seafarertimes.com ~ Maritime News for Filipino Seafarers

Maritime piracy major cause of concern for over two lakh Indian seafarers: MUI
Dec 28, 2020

NEW DELHI: Concerned at rising incidents of piracy during the COVID-19 pandemic, maritime body MUI on Monday said it has become a major cause of worry for over two lakh Indian seafarers. The Maritime Union of India (MUI), India's oldest union of merchant navy officers, said there is around 26 per cent increase in maritime piracy due to the pandemic, which has shut down many businesses and job opportunities around the world.

Sailors Stranded for Months as China Refuses to Let Ships Unload Australian Coal
Yan Zhuang Dec. 26, 2020 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/26/business/coal-ships-china-australia.html

China is vague about why vessels that carried Australian coal to its ports can’t unload their cargo. “We’re all depressed; our mental health is deteriorating,” one sailor said.

Marine biosafety training in the Philippines
23/12/2020 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/marine-biosafety-training-in-the-ph...

Industry stakeholders pursue capital intensive projects for shipping
December 16, 2020 https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/12/16/business/maritime-business/indust...

Two charged over security incident on oil tanker off coast of Isle of Wight
26 December 2020 https://news.sky.com/story/two-charged-over-security-incident-on-oil-tan...

Special forces boarded the ship late at night to regain control after crew members raised the alarm.

Two men have been charged over a security incident on board an oil tanker off the coast of the Isle of Wight.

UN Opens Human Rights Investigation Into Global Shipping Over Use Of Toxic Fuels
24/12/2020 https://www.hellenicshippingnews.com/un-opens-human-rights-investigation...

The U.N.’s Human Rights Agency (UNOHCR) has begun an investigation into human rights abuses associated with the global shipping industry and exposure to toxic chemicals without prior consent.

It has appointed a Special Rapporteur to look into these issues and report back.

China Says No "Link" Between Stranded Ship Crew And Its Ties With India
All IndiaPress Trust of India December 25, 2020 https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/china-says-no-link-between-stranded-ship...

India had said in New Delhi that two cargo vessels with a total of 39 Indians on board have been on anchorage in Chinese waters as they were not allowed to unload their cargo.

Beijing:

Maritime Sector in 2020
December 25, 2020 https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2020/12/25/maritime-sector-in-2020/

Most of the problems that bedeviled the Nigerian maritime industry in 2020 predates the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak that shut down the global economy. However, some agencies distinguished themselves despite the challenges, writes EromoseleAbiodun

It is no longer news that the global economy was highly disrupted by the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

Training or education?
Brenda V. Pimentel December 23, 2020 https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/12/23/business/maritime-business/traini...

Holly Pate December 24, 2020 https://www.liberianobserver.com/business/south-pacific-seafarer-crisis-...

In the tiny Pacific island nation of Fiji, nearly a thousand men, mostly from Tonga, have been stranded for months, with no way to get home. In Kiribati, a hundred men are in the same bind. Similar situations are occurring in Egypt and Canada.