It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Florida Man Sets New Record for Days Underwater at Pressure
A professor from University of South Florida has set a new record for time spent living underwater at ambient pressure, without the benefit of a submarine's pressure hull.
As of Monday, USF Associate Professor Joseph Dituri has spent 74 days under water, breaking a previous record of 73 days. His record and the previous one were both set in the same facility, the Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo.
Dituri is not done, however. His long-duration stay in the undersea habitat has a broader scientific purpose. Dituri, a biomedical engineering researcher, hopes to understand more about the effects of a high-oxygen, high-pressure environment on bloodflow in the brain, in hopes of finding new treatments for traumatic brain injury.
The research could also be useful for astronauts on long-term missions - for example, a 200-day voyage to Mars. “Our astronauts will have to travel in an environment similar to the one I’m in now – the confined area will limit their options for food, how far they can see and how they can exercise. They will experience muscle loss, bone loss and vision problems. This research could help us better prepare our astronauts to ensure they arrive healthy and strong enough to explore the planet," he said.
Dituri has been able to dive outside the habitat, but has not been to the surface since March (USF / Joseph Dituri)
At the same time, Dituri is using remote-learning technology to keep up with his teaching schedule at USF, including (appropriately) a course on hyperbaric medicine. “I’m teaching a course about being under pressure while I am under pressure," he said.
Dituri plans to stay in the habitat until June 9, the 100-day mark, recording his physiological response to the pressurized environment along the way.
While Dituri holds the new record for time at depth and pressure, the all-time record for time submerged goes to the crew of the Royal Navy submarine HMS Warspite. In 1982-3, Warspite spent 111 days submerged off the coast of the Falkland Islands and Argentina. That duration has yet to be surpassed (at least in the unclassified record).
Watch Officer From Lost Norwegian Frigate Sentenced to Probation
The watch officer aboard the frigate Helge Ingstad on the fateful night of her collision with a tanker has been sentenced to 60 days probation after a civilian criminal trial - a rarity for a military officer acting in the line of duty.
The Ingstad collided head-on with the tanker Sola TS off the Sture oil terminal in Norway's Hjeltefjord on November 8, 2018. Despite attempts to keep her afloat, she gradually sank on a rocky, sloping seabed near the terminal. All crew safely escaped, and no major injuries were reported, but the ship had to be scrapped.
A report from Norway's Accident Investigation Board found that a significant share of the fault for the collision lay with the Ingstad's bridge team, which believed that the oncoming tanker was a fixed object. Despite extensive attempts at communication between the tanker, the VTS center and the Ingstad, the frigate's bridge team did not attempt to alter course until it was too late.
Norwegian prosecutors brought several cases in connection with the casualty, but all were dropped save one: a criminal charge of negligence levied against the officer of the watch aboard Helge Ingstad, a relatively inexperienced young officer with just eight months of training.
"The defendant could and should have acted differently to prevent the collision," prosecutor Magne Kvamme Sylta told NRK at the outset of the trial.
The prosecution sought a 120-day jail sentence and two years of probation for the officer. The court decided to convict him, but handed down a lighter sentence of 60 days of probation.
The officer's defense team - and outside critics of the case - have argued that he should never have been allowed to run a navigational watch given his limited training. “This collision would never have occurred if a more experienced duty chief had been on the bridge that night,” former training officer Cato Rasmussen told NRK.
The civilian charges would not likely have occurred in other nations. Most militaries maintain legal jurisdiction over their own personnel for errors and omissions occuring on duty, and guard this prerogative closely. For the U.S. military, maintaining legal jurisdiction over U.S. servicemembers is so important that it is written into visiting-forces agreements with foreign nations.
The new precedent of a civilian prosecutorial intervention into a military justice case has strained civil-military relations in Norway; the head of the Norwegian Navy, Rune Andersen, said during the trial that his branch of the armed forces will have to think carefully about how much it will cooperate with the Norwegian police going forward.
"When the trial is over, we have to ask ourselves whether in the future we can be so open and self-examining if it ends with punishment," he told the court.
Maersk’s APM Terminals to Invest $1B in Expanding Operations in Brazil
APM Terminals will expand in Brazil with a priority on the operations in Santos
Maersk’s terminal operator, APM Terminals, is pledging to invest at least $1 billion in port expansion and modernization across Brazil. The investments were announced during a Dutch trade delegation visit to Brazil and would be made over the next three years in ports including Santos in southern Brazil as well as Suape in the north, three additional ports, and the company’s inland container depots in the northeast and southeast.
The company highlights that approximately a third of its investment, $320 million, will be going to Phase One developments of a new terminal in Suape. It is the largest port in Northeast Brazil and one of the five largest in the country as well as serving as an important link to serving Latin America. APM said they are in the final stages of the acquisition and will rejuvenate the infrastructure at the port to increase competition in the port. The total investment is expected to reach $524 million for the port of Saupe.
The largest focus, however, is on the renovation of the terminal in the Port of Santos. It is operated in partnership with MSC’s Terminal Investment Limited (TIL). According to the companies, the terminal is operating at 92 percent of capacity, far above the optimal efficiency achieved at 80 percent capacity.
The previous government in Brazil had been moving aggressively to privatize port operations, but Maersk and MSC encountered opposition to their plans for expansion of the Santos terminal shared by the two companies. Concerns had been raised over the potential for dominance by Maersk and MSC.
APM Terminals’ CEO Keith Svendsen said that experience in other countries shows that the concern is unfounded. “Our primary focus is increasing capacity and modernization. There is now an urgent need for investment in the Port of Santos, both to ensure the deepening of the access channel - which will allow the entry of new, larger, and more efficient ships - and to expand the capacity of the port complex, which is close to the limit.”
Currently, they are in negotiations with the federal government to extend the concession agreement, which expires in 2027, for another 20 years. In exchange, the partners would modernize and double the current 1.5 million TEU capacity of the terminal. They are allocating $310 million for the planned expansion of the operations of Brasil Terminal Portuário in Santo while saying the investment could reach nearly $450 million over the next five years
As well as expanding BTP, APM Terminals and TIL have expressed joint interest in a new container terminal at the Port of Santos, which would be located in an area adjacent to its existing terminal. The new government, however, has not yet defined the future of the project, which has been put on hold for reassessment.
In addition to the efforts in Saupe and planned for Santos, APM Terminals is committed to investing over $400 million in the company’s three other terminals and inland depots. The company plans to multiply storage capacity fivefold at its inland container depots in the Northeast and Southeast of the country.
Ammonia-Fueled Bulkers Could Start Australia's Green Corridor by 2028
Pilbara Ports handled 279 vessels and has the potential to be a first mover in ammonia-fueled vessels (pilbara Ports Authority)
A feasibility study on the potential for the Australia-East Asia Iron Ore Green Corridor concludes that the components are in place to see the first ammonia-fueled bulkers deployed by as early as 2028 followed by a rapid uptake in the shipping industry. While they believe there are favorable conditions to support early adoption and to make the corridor a first mover in the industry, they also outline important conditions including the need to develop an appropriate commercial framework.
The study indicates that the core elements for the implementation of a West Australia-East Asia green corridor – including deployment of ammonia-powered ships, access to clean ammonia (as the most likely zero-emission fuel to power the corridor), and the availability of the bunkering infrastructure – are within reach, provided that the safety case for the use of ammonia as a marine fuel is validated and accepted.
Their timeline scenario highlights the potential to introduce the first ammonia-powered vessels on the corridor in 2028 and by 2030 to already have 23 ships in service. It would grow exponentially to 81 ships by 2035, and roughly 360 vessels to meet the scenario. To make this possible, they point to the need to have the design and investment case in place by 2025. Newbuilds they believe would lead the adoption to the mid-2030s before retrofits would also begin to emerge.
The study points to several contributing factors that they believe position this route to become a first mover. They point to plans for abundant green ammonia production with electronic hydrogen as well as blue ammonia with conventional ammonia in Australia. The potential exists to further supplement the supplies with imports if Australian production did not keep up with demand. The analysis also shows that the Pilbara region of Australia is a viable option for bunkering on the route, avoiding costly deviations from the trade route, while Singapore remains well-positioned to serve as a bunkering hub.
They however also caution that the development of suitable engines, technologies, and regulations also need to remain on track to achieve the early deployment of ammonia as a marine fuel. They expect Singapore and Pilbara will be ready to become bunkering hubs by 2027 while pointing out the need to also have IMO safety regulations and standards in place. They also highlight the critical need for crew upskilling to ensure seafarers are trained to operate ammonia-fueled vessels.
The Pilbara region is home to Australia’s largest iron ore mines and exports. In March 2023, the Pilbara Ports Authority reported a throughput of 62.1 million tonnes with the Port of Port Hedland handling three-quarters of the volume. The port had 279 vessels arrive during March and nearly 90 percent of its iron ore exports (40.4 million tonnes) were bound for China. Japan was third in volume just slight behind South Korea, with nearly 2 million tonnes going to each country.
To continue the efforts to develop the green corridor between Western Australia, China, and Japan, they are also announcing the establishment of an Australia-East Asia Iron Ore Corridor Task Force to act as a collaborator within the industry. They are calling for policy support with efforts to unlock investments highlighting the excepted cost gap between ammonia and traditional marine fuels and said that collaboration and coordination will be required to make the corridor a reality.
The collation to form the green corridor was launched in April 2022. Major charterers, BHP and Rio Tinto, joined with shipping companies, Oldendorff Carriers and Star Bulk Carriers, to work jointly to develop an operational green corridor for the ore industry shipments. The Global Maritime Forum is supporting and coordinating the efforts.
(Article originally published in Mar/Apr 2023 edition.)
Bulk carriers, boxships, cruise vessels and workboats all have one thing in common: They require reliable propulsion to get from port to port. Regardless of what they’re transporting, towing or pushing, every conventional vessel needs a smooth-running engine with the right engine lubricants and fuels to make the voyage.
A thin layer of lubricant – often less than a thousandth of an inch thick - is all that keeps engine components from rubbing together. Any shortcomings in lubricant performance will show up later in the form of accelerated engine wear and increased maintenance costs.
The lubricant’s additive package has to be just right to do this job well. Lubricity has to be high enough to keep down wear. The base number has to match the fuel’s sulfur content, and the formula has to have enough detergency to clean out the inevitable soot from burnt residual fuel oil.
The industry solved this trifecta of challenges for high-sulfur heavy fuel oil many decades ago. Higher base number (BN) lubricants have extra additives to neutralize the acids produced by burning sulfurous fuel in a two-stroke engine. As a happy coincidence, these additives also provide superb detergency, solving two problems in one step.
Transition
This formula served maritime commerce well from the 1950s up through 2020 when the IMO began to require the use of Very Low Sulfur Fuel Oil (VLSFO). The transition forced vessel operators to switch to lower base number lubricants to match the new low sulfur content fuel – but with a catch. These lubricants also had less detergency, and shipowners quickly found that this translated into heavy carbon deposits and excessive wear in modern high-pressure two-strokes – specifically, the popular MAN Mark 9 and 10 platforms.
“This will have implications for cylinder oil selection in the future, as detergency becomes more important than acid neuralization capability,” explains Milind Phadke, Vice President of Energy at lubricants consultancy Kline Group.
In mid-2022, after two years of R&D and testing in the field, most major lubricant suppliers debuted new 40 BN oils that decouple detergency from base number. Gulf Oil’s GulfSea Cylcare XP 5040X, Shell’s Alexia 40 XC, Chevron’s Taro Ultra Advanced 40 and ExxonMobil’s MobilGard 540 AC all rival BN 100 oils in maintaining cleanliness in modern, high-efficiency two-strokes – while also providing the low 40 BN base number needed for VLSFO.
The decoupling of detergency and base number may also give these new lubricants a leg up on the green transition: Many of them are also dual-rated for use with other low-sulfur fuels like LNG and methanol, which will play a starring role in the industry’s decarbonization.
Methanol is the green fuel of choice for Maersk Line, which has ordered 19 container ships with dual-fuel methanol engines including six ultra large container vessels with a capacity of 17,000 TEU each. Just like any other vessel with a two-stroke diesel, these ships will need proper lubrication, and low BN oils are ready and available to provide it.
Lube Oil Monitoring
With all of these changes in the fuel market, lube oil monitoring is more important than ever, and the lubricants industry is responding with sophisticated digital solutions.
ExxonMobil took a step ahead of the pack last year through a partnership with Palantir, an analytics provider for big-name customers like IBM, HD Hyundai and the U.S. Navy. Exxon is adding the capabilities of Palantir’s Foundry digital platform to its Mobil Serv Cylinder Condition Monitoring service, which enables onboard scrape-down oil analysis for rapid identification of lubrication issues.
The objective is to use Palantir’s advanced analytics to protect engines from premature wear by spotting problems early. Ship managers will also be able to compare their vessels’ performance to (fully anonymized) data from other vessels in ExxonMobil’s database. At the same time, the data tools will help ExxonMobil’s R&D efforts by yielding hidden clues about lubricant performance.
“We can now fully leverage the big data we have gathered in our experience to develop and deploy even more powerful data-based insights when and where they’re needed,” explains Ioannis Chatzakis, Global Marine Technology Program Manager, ExxonMobil. “Vessel operators will be able to use this data for their own analysis within the platform and connect to existing vessel management platforms.”
Shell’s LubeMonitor condition monitoring service has also gone digital with an app-based one-stop shop for lubrication data. The LubeMonitor app allows engineers and ship managers to store all kinds of relevant information including photos and measurements from engine inspections, lab test results and technical advice from advisors in Shell’s LubeAnalyst service.
This reduces the user workload of shifting back and forth between different systems for each function and report. It allows operators to easily compare their vessels against benchmarks – from the fleet level all the way down to individual engine cylinders. To maximize ease of access, the app is available via the Internet, on the Apple iOS and Android operating systems, as well as offline logbook formats.
Chevron takes a traditional approach to lubrication monitoring with its FAST (Fluid Analysis Service and Trending) program laboratory analysis network. Chevron uses well-equipped, ISO-certified labs in Antwerp and Shanghai to quickly analyze marine lubricant samples and provide tailored insights to its customers. The turnaround is fast, as the name suggests, and the resulting reports are posted in an online portal for ship managers to access at their convenience.
For vessel operators who wish to get even faster, up-to-the-minute information on the health of their engines and lubricants, the Chevron FAST OnBoard test kit allows engineers to perform DIY tests in the field. This identifies changes at the earliest possible stage, allows engineers to make changes and interventions immediately and encourages a hands-on monitoring culture in the engine room.
Unburned Fuel
Modern marine diesel engines are highly efficient, but even the best engines leave some fuel unburned.
At low-load conditions when the engine is below its designed operating temperature, incomplete combustion can account for upwards of two percent of fuel injected, according to emissions monitoring company SailPlan. This represents a cost to the operator in the form of wasted fuel and increased wear. Stack emissions of half-burned fuel (PM and PAH) also pose a health hazard to coastal populations.
Fuel additives can help by improving fuel combustion properties, reducing carcinogenic emissions and potentially saving opex at the same time. After all, fuel costs money, and unburned fuel is money escaping up the stack.
U.K.-based SulNOx Group specializes in fuel additives that promote complete combustion. Its LR-certified SulNOxEco fuel conditioner is a bio-based additive for diesel and MGO, and it improves both lubricity and fuel efficiency. The additives – designed by the specialty chemical giant Nouryon – create an emulsion that allows water in the fuel oil to completely mix, increasing the fuel’s overall oxygen content.
This improves combustion efficiency and decreases combustion temperature, which helps reduce NOx formation. It can also reduce particulate matter emissions by up to 60 percent while offering eight-to-ten percent fuel savings. This is a straightforward way for shipowners to improve their Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) rating, according to SulNOx.
“Many shipowners are talking of having to reduce vessel speeds to become compliant [with CII], which obviously comes at great commercial cost,” says SulNOx CEO Ben Richardson. “However, with the proven improvements in fuel efficiency, power and torque from using SulNOx in fuels, we offer immediate, green solutions.”
Current users trialing SulNOx products include OSV operator Caspian Marine Services (CMS) and Norwegian shipowner Myklebusthaug Management, among others. Myklebusthaug is particularly interested in SulNOx’s ability to reduce NOx emissions, which are taxed in Norwegian waters. Norway’s $2.30 per kilo NOx tax is based on a combination of fuel consumption and engine performance measurements, and it’s high enough to incentivize operators to institute controls.
Mykelbusthaug will be testing SulNOx fuel additives aboard two ships and evaluating the effects.
U.K.-based supplier FAST (no relation to Chevron) has a long history in over-the-road fuel additives and is seeing increasing interest in its marine formulations as well. Its Exocet brand of fuel additives is designed to solve a range of common fuel problems like microbial growth in fuel tanks and water in fuel contamination.
FAST's Exocet Marine Fuel Conditioner is a multi-functional additive for inland and coastal marine diesel engines running on distillate fuel. According to FAST, it inhibits fuel tank sludge formation, prevents microbial growth, promotes a clean fuel system and inhibits injector fouling. One gallon of conditioner treats about 2,000 gallons of fuel, and a version formulated for heavy fuel oil is available.
The company also offers a specific formulation designed to restore diesel engine power by cleaning injectors as well as an all-purpose antimicrobial treatment to treat or prevent "bug" growth in fuel tanks.
Saving Money
These additives help vessel operators solve a wide range of operational and compliance challenges – from exhaust pollutants to fuel incompatibility, sludging, coking and tank deposits. In many cases, this is cheaper than attempting to make the same changes by altering vessel speed or engine configuration.
Solving specific issues with an additive treatment can get a vessel back into service without extended downtime – and a routine conditioner regimen may be able to prevent problems from ever occurring in the first place.
The opinions expressed herein are the author's and not necessarily those of The Maritime Executive.
Wind Power Becomes the Largest Source of Electricity in Britain
For the first time, Britain’s wind farms generated more electricity than gas-fired power stations in the first three months of this year. These findings were released last week ahead of the quarterly Drax Electric Insights report. The publication is an independent report by academics from Imperial College London commissioned by the UK renewable power producer Drax Group.
During the first quarter of 2023, almost a third (32.4 percent) of UK’s electricity was supplied from wind power, outpacing gas, which delivered 31.7 percent. This is the first time that wind has provided the largest share of power in any quarter in the history of the country’s electricity grid.
Across the three months, Britain’s turbines generated 24 TWh of electricity. This wind output was three percent higher than during the same quarter last year, while gas was down by five percent.
Further, almost 42 percent of Britain’s electricity came from renewable sources (wind, solar, biomass and hydro) during the quarter under review. Fossil fuels supplied 33 percent, with the rest coming from imports from abroad and the country’s shrinking nuclear fleet.
“In the space of a decade the UK has almost completely cut out coal, after relying on the most polluting fossil fuel for over a century to power our country. There are still many hurdles to reaching a completely fossil-free grid, but wind out-supplying gas for the first time is a genuine milestone event,” said Dr.Iain Staffell of Imperial College London, and lead author of the Drax Electric Insights report series.
These findings come several months after wind-generated electricity reached over 20 GW in November 2022, according to data by UK’s National Grid Electricity System Operator (ESO).
In the same year, the proportion of wind-generated electricity was estimated at 26 percent, behind gas at 38.5 percent.
Partly, the rise of wind-generated electricity in the UK stems from the country’s bet on offshore wind, which it has identified as a critical technology in achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
Currently, UK is one of the leading offshore wind power markets with an installed capacity of over 13 GW spread across 44 wind farms. The ambition is to secure 50 GW of offshore wind capacity by 2030, of which 5 GW will use floating technology.
Study: Fishing Subsidies Support Unregulated Distant-Water Fishing
In a new study, researchers at University of British Columbia (UBC) have lifted the lid on the impacts of fisheries subsidies, the majority of which are being granted by governments in Europe, North America and Asia. These subsidies are fueling unregulated fishing, particularly in South American, Latin America and African waters, with harmful impacts.
The researchers found that fisheries subsidies are leading to more fishing vessels chasing fewer fish stocks, leading to adverse environmental and societal impacts.
In essence, the subsidies which are any direct or indirect financial contribution by governments to the commercial fishing industry that aid in increasing revenues or lowering the costs of fishing, have played a central role in encouraging vessels to venture into waters far off from their jurisdictions. Between 20 percent and 37 percent of subsidies are supporting fishing in areas outside of the jurisdiction of the original subsidizing nation, and another three to seven percent support fishing on the high seas.
These government support policies include fuel subsidies, tax exemptions, support for vessel construction, and investment in marketing and processing infrastructure. They alter the economics of fishing in ways that have consequences, according to the researchers.
The study shows that in 2018, an estimated $22.2 billion in fisheries subsidies were provided to the world’s fishing fleets, mainly by governments in the developed world. Of this, some $5.3 billion was likely paid out to support fishing in foreign waters and within the exclusive economic zones (EEZs) of foreign nations, and another $1 billion supported fishing in the high seas. The remaining $15.9 billion supported domestic fishing within the EEZs of the subsidizing nations.
The researchers contend that the numbers mean that the benefits, and the resulting environmental and societal costs, of subsidies are not equally distributed across the places the fishing vessels go.
“What we’re finding out is that harmful fishing subsidies create more inequities in places where the coastal communities are already marginalized. You have coastal communities that are already disadvantaged over the big industrial fisheries because the government doesn’t really pay too much attention to them,” said Anna Schuhbauer, author of the study and postdoctoral research fellow at UBC’s Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries.
She added that the harmful subsidies enable fishing fleets to go out fishing even if the fishing isn’t profitable, meaning the vessels can go wherever they want, including to other countries.
In June last year, the WTO struck a deal that partially banned provision of fisheries subsidies. However, the deal only covered illegal fishing and fishing on overfished stocks. Another WTO meeting is slated for February 2025 to negotiate the parts of the deal that were not included, including the prohibition of all harmful subsidies.
South Atlantic and African waters are some of the jurisdictions that have come under siege from foreign vessels carrying out unregulated fishing activities, with fleets from China, South Korea, Taiwan and Spain (among others) venturing into far-off waters.
Argentina, for instance, has been forced to deploy offshore patrol vessels to monitor international fishing fleets traveling close to its EEZ en route to the South Atlantic waters where overfishing and illegal practices are depleting stocks, particularly of squid and hake species.
UN Food and Agriculture Organization data show that fish stocks risk collapsing in many parts of the world due to overexploitation. Currently, it is estimated that 34 percent of global reserves are overfished compared with 10 percent in 1974. Today, a tenth of fish stocks globally are now on the brink of collapse, reduced to just 10 percent of their original size.
The UBC study shows that Asia, Europe and North America provide more harmful subsidies to their fishing fleets than their respective regional ecosystems are affected by, making them the net subsidy-sources. Conversely, marine ecosystems within Africa and Oceania are significant net subsidy-sinks, meaning that fishing in their waters is supported by more harmful subsidies than are provided by the nations within those regions.
For developing nations, the impacts of fishing subsidies are damaging in that local fishing suffers when big boats, harmfully subsidized, take all the fish and livelihood opportunities away from local fishers. The ripple effect is rising food insecurity, especially for communities which are heavily reliant on day-to-day subsistence fishing.
The researchers contend that harmful subsidies provided to fishing fleets operating outside of the source-nations’ EEZs should be prioritized for removal, particularly when they operate in the high seas or the EEZs of low-income nations.
CRIMINAL CAPITALI$M
Tuvalu Seeks Help From Sea Shepherd to Curb IUU Fishing
WHEN AN OUTLAW NGO BECOMES THE STATE
Allankay (Photo by Flavio Gasperini / Sea Shepherd Global)
The government of Tuvalu has sought assistance from Sea Shepherd Global, the well-known conservation NGO, to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in Tuvalu’s waters.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed last week by the Honorable Simon Kofe, Tuvalu’s Minister of Justice, Communications and Foreign Affairs, Sea Shepherd Global committed to send its marine conservation vessel Allankay, which will support Tuvalu’s law enforcement officers during sea-patrols.
The Allankay, a 54.6-meter vessel, is a recent addition to the Sea Shepherd Global fleet. Formerly, it was a Patagonian toothfish longliner and was transformed into a marine patrol vessel, relaunched in February.
According to the MoU, Allankay will accommodate a detachment from the Tuvalu Police Service with the authority to board, inspect and arrest fishing vessels engaged in criminal activities within Tuvalu’s territorial waters.
Sea Shepherd Global confirmed it will provide Allankay at no cost to the government of Tuvalu.
With rising use of satellite imagery, the Pacific region has been highlighted as a major hotspot for IUU fishing. The problem is aggravated since most Pacific Island states lack enforcement capacity and resources, making them prime targets for the IUU fishing trade.
With more than 50 percent of Tuvalu’s economy dependent on fisheries, IUU fishing is tantamount to an economic disaster. Despite threatening marine ecosystems and biodiversity of the Pacific, IUU fishing also undermines the livelihoods of local communities that depend on the Ocean for food and income.
The Pacific Island Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) estimates that the annual loss due to IUU fishing in the Pacific is around $600 million.
“The engagement of Sea Shepherd Global to provide support in monitoring and surveillance of Tuvalu’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) could not come at a better time, as Tuvalu’s sole patrol boat, the Te Mataili II, was severely damaged by a cyclone in Vanuatu in March this year and is currently under repair in Australia,” said Minister Kofe.
Kofe also expressed his gratitude to Ambassador Shivshankar Nair, Tuvalu’s Envoy for the Oceans and Climate Change, for his role in initiating the collaboration with Sea Shepherd Global.
“Sea Shepherd Global is excited to bring a model that we know works to the South Pacific for the first time. We know the impact of these patrols. In the places where we work, illegal fishing has been largely eliminated,” said Alex Cornelissen, CEO of Sea Shepherd Global.
Since 2016, Sea Shepherd Global has been working with government partners especially in the African continent to curb IUU fishing. These include Gabon, Tanzania, Liberia, The Gambia, Benin, Sao Tome and Principe, Sierra Leone and Namibia. Reportedly, this has led to arrest of 85 vessels for illegal fishing and other fisheries crimes.
Video: Researchers Find Wreck of the Blythe Star After 50 Years
A view of Blythe Star's canoe stern on the bottom (CSIRO)
Australian research institute CSIRO has discovered the wreck of the lost freighter Blythe Star, which went down off Tasmania 50 years ago.
On October 13, 1973, Blythe Star capsized without warning during a voyage from Hobart to King Island, possibly due to overloading. All crewmembers managed to abandon ship successfully into a life raft. However, in an era before the invention of the satphone or EPIRB, they had no way to transmit their location to rescuers. A massive search operation was mounted, the largest ever in Australia to date, and rescuers managed to find seven survivors 12 days after the sinking.
Unfortunately, three crewmembers died before the rescuers arrived. The wreck of the Blythe Star was never found.
This year, the CSIRO research vessel RV Investigator conducted a five-week research voyage to study underwater landslides off the coast of Tasmania. As a side project, the Investigator's crew also used sonar to scan a known but unidentified shipwreck about five nm off Tasmania's South West Cape.
On April 12, Investigator scanned the wreck in detail, and its dimensions matched the Blythe Star. A visual inspection using underwater camera systems confirmed the wreck's identity: Blythe Star was sitting upright, with half of her name clearly visible on the bow. She showed signs of damage to the stern and her wheelhouse was missing, but the hull was largely intact.
One of the Blythe Star's crewmembers, Mick Doleman, served as deputy national secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia for three decades. He is the sole remaining survivor of the sinking, and he told the Daily Mail that he was "just blow away" at the news that the vessel has been found. "It is in pretty good nick actually, considering its journey," he said.
Rescue Plan Underway to Tow Disabled Containership Back to Port
Shiling was towed to Tasman Bay while plan can be finalized for its salvage after breaking down for the fourth time in last than a year in New Zealand (photo from Skandi Emerald tug supplied by Maritime NZ)
Officials in New Zealand are working with the port of Wellington as well as the owners of a disabled containership to resolve a plan to bring the ship safely back to port to once again undergo repairs. The Shiling (66,5000 dwt) registered in Singapore was towed to a safer position at the head of Tasman Bay after having lost power in rough seas 22 nautical miles North-Northwest of Farewell Spit at the northern tip of New Zealand’s South Island.
“While the decision around passage, anchoring locations, and towage are managed by the owners of the Shiling, Maritime New Zealand has oversight, and is liaising with CenterPort and Wellington Harbour Master to ensure the process is managed safely,” they said in their latest update on the situation which has been underway since May 11 when the ship blacked out, losing steering capabilities, in seas with waves up to 26 feet. The crew was preparing to abandon ship and authorities were positioning resources before the seas calmed and an ocean-going tug was able to secure the containership.
Officials in the port of Wellington thought they had resolved the problems with the Shiling last week when they cleared the containership to depart for Singapore where it was expected repairs would be completed. The ship had blacked out in Wellington Harbor in April drifting across a sandbar and nearly grounding.
After the ship broke down last month, Maritime New Zealand and the Wellington Harbour Master had set a series of conditions before the vessel could depart, including trials and limits on the weather conditions for when the ship sailed. The New Zealand Herald is reporting that the Shiling requires repairs to her generators and main engine that cannot be completed in Wellington.
The decision was made to complete temporary repairs to give the ship sufficient engine power to sail to Singapore. Another of the conditions for lifting the detention was a requirement that the ship’s class society, Lloyd’s Register, inspect the repairs.
“Lloyd’s Register confirmed to Maritime NZ and the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore that the repairs completed in New Zealand gave Shiling sufficient engine power to sail to Singapore for permanent repairs,” a spokesperson told the New Zealand Herald.
The Harbourmaster last month told the media he was not happy that the same ship had blacked out at the port. The Shiling had experienced a brief power problem at Wellington in February and before that another blackout in July 2022. Based on the history of the vessel, the Harbourmaster said they were concerned over the condition of the vessel and setting conditions to ensure it could sail and if there was a problem, they could get it safely back to the dock.
Maritime NZ told the media the concern is to get the vessel back to dock now for the safety of the 24 crew aboard noting that it is easier to address the crew’s needs at dock than in the anchorage. While they are reporting that weather conditions “continue to remain favorable,” they said a passage plan is being developed based on weather and safety concerns.
“As the passage plan is developed, a risk assessment will be undertaken and the Maritime Incident Response Team will have oversight to ensure it is done correctly,” said Maritime NZ. They are reporting that according to the current forecast, the next potential weather window for relocation is on Friday. They are emphasizing however that no formal decision has been made and the cost of the towing would be the responsibility of the Shiling’s owners and their insurers. Port officials are also emphasizing the need for planning with the CentrePort terminal to limit further disruptions to the port in the event the ship is brought back to Wellington.
