seafarertimes.com ~ Maritime News for Filipino Seafarers

Safety of lives at sea a ‘moral obligation’
Lorenz S. Marasigan -November 29, 2018 https://businessmirror.com.ph/safety-of-lives-at-sea-a-moral-obligation/

A Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) regional official has underscored “the importance of proactive participation of member countries, ship operators, shipboard personnel, and classification societies in instilling understanding and encouraging actions to promote safety on domestic passenger ferries.”

Shipping contributes more to Greek economy as markets improve
David Glass 28 November 2018 http://www.seatrade-maritime.com/news/europe/shipping-contributes-more-t...

Shipping contribution to Greece’s coffers in the first nine months of the year have shown a significant recovery according to latest Bank of Greece (BoG) data.

Cruise ship captain fined €100,000 for using dirty fuel
26 Nov 2018 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/26/cruise-ship-captain-fined-...

French prosecution intended to signal crackdown on pollution from luxury liners

The captain of a cruise ship found to be burning fuel with excessive sulphur levels has been fined €100,000 (£88,500) in a Marseille court, the first such ruling in France.

Seafarers disapprove of 'robotic' coastguard messages
27 November 2018 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-46344764

Maritime safety bulletins delivered by text-to-voice technology have proved unpopular among fishermen and sailors.

The radio broadcasts, including weather forecasts, are usually read out by a coastguard officer.

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is trialling the automated system at its Stornoway Coastguard Operations Centre in Lewis.

Panama Signs MoU With Seafarer Body
26 Nov 2018 https://www.porttechnology.org/news/panama_signs_mou_with_seafarer_body

International seafarer welfare charity, the Mission to Seafarers, has signed an agreement with the Panama Maritime Authority for the provision of seafarer welfare services.

The memorandum-of-understanding (MoU) between the two parties will see the Mission to Seafarers become the first maritime charity to operate in Panama.

Ship collision leads to blockade of Taicang Port
Jason Jiang November 27th, 2018 https://splash247.com/ship-collision-leads-to-blockade-of-taicang-port/

Cotainership Hua Yuan 9999 and dry bulk vessel Pu Hui 1 collided on Yangtze River near Taicang Port this morning.

Hua Yuan 9999 capsized after the collision and all 115 containers onboard the vessel fell into the water, blocking the navigation channel of Taicang Port.

The new face of piracy: cyber crime is threatening the shipping industry
Luke Graham 26 Nov 2018 http://www.cityam.com/269633/new-face-piracy-cyber-crime-threatening-shi...

When you think of the word pirate, you probably start to imagine the yo ho ho, Jack Sparrow-sort of buccaneer from Disney movies.

Modern-day piracy comes in two varieties. There’s the digital kind: people illegally downloading music or films from the internet.

Five top global shipping lines eye uniform tech standards
SAM BAYA November 27, 2018 https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/corporate/shipping/Five-top-global-s...

Five top global container shipping companies plan to set up association with the purpose of paving the way for digitalisation, standardisation and interoperability in the container shipping industry.

New partnership aims to address maritime cybersecurity woes
James Walker | 27 November 2018 https://portswigger.net/daily-swig/new-partnership-aims-to-address-marit...

Maritime certification scheme has been welcomed by experts, but satcom security must not be an afterthought

Ship classification organization ClassNK has partnered with TÜV Rheinland to develop a new cybersecurity certification scheme for the maritime industry.

Seafarers’ claims to be delayed by placing awards in Escrow
ATTY. DENNIS GORECHO 26 Nov 2018 https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/205219/seafarers-claims-to-be-delayed...

Manning agencies are pushing for the inclusion of an escrow provision in the proposed Magna Carta which is a mere dilatory tactic in the execution of the seafarers’ monetary awards.