Sherman A1
Sherman A1's JournalFood Supplies Running Low on Foreign Ships Stuck in Ukraine
Food and medical supplies onboard over 100 foreign flagged ships stuck in Ukraine due to the conflict are running low, with little progress on creating a maritime corridor to allow them to sail away, industry officials said on Wednesday.
London's marine insurance market has widened the area of waters it considers high risk in the region as the conflict intensifies and perils to merchant shipping grow.
The UN's shipping agency said this month it would work to create a safe maritime corridor for merchant ships and crews stuck in the Black Sea and Sea of Azov.
Five merchant vessels have been hit by projectiles—with one of them sunk—off Ukraine's coast.
Some foreign crew members that were onboard ships have been evacuated out of Ukraine, said Guy Platten, Secretary General with the International Chamber of Shipping industry association.
https://www.marinelink.com/news/food-supplies-running-low-foreign-ships-495271
Dredgers Working to Free Containership Stuck Near Baltimore
Dredgers are working to free a containership that has been stuck for a week after running aground in the Chesapeake Bay near Baltimore.
Port of Baltimore executive director William Doyle said dredging operations to free the Ever Forward kicked off on Sunday after the required permits were issued by state and federal agencies.
"U.S. companies Donjon Marine and Cashman Dredging & Marine Construction will lead the surgical dredging operation," Doyle said, noting Donjon's Oyster Bay and Cashman's Dale Pyatt—both clamshell dredges—are being used to dig out the 1,095-foot box ship.
"All dredge material excavated will be reused for the beneficial use of rebuilding Poplar Island," Doyle noted.
The 12,000 TEU Ever Forward was departing the Port of Baltimore en route to Norfolk, Va. when it ran aground outside the Craighill Channel near Gibson Island on March 13. The cause of the grounding is still under investigation.
https://www.marinelink.com/news/dredgers-working-free-containership-stuck-495186
Grounded Tug Spills Diesel in Alaska
A unified command consisting of the U.S. Coast Guard, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, and Western Towboat, continues to lead the response efforts for the grounded tug in the Neva Strait, which initially occurred Monday morning.
The tug owner, Western Towboat, contracted Hanson Maritime, SEAPRO, and Global Diving & Salvage who are currently on-scene and continuing pollution recovery efforts and salvage planning.
A total of 3,000 gallons of diesel has been pumped from a ruptured tank aboard the tug, and approximately 850 gallons of diesel has been recovered from the water within the containment boom area. An estimated 30,000 gallons of diesel remain onboard the tug and will be pumped off prior to salvage operations.
Coast Guard personnel are on-scene to oversee response operations and continue the marine casualty investigation. Natural resource agency and Coast Guard personnel have assessed potential environmental impacts using oil trajectory models and the Coast Guard is consulting with federally recognized tribes in the area.
https://www.marinelink.com/news/grounded-tug-spills-diesel-alaska-495300
COVID Curbs Bite at Chinese Ports, Threatening Global Supply Chains
The queues of container ships outside major Chinese ports are lengthening by the day as COVID-19 outbreaks in manufacturing export hubs threaten to unleash a fresh wave of global supply chain shocks, ship owners, logistics firms and analysts say.
China is experiencing its biggest spike in COVID-19 infections since an initial outbreak in the central city of Wuhan was contained in early 2020.
The spread of the highly-infectious Omicron variant this month has led to movement controls across China, including in key manufacturing hubs of Shenzhen and Dongguan, paralyzing factories making goods from flash drives to car parts.
While China’s main ports remain open and vessels are continuing to dock, congestion is building up and some container ships are re-routing to avoid expected delays, according to ship owners, analysts and supply chain managers.
https://www.marinelink.com/news/covid-curbs-bite-chinese-ports-495087
US Makes it Easier for Cruise Passengers to Get Refunds
A rule change in the United States aims to make it easier for cruise ship passengers to receive refunds after their voyages have been canceled or delayed.
The U.S. Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) announced on Wednesday it is amending its regulations governing "non-performance" by passenger vessel operators to establish new requirements for when cruise passengers should be provided refunds. The changes define non-performance as canceling a voyage or delaying a voyage by three or more calendar days if a passenger elects not to embark on delayed or substituted voyage.
"Hundreds of thousands of Americans enjoy taking a pleasure cruise every year. For some, these are trips of a lifetime where people have worked hard to save the cost of a ticket. Amending the Commission's regulations to provide passengers more rights and options when a cruise line has not performed is good for consumers," said Commissioner Louis E. Sola.
In addition, the Commission changed its regulations to allow passengers of delayed or canceled voyages to make direct claims against financial responsibility instruments, such as bonds, maintained by operators, after the passenger's unsuccessful attempt to receive a refund directly. The rule also makes all fees, including ancillary fees, paid by a passenger to a cruise line eligible for a refund.
https://www.marinelink.com/news/us-makes-easier-cruise-passengers-refunds-495113
Cargo Ships Sinks Off Iran. Most Crew Members Rescued
All but one of the 30 crew members of a United Arab Emirates cargo ship that sank off Iran have been rescued, Iran's official IRNA news agency said on Thursday.
"Twenty-nine crew members have so far been saved, and rescue operations are continuing to find another team member," an official from Iran's Bushehr Province told IRNA.
Jahangir Dehghani said two Iranian rescue vessels were present at the scene of the accident and that meteorologists reported wind speeds of 70 kilometers per hour.
Dubai-based Salem Al Makrani Cargo Company had earlier told Reuters that its ship sank as a result of bad weather. The spokesperson of the firm said it was in contact with Iran's Assaluyeh port authorities.
https://www.marinelink.com/news/cargo-ships-sinks-off-iran-crew-members-495116
Coveney visits Poland for talks on refugee crisis
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney is visiting Warsaw to meet his Polish counterpart Minister Zbigniew Rau and to speak to humanitarian organisations assisting those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Mr Coveney told RTÉ's Morning Ireland that the biggest focus of his meetings today will be on discussing the refugee situation as a result of the war and "how Ireland can help and be more proactive both politically and from a humanitarian point of view".
He said he will be discussing sanctions and what further support the European Union can give to the Ukrainian military through the European Peace Facility "because it's likely that that commitment will be increased".
The minister said the "burden" of the number of refugees fleeing war must be shared among members of the European Union.
https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/0318/1287098-simon-coveney-ukraine/
UK may house Ukrainians in oligarchs' mansions and Chelsea's hotel
The British government is exploring whether Ukrainian refugees could be housed in the mansions of sanctioned Russian oligarchs, Downing Street has said.
Ministers have faced calls for the vast houses of those impacted by measures imposed by Britain to be turned into homes for those fleeing the war in Ukraine.
Downing Street confirmed it was examining whether the properties could be used, although it is thought new legislation would be required.
It was also suggested Chelsea Football Club's hotel could be used after owner Roman Abramovich was added to the government’s sanctions list.
https://www.rte.ie/news/newslens/2022/0314/1286347-ukraine-uk-oligarchs/
71% of Spaniards support NATO sending weapons to Ukraine
Half also favor NATO military intervention in Ukraine if Russia does not withdraw its troops.
Great concern about the war, about Russia invading other countries in the East and about the economic consequences.
The latest CIS barometer reveals that Spaniards are very concerned about the war in Ukraine and that 70.9% are "very much in agreement" or "quite much in agreement" with sending weapons from NATO to Ukraine. Half also favor a NATO military intervention in Ukraine if Russia does not withdraw its troops.
The March sampling, conducted after the outbreak of the war, includes a series of questions on the invasion of Ukraine in whose responses the percentages exceed 95% when it comes to expressing the respondents' solidarity with this country.
https://www.rte.ie/news/
Japan expands export ban to Russia
The Japanese government has banned exports of an additional 57 items to Russia, as it steps up its sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine.
The list includes semiconductors, chip-manufacturing equipment, and high-powered diesel engines for trucks and tractors.
The latest round of sanctions took effect on Friday.
It excludes exports for humanitarian purposes. Japan has slapped a similar ban on Russian ally Belarus.
It had already imposed an export ban on more than 230 items, in response to Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20220318_21/
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