiliates, the Seafarers Union of Croatia and the Marine Transport Workers’ Trade Union of Ukraine, we demand that the search continues while there is still a glimmer of hope that the missing seafarers are alive,” Smith said.
8. General cargo ship sunk by typhoon, 1 dead 7 missing, Japan.
14 October 2019 : General cargo ship JIA DE sank at around 2320 Tokyo time Oct 12 in front of Kawasaki, Yokohama, Japan, when typhoon HAGIBIS hit the area. Not clear if the ship was anchored or under way. Of 12 crew, 4 were rescued, 1 found dead, 7 are missing. There were three Myanmar nationality, seven Chinese and two Vietnamese crew. Myanmar nationality Master is among rescued.
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