Container Imports Projected to Level Off at Strong Volumes After ILA Strike

Container import volumes are expected to level off with slight gains year-over-year after the ILA strike (Port of Long Beach)

Published Oct 8, 2024 7:49 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

After a surge to get merchandise, equipment, and supplies into the U.S. ahead of the long-promised but short-lived International Longshoremen’s Association strike, the forecast is that container import volumes will level off for the remainder of 2024. Ports however have managed well with the increased volumes of 2024 with delays declining and are now rebounding quickly from the three-day strike last week.

Total U.S. import container volumes reached over 2.52 million TEU in September according to Descartes, a software platform for logistics-intensive businesses. They highlight that it was the second time this year import volumes surpassed 2.5 million TEU and the third month in a row that imports surpassed 2.4 million TEU. Total volumes were up 1.7 percent versus August but a significant 14.4 percent versus a year ago calculates Descartes. They also highlight the import volumes in September increased by 23.5 percent over pre-pandemic September 2019.

Ports handled unusually large volumes of cargo beginning this spring as importers brought in goods early because of the potential for a strike and shifted a number of vessels to the West Coast, according to the National Retail Federation. They believe that wholesalers, retailers, and industrial companies brought “contingent imports” through the ports in anticipation of the ILA strike creating some of the increases in volumes.

Descartes highlights that at the current volumes, U.S. maritime logistics were historically strained. However, with increased capacity and better management, ports are more prepared and Descartes notes port transit time delays have decreased. 

“Despite a third month of elevated container import volumes, port transit delays improved at the majority of the top 10 U.S. ports in September,” said Jackson Wood, Director, Industry Strategy at Descartes. “Imports from China are contributing to overall U.S. volumes, posting the three highest monthly volumes on record in July, August and now September.”

The retail trade association expects now that the ILA contract has been extended till January 15, 2025, import volumes will level off compared to 2023 for the remainder of the year. They note that August was more than 19 percent ahead of a year ago and was the highest volume since the record set in May 2022. However, they pointed out that it was less than one percent ahead of July 2024, and they project volumes peaked in August but should “continue at elevated levels.”

“It was a huge relief for retailers, their customers, and the nation’s economy that the strike was short-lived,” said Jonathan Gold, NRF Vice President for Supply Chain and Customs Policy. “The strike wasn’t without impacts – retailers who brought in cargo early or shifted delivery to the West Coast face added warehousing and transportation costs.”

The NRF forecasts volumes of just over 2 million TEU in October and slipping to 1.92 million in November and 1.89 million in December. They project that the last two months of 2024 will level off at just one percent ahead of 2023. Despite that, their projected total for 2024 is 24.9 million TEU which would be up over 12 percent versus 2023.

For all of 2024, the NRF is forecasting that retail sales – excluding automobile dealers, gasoline stations, and restaurants to focus on core retail – will grow between 2.5 and 3.5 percent over 2023. They also predict that 2025 will start on a positive note with container imports forecast at 1.98 million TEU which would be up nearly one percent of 2024.
 

 

MSC Vessel Loses Empties Rounding Cape of Good Hope

South Africa received reports of over 200 containers lost overboard since July (SAMSA)

Published Oct 7, 2024 1:06 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

South Africa’s problem with overboard containers increased yet again last week with reports that a passing MSC vessel lost a few empties overboard. It adds to a total of more than 200 containers that have been lost overboard during this winter season as the number of vessels increases taking the Cape of Good Hope route.

The South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) confirmed that it is searching for five empties that went overboard from the MSC Taranto last week. The vessel registered in Liberia operates under a long-term charter from investors in Germany to MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company. Built in 2011, it is one of the larger vessels with a length of 1,199 feet (365 meters) and a capacity of 14,000 TEU. 

The ship is operating on MSC’s Santana Route from South America having departed Brazil and is bound for China with a stop coming later this week in Colombo, Sri Lanka. SAMSA was alerted that five empty boxes were lost between 0100 and 0400 local time on October 2, 2024. They are putting the position between Mossel Bay and Stillbaai, along the southern coast in the Western Cape region.

Maritime safety alerts were issued and recovery efforts are underway. The authorities are searching for the boxes and also warning mariners and residents of the dangers.

The number of boxes going overboard off South Africa grew dramatically this season as vessels diverted around the Cape away from the Red Sea. SAMSA has received reports of over 200 containers lost overboard in just eight weeks starting in the middle of July. They have been informed of incidents involving the MSC Antonia, CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin, CMA CGM Belem, and other vessels.

The largest of the losses was the CMA CGM Belem which lost 99 boxes north of Durban in the Eastern Cape region. The CMA CGM Benjamin Franklin lost about 44 boxes in the same earlier while the MSC Antonia also lost about 46 containers in the Eastern Cape region. Experts had cautioned that the ships would encounter harsh weather conditions on this route during the winter months. Several of the vessels also had to seek sheltered waters and ports as they had additional stack collapses on deck.

SAMSA and the insurance companies had been coordinating recovery efforts including overflights looking for boxes floating in the water. Several containers also washed ashore on the beaches. The South African authorities were issuing warnings after pharmaceutical bottles began washing ashore after some of the containers appeared to break apart. Dozens of bottles of over-the-counter pain relief medicine were washing up on the Indian Ocean beaches as well as individual packets of snack foods.

Two weeks ago, MSC reported that it had retained vessels with specialized equipment including sonar searching for lost containers. The company said most of the debris from its prior loss had been recovered while the specialists were working to retrieve additional containers that could be a danger to shipping and the environment. 

 

Ukrainian Court Confiscates Turkish Cargo Ship That Entered Crimea

Ukraine cotes at least three trips by the vessel into Crimea (State Border Service)

Published Oct 9, 2024 12:15 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

A court in Ukraine has authorized the state seizure of a cargo ship that was detained on charges of repeatedly entering occupied Crimea to carry out commercial activities. Ownership of the vessel, Usko MFU (2,850 dwt), was transferred to Ukraine while two of the vessel’s officers have also been charged with “damaging state interests” by engaging in commercial activities in the occupied areas.

The State Border Service of Ukraine announced it has taken possession of the vessel which was built in 1982. According to media reports the vessel was valued at $600,000. Databases list its ownership as Usko Shipping of Turkey.

The ship was detained by the Ukrainian authorities in July while it was sailing outbound on the Danube reportedly loaded with barley bound for Greece. The Ukrainian Navy detained the ship and later placed it under arrest under the authorization of the court. There were 12 crew aboard, including five from Turkey and seven from Azerbaijan.

Ukraine asserts that the ship entered Crimea in October 2023 and loaded more than 3,000 tons of agricultural products for a Turkish company.  They also determined that the ship entered Sevastopol in May 2024 after turning off its AIS transmission. The ship unloaded an unspecified cargo in Crimea. It made another trip into Crimea in June 2024 also loading agricultural products for export. Ukraine asserts it was a violation of international maritime law as well as Ukrainian legislation which makes it illegal to conduct commerce in the occupied regions.

Two officers reported to have captained the vessel are also being detained and facing prosecution. Charges were brought against the first captain after the ship was detained and the second individual was charged after the Ukrainian authorities reviewed information from the ship’s logs.

Usko Shipping told Lloyd’s List that the activity in Crimea was before it acquired the vessel. Databases list the company as having acquired the vessel, which is registered in Cameroon, in March 2024.

It is the first prosecution of a vessel for entering Crimea although Ukraine has detained at least one other vessel. Media reports from Ukraine said the court has ordered the seizure of five vessels and a total of 59 have been charged with violations and subject to seizure. The court also in the past ordered the seizure of a dozen Russian commercial aircraft on similar charges.

 

Norwegian Center to Host Three Floating Wind Demos to Advance Technology

METCentre will provde test locations for the development of floating offshore wind turbines (METCentre)

Published Oct 8, 2024 8:12 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Three companies have signed up with Norway’s Marine Energy Test Center for demonstrations of floating wind turbine technologies. The center highlights it is the only place in the world for testing on a large scale and the aim is to reduce the costs of floating offshore wind technology which is viewed as critical in the next phase of expansion of offshore renewable energy.

Many locations around the world, including Norway, Japan, and the West Coast of the United States, will require floating technology to advance offshore wind energy power generation. The seabed topography and water depths require floating installation to harness the energy potential of these locations. However, the technology remains costly and has only been applied in a few advanced sites.

The METCentre is located off the West Coast of Norway and is already hosting projects including the Hywind 2.3 MW demo and a 3.6 MW Siemens Gamesa turbine as part of the TetraSpar platform. Last year the center received approval to expand its test area with up to four new test sites. The three new agreements call for the demonstration of floaters of 15 MW or greater capacity turbines. Detailers were not released because the next test projects are still competing for funding from Norway’s ENOVA a state-sponsored initiative to advance renewable energy projects.

“This is very good news for innovation in floating offshore wind,” said Arvid Nesse, head of METCentre and Norwegian Wind Offshore, a trade group to support the development of the wind supply chain. “We are the only place in the world ready with permits to test projects of this capacity. If we are to get floating wind offshore started in Norway without further delays, it must begin at METCentre.”

Nesse highlights that the goal is to gain important knowledge from both the construction and operation of these large-scale wind turbines. They believe this will help the industry to realize important cost savings and also help Norway to develop leadership in the sector.

They also highlight that the test location is close to the Utsira Nord area, which the Norwegian government has designated as one of the country’s first offshore wind sites. Norway completed an auction for a fixed-bottom location but delayed the tender for Utsira Nord to 2025. Details are expected to be announced shortly for the tender.

The Norwegian government in its 2025 budget plans to provide $3.3 billion in subsidies in a scheme to help support the development of floating wind technology. Floating wind is expected to play a critical role in the government’s target to allocate 30 GW of offshore wind power production by 2040.

Norwegian Government Moves Forward with $3.3B Floating Wind Subsidy

Norway's focus is to drive the development of floating wind technology (Ingka Group)

Published Oct 7, 2024 7:49 PM by The Maritime Executive

The Norwegian government in its 2025 budget proposals released today confirmed that it will move forward with an earlier plan to provide roughly $3.3 billion for a proposed support scheme for floating offshore wind. Norway looks to propel the development of floating technology which is expected to play a critical part of its ambition to allocate 30 GW of offshore wind power production by 2040.

“Norway has an enormous potential for floating offshore wind on its continental shelf, but because the technology remains immature and costly, state support is required to accelerate its development. That is why we are proposing an ambitious support scheme.  The support scheme will enable the delivery of more power to Norway and pave the way for a new industrial adventure,” said Minister of Energy, Terje Aasland.

According to the government, the scheme must contribute significantly to the development of floating offshore wind. The concept for the scheme was initially agreed to in June 2024 after Norway had several stops and starts as it worked to develop an agreement on the government’s role in supporting the sector. Norway announced plans for its first two wind auctions in March 2023, only to defer the efforts as the government was still debating policy and then only proceeding with one, a fixed-bottom site, in March 2024.

The first auction was for the Sorlige Nordsjo II site in the North Sea, which will be one of the few in Norway to use fixed-bottom turbines. It was a strongly contested auction that saw the investment arm of Ingka Group, based in the Netherlands and the largest Ikea franchiser, and Parkwind, majority-owned Japan’s Jera, a partnership between Tokyo Electric Power Company and Chubu Electric Company with the project. It calls for power generation by 2030. 

The second site, Utsira Nord was delayed but has also attracted strong interest. Reuters reports 13 groups and individual companies have expressed interest.

The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate (NVE) has also been tasked with conducting a strategic impact assessment of 20 areas that may be suitable for the development of offshore wind. The strategic impact assessment of the areas Vestavind F, Vestavind B, and Sørvest F will be completed by November this year. The strategic impact assessment for the remaining 17 areas will be completed in June 2025. 

Vestavind B and F are seen as two of the most promising projects. Each has an estimated potential for 1 GW of power generation. The B site is located north of Bergen while F is further south closer to Stavanger. Located in the Norwegian Sea, both will be floating wind sites.

“The continued development of offshore wind in Norway requires access to suitable areas. The government's goal for offshore wind is industrial development, and I am pleased to see that our supply chain companies are eager to get started,” said Aasland.

With plans agreed for the structure of the auctions and the government support program, Norway plans to announce details on its next auction for 2025. After that, it intends to conduct regularly scheduled tender rounds as it moves toward the 2040 goals.
 

WWIII

China Coast Guard Water-Cannons a Philippine Fisheries Vessel

File image courtesy Philippine Coast Guard

Published Oct 8, 2024 6:25 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The China Coast Guard has again resorted to the use of water cannons to deter a Philippine supply mission at Scarborough Shoal, a Chinese-occupied reef in the Philippine exclusive economic zone.

A video released by the Philippine government-owned People's Television Network appears to show one Chinese cutter, the CCG-3301, using water cannons against the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) patrol vessel Datu Cabaylo. 

BFAR said in a statement that two China Coast Guard cutters and one PLA Navy warship harassed two of its civilian law enforcement vessels, the BRP Datu Cabaylo and the BRP Datu Sanday. The patrol vessels were at Scarborough Shoal on a recurring mission to provide supplies to Philippine fishermen from Luzon, who have long relied on the reef and its lagoon for a steady catch. 

"Notwithstanding the dangerous maneuvers and opening of water cannons, both BFAR vessels were able to resupply the Filipino fisherfolk in the vicinity of Bao de Masinloc," BFAR said in a statement Tuesday. "The BFAR will not be deterred from fulfilling its mission of patrolling all Philippine maritime zones and providing support and assistance to Filipino fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea."

The last water-cannoning incident involving a BFAR vessel occurred in August, when the China Coast Guard blocked, rammed and hosed down a Philippine patrol boat that was bound for Sabina Shoal. The attack disabled its engines and forced it to abandon its mission.

Sabina Shoal has become a new flash point for maritime confrontation between Philippine and Chinese forces, and dozens of Chinese government vessels have staked out the reef's anchorage. A Philippine Coast Guard vessel was stationed there for months to monitor foreign activity, but had to return to port in late August because a Chinese blockade left it without food and water. 

S. Korea Upgrades Ties With Philippines, Backs Manila's Maritime Rights

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol signs a strategic partnership agreement in Manila, October 7 (Malacanang)

Published Oct 8, 2024 9:38 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

South Korea has added its weight to the Philippines' effort to defend the rule of law in the South China Sea, where China's ambitions have created friction with coastal states. In a memorandum of understanding signed in Manila on Tuesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol agreed to upgrade his nation's ties with Manila to a "strategic partnership" and to support the Philippine military's modernization. 

"We shared a common understanding about the importance of peace, stability and safety in the South China Sea," Yoon said in brief remarks. "Our two countries will continue to work together in order to establish a rules-based maritime order and for the freedom of navigation."

The agreement reaffirms Korean support for the 2016 arbitral ruling that favored Manila's maritime rights. That year, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague found that China's sweeping claims in the western Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone were not supported by international law. China has refused to recognize the ruling and has continued to occupy reefs and islands within the EEZ. 

"From here, there is nowhere else to go but up," Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos said at the signing ceremony. "As we chart the future direction of our relations, the way forward is clear: the time for us to elevate the ties between the Philippines and the Republic of Korea to a strategic relationship."

The accord cements the longstanding defense export relationship between the two nations. South Korea is among the Philippines' leading suppliers of weaponry, including fighters and surface combatants. Yoon said that South Korea will "actively take part . . . in the modernization of the [Armed Forces of the Philippines." 

In return, South Korea expects Philippine diplomatic support "to address the increasing security threat coming from North Korea in the context of the Korean Peninsula," south Korean Ambassador to Manila Lee Sang-hwa said last month. South Korea faces its own maritime rights issues in its border zone with North Korea, including longstanding boundary disputes and periodic military provocations. 

Chinese state-owned opinion outlet Global Times pushed back on Yoon's comments on Tuesday, and it instructed South Korea not to support the Philippines. 

"South Korea is not a South China Sea country, and it should not perceive China as a rival. Such a move will only cast a shadow on China-South Korean ties, and will bring further instabilities to the region," Global Times suggested. "Even if the Philippines receives more weapons and equipment from South Korea, Japan and the US, Manila cannot change China's position on its islands and reefs in the South China Sea." 

 

Video: Container Stack Collapse at Piraeus Fuels Union Complaints

Container stack collapse at port of Piraeus (ENEDEP)

Published Oct 7, 2024 3:44 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

Over the weekend containers at Greece’s Port of Piraeus topped over on the pier. While there were no injuries the Union of Cargo Handling Workers (ENEDEIP) highlighted the incident as part of its ongoing disputes with COSCO which controls the port.

The union released videos and pictures showing the containers. Some were lying on the dock and others were up against the base of the crane. Several of the boxes are crushed or split open. ENEDEP reports the incident happened on Saturday, October 5.

The port of Piraeus has been under pressure in 2024 due to the diversion of containerships away from routes through the Suez Canal. Container movements were down 13.5 percent in the first five months of 2024. The post is averaging about 320,000 TEU per month in 2024 with the volume down more than 24 percent in May versus the year earlier.

COSCO purchased its initial position in the port from the Greek government in 2016 for €365 million plus a commitment for a further €760 million in the port. It received a 51 percent interest in the Port of Piraeus and in 2021 increased the position under a revised agreement with the Greek government. It purchased a further 16 percent for a further €88 million.

 

 

The port has grown in importance as a transshipment hub in the Mediterranean. COSCO last week reported a better than four percent increase in container revenues in the first half of 2024 at the Piraeus Container Terminal despite declining volumes. Overall, the port had record revenues of nearly $120 million in the first half of the year. Income was up better than seven percent to nearly $60 million.

ENEDEP has been in a long-running dispute with COSCO including trying to block the investments. After Saturday’s incident, they accused port management of “insufficient safety measures.” In a statement, the union said the port was too focused on profits and making its record profits and not on the safety of employees.

The union has called a general assembly meeting on Wednesday, October 16. 

Beachcomber boy, 7, makes ‘first in UK’ discovery on Pembrokeshire shore

Ruth Davies
Wed 9 October 2024 

Seven-year-old Rory is thrilled with his amazing seashore find. (Image: Leo FitzWalter)

A seven-year-old boy with an eye for treasures washed up by the tide has made an amazing discovery on a Pembrokeshire beach.

Rory FitzWalter has ambitions to be a marine biologist, so his find of an extremely rare shell on the shore at Dale will certainly look good on his CV!

The shell has been identified by The Conchological Society of Great Britain and Ireland and the National Museum of Wales as a Mediterranean Bark Triton (Cabestana Cutacea), native to the southern coast of Africa.


The Mediterranean Bark Triton shell has been found by keen beachcomber Rory. (Image: Leo FitzWalter) “There is an archaic report of one found in the Channel Islands and sometimes in Brittany, but this would be a first for here,” said Rory’s dad Leo.

The Conchological Society has described the youngster’s discovery of the African mollusc as ‘certainly noteworthy’ and will be flagging it up in their annual Recorder’s Report.

The society confirmed it would raise awareness of the find with marine workers to see if any further specimens - even live ones - turn up.

The beautiful shell found in Pembrokeshire is native to the southern coast of Africa. (Image: Leo FitzWalter)

Climate change is thought to be the reason why the shell has surfaced in Pembrokeshire, although, added Leo, “you can never rule out the possibility of human transportation.”

“Regardless of that, it’s a huge find.”

Living in St Ishmaels and being home-schooled gives Rory plenty of opportunity to scavenge on local beaches.

Beachcomber Rory is an aspiring marine biologist. (Image: Leo FitzWalter)

“Rory is a born beachcomber and obsessed with anything that comes from the sea,” added Leo, who works with his wife Embrey as head gardeners.

“As well as shells, he has a massive collection of clay pipes he’s found, which are in jars and jars at home.

“We’re absolutely thrilled for Rory and he’s super fired up by the discovery of this gorgeous shell – he wants to be a marine biologist, so this could really be the start of things for him!”

The rare shell was found by Rory on Dale beach. (Image: Kath Brookes)

Watch: First underwater footage of sunken Bayesian yacht

Connor Stringer
Wed 9 October 2024 

Mike Lynch and his daugher Hannah, 18, died when the Bayesian sank in bad weather off the coast of Sicily in August - Handout


The millionaire tycoon Mike Lynch’s £30 million superyacht has been pictured for the first time since it sank.

Seven people, including the British tech entrepreneur and his 18-year-old daughter Hannah, died when the superyacht sank in bad weather off the coast of Sicily.

Lying at a depth of about 160ft, the Bayesian can be seen on its starboard side, where passengers were said to be found huddled in cabins by rescue drivers in August.

The footage leaked to Quarta Repubblica, an Italian investigative TV programme, was broadcast days after the inquests into the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter’s death were opened.

Two red rings show the portholes of the two cabins where the bodies of the seven passengers, who had gathered to celebrate 59-year-old Mr Lynch’s landmark acquittal for criminal fraud, were found by divers.



It is believed the yacht was hit by a meteorological phenomenon known as a downburst, which can be as powerful as a mini-tornado.

At Suffolk coroner’s court on Friday, an inquest opened into the deaths of Mr Lynch and Hannah, Jonathan Bloomer, 70, the chairman of Morgan Stanley International and insurance company Hiscox, and his wife, Judy, 71, a psychotherapist.

In a statement, Det Supt Mike Brown from Suffolk police said that a post mortem was carried out on Mr Lynch’s body in Italy by Prof Antonia Argo, who gave the provisional cause of death as drowning.

He said that post mortems of the other three bodies were carried out by Dr Tommaso D’Anna, with the provisional cause of death for all three victims still “under investigation”.

On what it meant for a cause of death to still be under investigation, Det Supt Brown said: “Often, there is a need for further tests to be undertaken to establish the actual cause of death.”

The other victims of the Aug 19 tragedy were Recaldo Thomas, the ship’s Antiguan-Canadian chef, Chris Morvillo, a Clifford Chance lawyer, and his wife, Neda.

Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch’s wife, Angela Bacares, survived the disaster and were rescued by a nearby yacht.

The Bayesian will be raised and brought to shore as part of the investigation into how it sank within 16 minutes of being hit by the storm. It is lying about half a mile off the fishing town of Porticello.

Last month, divers recovered potentially crucial video equipment – including video surveillance systems, computers and hard drives – from the wreckage, which may help investigators find out what happened on the night of the sinking.

Mr Lynch, dubbed “Britain’s Bill Gates” and who founded the British software company Autonomy, had gathered friends and family onboard the Bayesian to celebrate a legal victory.

In June, he was acquitted in a US court of multiple counts of criminal fraud over the sale of Autonomy in 2011.


The Bayesian, left, shortly before it sank in August - AFP

Following his death, the US software company Hewlett Packard Enterprise has vowed to pursue a £3 billion claim against Mr Lynch’s family.

The Bayesian’s skipper, 51-year-old New Zealander James Cutfield, is under investigation for multiple manslaughter and causing a deadly shipwreck, along with two British crew members, Tim Parker Eaton, 56, and Matthew Griffiths, 22.

Mr Parker Eaton, from Bedfordshire, was in charge of the engine room, and Mr Griffiths, who lives in the south of France with his parents, was reportedly on watch when the yacht was hit by the storm.

Under the Italian legal system, being placed under investigation does not imply guilt and does not necessarily mean that charges will be brought.

Mr Brown told the inquest last week: “In the early hours of the morning of Aug 19 between 04.15 and 04.45 hours, the yacht Bayesian, occupied by 22 people, including 12 crew members and 10 guests, flying the British flag and located approximately 0.8 nautical miles from the coast of Porticello, for reasons yet to be ascertained, sank rapidly.

“Of the total occupants of the vessel, 15 survivors were rescued while the remaining seven people were reported missing. The searches began in the following hours and continued uninterruptedly in the following days until Aug 23 after the bodies of all those missing British nationals subject to inquest were located in the cabins of the boat.”

UK

Peer demands ban on sale of ancestral remains after auction lists shrunken heads and skulls

Nadine White
Wed 9 October 2024

Swan Fine Art‘s listing prompted an outcry with Lord Paul Boateng now calling for a change of law (Des Blenkinsopp/CC 2.0/PA)


A peer has called for a change in law amid an outcry over the “grossly disrepectful” auction listing of human and ancestral remains, including shrunken heads and skulls, from across the world.

Skulls from the Ekoi people of West Africa, shrunken heads from the Jivaro people of South America and a horned human skull from the Naga people of India and Myanmar were among more than 20 items listed for sale by Swan Fine Art in Tetsworth, Oxfordshire.

But after condemnation from groups, including the Forum for Naga Reconcilation (FNR) which called it an act of dehumanisation and cononial violence, the auction house removed the items from sale.


Lord Paul Boateng, who is also honorary president of the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Africa, told The Independent that the initially proposed sale was “outrageous and grossly disrespectful”.

The collection, named The Curious Collector Sale, included the 19th-century horned human skull from the Naga, listed with a price of up to £4,000.

Lord Boateng wants a change of law over the sale of human and ancestral remains (PA Archive)

“The commoditisation and objectifying of people of colour even in death are simply unacceptable in the 21st Century,” said Lord Boateng, who became Britain’s first Black cabinet minister under Labour in 2002.

Stating that laws should be introduced to tackle this issue, Lord Boateng added: “If the industry won’t address this issue by strengthening their guidelines it will be necessary to legislate to bring an end to such sales.

“If we legislate to prevent the sale of dead coral, we should legislate to prevent the sale of dead Africans and indigenous peoples. All humanity is sacred and should never be treated as a collectable curiosity.”

FNR, a group of church leaders and civil society members in the northeast Indian state, also criticised the “dehumanising practice” of selling indigenous ancestral remains as items for “curious collectors”.

Nagaland’s chief minister also urged the Indian government to intervene.

“The auction highlights the impunity that descendants of European colonisers enjoy as they perpetuate a racist, colonial and violent depiction of Naga people,” the FNR said in a statement.

Jabeer Butt, chief executive of the Race Equality Foundation, told The Independent that the remains should be repatriated.

“The obscenity of the continuing sale of human remains is shocking in itself, but when this is overlaid with colonial exploitation, this potential sale is particularly distressing,” he said.

“The resolution to this should be to return these items to their countries of origin”.

This is not the first time that UK auctioneers have sold human remains from ancient communities from around the globe.

Earlier this year, The Independent revealed that Semley Auctioneers, based in Dorset, was advertising Ancient Egyptian people’s skulls for an estimate of up to £300 in a move described as unethical and “sickening” by academics and campaigners.

At the time, Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy described the sale of the remains as “sickening” and a “perpetuation of a dark legacy of colonialism”.

“It is a gross violation of human dignity and an affront to the memory of those whose lives were unjustly taken, or whose final resting places were desecrated,” she said.

Laura Van Broekhoven, director of the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, wrote on X/Twitter that it was “outrageous to auction ancestral and human remains”.

“Completely unethical. Human remains from Naga, Shuar, Dayak, Solomon Islands and also Nigeria, Congo, Benin, PNG, … Please Stop this Auction,” she wrote.

The museum currently possesses 214 pieces of Naga ancestral remains, according to a member of its Recover, Restore and Decolonise team, and the institution is considering items for repatriation which “may take anywhere between eight to 15 years”.

In 2020, the Pitt Rivers Museum removed its collection of human remains as a part of a “decolonisation process” after 80 years of displaying them.

The Independent has contacted the Swan Fine Art and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for comment.


British skull auction sparks Indian demand for return

Arunabh SAIKIA
Wed 9 October 2024 at 3:51 am GMT-6·3-min read


Elders in India's Nagaland state seen in 2023. The listing at auction of a 19th century skull from Nagaland sparked anger (Arun SANKAR) (Arun SANKAR/AFP/AFP)


Furious Indian politicians, activists and academics have demanded a 200-year-old skull listed for auction in former colonial ruler Britain, alongside at least 25 other remains, to be returned home.

Activists say the 19th century remains of their ancestor represent the colonial violence meted out to India's Nagaland state.

While the skulls were withdrawn from sale late Tuesday after an outcry, Nagaland state's chief minister has called for its return.

"The human remains of any deceased person belongs to those people and their land," Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio wrote in a public letter.

Besides the Indian skull, other remains listed were from Africa, elsewhere in Asia, and South America.

The private British auction house, Swan Fine Art, near Oxford, had hoped to sell them for around $180,000.

The Naga skull, attached to animal horns, had been offered with a starting bid of 2,100 pounds ($2,746) before its withdrawal.

There was no immediate response from the auctioneers.

Dolly Kikon, a Naga anthropologist, said the sale of any such item was unacceptable.

"Auctioning Indigenous human remains in the 21st century shows how descendants of colonisers enjoy impunity to perpetuate racism and colonial violence on communities," Kikon told AFP Wednesday.

"If we have laws to stop the traffic of animals and birds, why don't governments stop the auction of Indigenous human remains that were stolen from the people?" she added.

Kikon, a professor at the University of California Santa Cruz, is also a member of Recover Restore and Decolonise (RRaD), which works to repatriate the Naga community's ancestral remains from museums abroad.

"The Naga people believe they (the auctioneers) will do the right thing and return our ancestral remains," she said.

- 'Symbolise the violence' -

The items, listed alongside antiquarian books and taxidermy animals, have come from private European collections, including from Belgium, Britain, Germany and France.

They include an early 18th-century "shrunken head" of the Jivaro people -- from Ecuador and Peru -- that had been owned by Hugh Hefner and displayed in his Playboy Mansion, the auction house said.

Together with another Jivaro head, they were expected to sell for as much as 50,000 pounds ($65,400).

Laura Van Broekhoven, director of Oxford's Pitt Rivers Museum -- home to the largest Naga collection in the world -- said the sale of such items was "completely unethical".

Wati Aier, a Baptist priest and leader of the Forum for Naga Reconciliation peace group, appealed to London to return all the skulls to their ancestral lands.

"Throughout the period of British rule, the Naga people were defined as 'savages' and 'headhunters', which are insulting tropes that continue to be perpetuated today," he said.

"These human remains symbolise the violence that the British colonial power unleashed on the Nagas."

Other skulls listed in the Swan Fine Art auction were from Papua New Guinea, Borneo, and Solomon Islands. Ones from Africa orginated from Benin, Congo-Brazzaville, Democratic Republic of Congo and Nigeria.

The two skulls from Congo were balanced on top of each other, which the auctioneers said were "purported to be mother and son".

str-sai-pjm/dhc

CRYPTOZOOLOGY

Loch Ness monster hunters probe 'significant find' detected on latest cruise

Jody Harrison
Wed 9 October 2024 

-Credit: (Image: No credit)

Nessie hunters who have been searching the loch for the mythical beast say they have made a "significant finding" on its latest cruise.

The Loch Ness Centre has been probing the dark waters of the loch from its Deepscan cruise - which employs advanced radar technology to search the depths. Earlier this month, the radar system recorded a sizeable reading which has sparked speculation among researchers.

The radar system, specifically designed to detect underwater objects and formations, identified a "distinct anomaly" in the loch on Thursday 3rd October. While the exact nature of these readings remains under investigation, the Loch Ness Centre's analysis suggests they could represent substantial underwater presences or potentially large aquatic creatures inhabiting the loch, with the reading indicating there was a disturbance on the loch bed.

Nagina Ishaq, General Manager of The Loch Ness Centre, said: "These radar readings have raised many questions about what lurks in the depths of Loch Ness. Our Deepscan cruise has consistently aimed to deepen our understanding of the loch's ecosystem, and this finding shows that there are still many unknows about the loch.

The Loch Ness Centre has been probing the dark waters of the loch from its Deepscan cruise -Credit:No credit

"We are currently working with Loch Ness researchers to conduct further analysis of these readings which hopefully mark a major milestone in the search for Nessie."

The Deepscan cruise uses cutting-edge technology to investigate the unique underwater environment of Loch Ness.

With the use of sonar and radar systems, a hydrophone and most recently a state-of-the-art holographic camera, Deepscan has been able to provide some of the most detailed picture of the loch to date.