MARITIME NEWS

A unique service from KVH Media Group International maritime news for seafarers Thursday, April 3, 2014

SAFETY RESCUE ACCIDENT ENVIRONMENT SHIPPING DATA WORLD TRAVEL

Sekimizu highlights need to ratify BWM Convention

Addressing the ongoing th session of the !arine "nvironment #rotection $ommittee %!"#$& meeting at I!' (eadquarters in )ondon, I!'*s +ecretary ,eneral -o.i +e/imi0u said that I!'*s top priority is **accident prevention** and reduction of marine casualties1 In his speech, +e/imi0u also highlighted the importance of 2ringing *3allast 4ater !anagement %34!& $onvention* into force1 The I!' +ecretary ,eneral urged all I!' mem2ers to ta/e swift action to help ratify the $onvention so that it could come into force without further delay1 **As I have said many times 2efore, we cannot escape from the need for prevention of the glo2al spread of harmful invasive species via transfers of unmanaged 2allast waters and sediments, 2ecause these harmful transfers are inherently lin/ed to the e5pansion of shipping1 This is, in my view, a ris/ management measure1 6nless we ta/e action now, you never /now what pro2lem would happen when, where and in what magnitude in the future1 +hipping cannot escape from this issue and we must implement the 2est technology availa2le now1 In this conte5t and as I have said also many times, any wor/ on the unwanted transfer of invasive species through ships* 2allast water and sediments must 2e done under the 34! $onvention in force,** he said1 The I!' secretary general said that more than 130 +tates have not yet ratified the 34! $onvention to accelerate the ratification progress and 2e prepared for the glo2al implementation from the 2eginning of 201 1

Total 14 documents have 2een su2mitted under the 21 items on the agenda for discussion this session1

SAFETY SLSMC to revitalise structures

The +t1 )awrence +eaway !anagement $orporation %+)+!$& plans to invest 6+7389 million 2etween 2014 and 201: to improve its loc/s and structures1 In addition to its asset renewal programme, the +)+!$ is also moving ahead with theinstallation of (ands ;ree !ooring at all of its high lift loc/s1 This investment over the ne5t five years will ena2le vessels to 2e secured in a loc/ 2y means of vacuum pads, instead of 2y the traditional wire or rope mooring lines1 (ands ;ree !ooring is a core element of the +)+!$*s modernisation programme, ena2ling it to reduce operating costs, increase safety and provide greater access to the +eaway for vessels1 The announcement was made on !arch 2: when the +)+!$ opened the +eaway*s 9 th navigation season with the transit of Algoma $entral $orporation*s newly 2uilt ship, the Algoma "quino5, through )oc/ 3 of the 4elland $anal1 The vessel is the first of eight "quino5<class ships that are 2eing purpose<2uilt for trade in the +t1 )awrence +eaway1 +ource= +)+!$

Brussels hosts 4th session of EU- frica summit

3russels is hosting the 4th "6<Africa +ummit, which will 2ring together African and "6 leaders, as well as the leaders of "6 and African 6nion institutions1 7iscussions at the two<day summit will focus on the theme *Investing in #eople, #rosperity and #eace*1 Topics will include education and training, women and youth, legal and illegal migrant flows 2etween 2oth continents, ways to stimulate growth and create .o2s, investing in peace and ways to enhance "6 support for African capacities to manage security on the continent1 "uropean $ommunity +hipowners* Associations %"$+A& and "uropean Transport 4or/ers* ;ederation %"T;&, the social partners of the maritime transport sector have issued a .oint statement ahead of the summit1 "$+A and "T; sei0e this opportunity to highlight one of the ma.or issues in the "6<Africa relations, namely that of piracy and armed ro22ery, two phenomena that plague some of the world*s 2usiest shipping routes1

USC! continues to "reak ice as St La#rence Sea#ay o$ens

The 6+ $oast ,uard %6+$,& along with $anadian $oast ,uard ice 2rea/ers are continuing the efforts to create pathways for commercial shipping throughout the ,reat )a/es region, including the +t )awrence +eaway, which connects the ,reat )a/es to the Atlantic 'cean1 The +t )awrence +eaway officially opened to shipping on !arch 31, while the 4elland $anal, which connects la/es 'ntario and "rie, opened on !arch 2:1 Although the +oo )oc/s officially opened for the season on !arch 29, no commercial ships have passed through the loc/s as they are still 2eing escorted across )a/e +uperior 2y the $oast ,uard $utters !ac/inaw and -atmai 3ay1 (owever, the >essel Traffic +ervice operated out of $oast ,uard +ector +ault +te1 !arie, !ich1, has issued a directive to close the upper +t !arys ?iver to navigation 2ecause of heavy ice coverage1 'f the 10 6+$, cutters in the ,reat )a/es, nine are ice2rea/ers whose crews have wor/ed alongside four $anadian $oast ,uard ships to wor/ long hours clearing the way for la/ers and sea<going ships1 The 6+$, has spent :,300 hours on the ice<2rea/ing mission this winter1

Emerging ne# routes #ill hel$ older vessels to survive

The emerging new shipping routes will help the vessels older than 19 years to 2e in the 2usiness 1 The new routes will create more demands and so the tonnage supply will 2e a crucial factor for the growth of >)$$ tan/er mar/et1 +hort<term mar/et players and investors who have 2usiness interest in new ship 2uilding are propagating vessels older than 19 years will 2e forced to go out of 2usiness1 (owever, a leading mar/et analyst of shipping sector has said that such speculations are 2aseless1 @It is important to remem2er that the intended useful life of a tan/er is 29 years and e5plicit age restriction policies have never 2een widely adopted 2y the oil companies1 (istorically, older vessels have tended to survive, even when utilisation has suffered during periods of slac/ demand1 It is no secret that the tan/er fleet is poised for significant e5pansion over the ne5t few years1 "ven if freight rates suffer as a result, vessel removals will li/ely ta/e significantly longer to materialise,@ the analyst said1 According to the analyst, @The >)$$ fleet has grown 2y an impressive 29A since 2008 to its current si0e of 28 vessels1 The order2oo/ in 2008, however, was an astonishing 90A of the trading fleet < some vessels would never actually 2e delivered1@

4hile today the order2oo/ is a more modest 19A, the fact remains that the >)$$ population is now nearly half comprised of vessels 2uilt within the past five yearsB vessels that could conceiva2ly trade for the ne5t 20 years,@ the e5perts added1

RESCUE Container shi$ rescues five ro#ers in Mediterranean Sea

A container ship, enroute from ?otterdam to Ce2el Ali via the +ue0 $anal rescued five rowers in distress in the !editerranean +ea, on !arch 291 The ship had started its voyage on !arch 1D1 'n !arch 29, the container ship received a distress call from a 2oat and responded immediately1 According to media reports, while the 2oat was 12D nautical miles off !alta, 2oat*s main sail got damaged in the unfavoura2le weather conditions1 All five rowers, who were heading from ,reece to !alta, were reported to 2e in good health1

ACCIDENT Container shi$ sinks after allision

A container ship san/ soon after an allision with a passenger ferry off Tan.ung #era/ #ort in +ura2aya on April 11 1D crew mem2ers on2oard the container ship are reported to 2e safe1 The ship, which was carrying 133 containers, was sailing towards )em2ar #ort in 4est Eusa Tenggara1 There are contradicting reports in the media on the cause of the accident1 4hile one report stated that after heaving up the anchor strong current caused the container ship to drift towards the 2erthed ferry, another report said that the ferry was manoeuvring to anchor when the container ship adrift and caused the accident1 The container ship, which was loaded with instant noodles, san/ one hour after the allision1

ENVIRONMENT

%a$an issues tsunami alert after Chile &uake

Capan issued a tsunami alert early Thursday following a powerful :12<magnitude earthqua/e across the #acific 'cean in $hile 2ut said it was not li/ely to cause damage1 The Capan !eteorological Agency said a tsunami of up to one metre %three feet& a2ove normal sea levels may hit eastern #acific coast regions1 The first waves are forecast to hit northern (o//aido at around 9=00am %2000 ,!T 4ednesday& and an hour later in ;u/ushima prefecture, which was devastated 2y the 2011 tsunami, -yodo Eews agency reported1 The meteorological agency warned people to leave the coast immediately 2ut said it did not e5pect damage from the waves1 @Though there may 2e slight sea<level change in coastal regions, no tsunami damage is e5pected,@ it said1 Television footage earlier showed officials in -ochi, southwestern Capan, closing a metal 2arrier to seal their local 2rea/water in preparation for possi2le high waves1 %A;#&

'Shi$ o#ners should ado$t eco-shi$$ing'

The increasing oil prices year<on<year have led to an increase in 2un/er costs and so the ship owners, who are loo/ing for a return on their investments, should adopt eco<shipping, #eter +and, 3I!$' $hief +hipping Analyst said1 @3un/er costs have turned the cost picture upside down as oil prices continue to increase year<on< year, comparing a !edium ?ange tan/er of similar characteristics operating in 2004 and 20141 In 2004, the total 2un/er cost is 6+7 331 million, and in 2014, the cost has hi/ed to 6+7 1111 million1 Together with tighter sulphur restrictions on glo2al 2asis in the near future, the situation calls for the shipping industry to em2race technology to attain economics and eco<shipping concurrently,@ +and added1 Eorway shipping companies have good e5perience in the use of )E, for ferries and vessels over the last 10 years, "gil ?ensvi/, +cience and Technology $ounsellor of the ?oyal Eorwegian "m2assy said1 The 2attery<driven ferries help to save 19A of the energy and Eorwegian shipping companies are e5ploring this option, ?ensvi/ said1 A $"' of a shipping company said= @The new "nvironmental !anagement module helps shipping companies, ship operators and ship personnel to calculate the amount of pollution created compared with the cargo carried and the distance sailed1 This helps to manage and reduce fuel consumption and lower greenhouse gases and other emissions1@

SHIPPING DATA

B L()C E*C+ ,!E

Market snapshot: 1100 GMT Dry Index BDI 1273 Capesize Index BCI 241 !ana"ax Index B!I #7 $%pra"ax Index B$I 1047 &andysize Index B&$I #21 -43 - 7 -30 -21 -11

E*C+ ,!E - (ES

'e( )ork *+ed C,s./n C%rren0y in 1$D Britain *!o%nd12##2# Canada *Do,,ar0240#7 China *)%an021#11 5%ro 1237#4 India *6%pee0201#7 Indonesia *6%piah- 020000 4 7apan *)en02004#37 'or(ay *8rone021#73 !hi,ippines *!eso020223 !o,and *9,oty023302 6%ssia *6%:,e0202 2 $in/apore *Do,,ar027421 1kraine *&ry;nia020 3 1$D in ./n C%rren0y 02#013 121024 #2203 0272#3 3424130 11243200 10327700 3247## 4424200 320300 3324100 122#24 1123230

WORLD TRAVEL %a$an

Capan is an island nation in "ast Asia1 )ocated in the #acific 'cean, it lies to the east of the +ea of Capan, $hina, Eorth -orea, +outh -orea and ?ussia, stretching from the +ea of '/hots/ in the north to the "ast $hina +ea and Taiwan in the south1

!etting there
B p!a"e# !ost intercontinental flights arrive at either Earita Airport near To/yo or -ansai Airport near 'sa/aB a smaller num2er use $hu2u International Airport near Eagoya1 All three are significant distances from their respective city centres, 2ut are lin/ed to regional rail networ/s and also have numerous 2us services to near2y destinations1 B $oa%# There are a num2er of international ferries to Capan1 "5cept for the ferries from 3usan to ;u/uo/a and +himonose/i, these are generally uncompetitive with discounted air tic/ets, as prices are high, schedules infrequent and travel times long1

(o$ attractions
Go!de" Pa&i!io" < -in/a/u<.i or the Temple of the ,olden #avilion is the most popular tourist attraction in Capan and -yoto1 The pavilion was originally 2uilt as a retirement villa for +hogun Ashi/aga Foshimitsu in the late 14th century1 The pavilion is covered in gold leaf, which highlights the reflection of the pavilion in the pond and the pond*s reflection on the 2uilding1 Mou"% Fu'i < !ount ;u.i is the highest mountain in Capan at 3,DD m1 The volcano*s e5ceptionally symmetrical cone is a well</nown sym2ol of Capan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as a popular tourist attraction for sightseers and clim2ers1 Grea% Budd(a o) Ka*a+ura < The ,reat 3uddha of -ama/ura is a colossal outdoor representation of Amida 3uddha, one of Capan*s most cele2rated 3uddhist figures1 $ast in 2ron0e, the ,reat 3uddha stands at over 13m high and weighs nearly 83 tonnes1 The statue reportedly dates from 12921 Hiro,(i*a Pea-e Me*oria! < The (iroshima #eace !emorial is a haunting tri2ute to the lives lost when the atomic 2om2 was dropped on (iroshima on August , 18491 +et in a par/, the memorial features ,en2a/u 7ome, the only 2uilding left standing in the vicinity after the 2om2 dropped1