RIP

Two Dead in Accident at Ship Repair Yard in Norfolk

Tony Webster / CC BY SA 4.0

Published Oct 24, 2024 4:08 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

On Wednesday, two workers were killed in an unspecified accident at a privately-owned repair yard in Norfolk, Virginia. 

At about 0745 hours Wednesday, Norfolk police and fire-rescue teams were called out to the MHI Ship Repair yard on Warrenton Avenue, just opposite Portsmouth Marine Terminal on the Elizabeth River. On scene, they found one person deceased and one person critically injured. The survivor was taken to the hospital but died within hours. 

Yard operator Marine Hydraulics International confirmed the fatalities in a statement Wednesday. 

"We are deeply saddened to confirm the passing of two shipyard workers," an MHI spokesman said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with their families, as well as with the many impacted workers at our facility. We are committed to supporting them through this difficult time."

The firm added that safety is its top priority, and that it will cooperate with an investigation into the accident. 

Workers at the yard told local media that the other personnel on the vessel where the casualty occurred were sent home for the day. The name of the ship was not identified, but local WAVY's traffic helicopter captured video of police activity on the stern ramp of a large sealift ship. 

MHI Ship Repair is a division of Titan, the successor company of West Coast shipbuilder Vigor Industrial. It prides itself on quality, economical repair services for commercial and government clients. It employs about 500 people at its Norfolk locations. 

Top image: Tony Webster / CC BY SA 4.0

CLIMATE CRISIS

Tropical storm leaves towns submerged, 66 dead in Philippines

Agence France-Presse
October 25, 2024


People walk through logs swept away by Tropical Storm Trami in Laurel, Batangas province, south of Manila (AFP)

Residents of the northern Philippines used spades and rakes to clear their homes of mud and debris on Friday while others still awaited rescue as the death toll from Tropical Storm Trami rose to 66.

Tens of thousands remained displaced after fleeing floods driven by a torrential downpour that dumped two months' worth of rainfall over just two days in some areas.

"Many are still trapped on the roofs of their homes and asking for help," Andre Dizon, police director for the hard-hit Bicol region, told AFP. "We are hoping that the floods will subside today since the rain has stopped."

But accessibility remained a major issue for rescuers Friday, particularly in Bicol, President Ferdinand Marcos said at a morning press briefing.

"That's the problem we're having with Bicol, so difficult to penetrate," he said, adding that ground saturated by rain had led to "landslides in areas that didn't have landslides before."

- 'Everything is gone' -

In Laurel, a scenic town nestled near volcanic Lake Taal south of the capital Manila, AFP reporters saw roads blocked by felled trees, vehicles half-submerged in mud and homes severely damaged by flash flooding.

"We saw washing machines, cars, home equipment, roofs being swept away," resident Mimie Dionela, 56, told AFP.

"We're lucky (the rain) happened in the morning, for sure many would've died if it happened at night," she said. "It was indescribable how scared we were."

Islao Malabanan, 63, agreed he was alive only because the flood occurred during daytime, but said his family had lost everything "including our clothes".

Jona Maulion, who started an auto repair business in Laurel less than a year ago, questioned if her family could ever afford to restart from scratch.

"We thought we were on the way to success in the business," the 47-year-old said. "I didn't know that this would happen, everything is gone."


- Death toll grows -

As Trami departed the Philippines in the early hours, traveling west over the South China Sea, the storm's death toll was swelling as fresh reports of victims emerged.

In Batangas province south of Manila, the number of confirmed dead had more than doubled to 34, police told a local radio outlet Friday afternoon.


Earlier in the day, police staff sergeant Nelson Cabuso told AFP six unidentified bodies had been found in the province's Sampaloc village.

"The area was hit by a flash flood yesterday. Our people are still in the area to check if there are other casualties," he said.

Another five people were killed in a flash flood in the coastal village of Subic Ilaya, police corporal Alvin de Leon said.


Police in the Bicol region on Friday reported a total 28 deaths there, while two other bodies were previously found in Quezon province, one in Zambales and one in Masbate.

At his morning press briefing, President Marcos noted that the cities of Naga and Legazpi had reported "many casualties, but we haven't been able to get in yet".

- 'Two months' worth of rain -


Government offices and schools across the main island of Luzon remained shuttered Friday and storm surge warnings were still in place along the west coast, with potential waves as high as two metres.

State weather agency specialist Jofren Habaluyas told AFP that Batangas province had seen "two months' worth of rain", or 391.3 millimeters, fall over October 24 and 25.

An official tally late Thursday reported 193,000 people evacuated in the face of flooding that turned streets into rivers and half-buried some towns in sludge-like volcanic sediment set loose by the storm.


Rescuers in the region's Naga city and Nabua municipality used boats to reach residents stranded on rooftops, many of whom sought assistance via Facebook posts.

The search for a missing fisherman whose boat sunk in the waters off Bulacan province west of Manila, meanwhile, remained suspended Friday due to strong currents, the local disaster office said.

About 20 big storms and typhoons hit the Philippines or its surrounding waters each year, damaging homes and infrastructure and killing dozens of people.


But a recent study showed that storms in the Asia-Pacific region are increasingly forming closer to coastlines, intensifying more rapidly and lasting longer over land due to climate change.

© Agence France-Presse

Severe Storm Damages Ships an Strands Passengers/Cargo  Philippines

RoRo ferry was diven across the harbor and against the dock by the storm (photos courtesy of PCG)

Published Oct 24, 2024 1:14 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The Philippine Coast Guard is responding to multiple incidents as a severe storm moved through some of the most populated areas of the country on Thursday. Several vessels were reported to be in distress while the Coast Guard was also assisting with evacuations on land and rescues as parts of Luzon flooded.

The storm being called Kristine in the Philippines came ashore on the northeast coast of Luzon, the country's most populated island, and was moving across into the South China Sea. While it was below typhoon status, it had reported sustained winds of approximately 60 mph and gusts over 70 mph. It dumped a month’s worth of rain and was likely to become a typhoon as it moved back out to sea.

Early reports said more than 20 people have been killed with 150,000 or more forced to evacuate. The Coast Guard reports the storm is impacting 136 ports standing as many as 10,000 people and more than 2,800 cargoes. Approximately 150 vessels were reported stranded while an additional 315 were taking shelter from the storm.

 

 

In the early morning hours, the Coast Guard received a report that a ferry, Super Shuttle RoRo 2, was being dragged by the severe weather conditions at Batangas Port. The vessel has been laid up for the past year but had three crewmembers aboard. They were reporting it was a “dead ship,” drifting uncontrollably after losing its anchors in the storm.

The Coast Guard working with the vessel’s owners dispatched a tug. Towing operations however were aborted due to the worsening sea and weather conditions. The vessel became wedged up against one of the berths and they had been able to secure it until the storm passed.

 

Loaded container carrier was driven aground during the storm (PCG)

 

At around the same time, a container transport, LCT ASC Big Boy, loaded with 154 containers as well as seven rolling cargoes and a pre-loaded truck reported its anchor chains had broken in the storm. The vessel had 17 crewmembers aboard. 

The storm winds and waves drove the vessel ashore about 160 feet from Barangay Sugod. The Coast Guard inspected the ship and reported its engine remained operational but efforts to remove it from the sand were hampered by the weather conditions. 

Later in the day, the vessel reported that its port fuel tank had been punctured and they were attempting to transfer 4,000 liters of fuel to another tank. There however was some oil spilled. The worsening weather conditions were blamed for the vessel’s center rudder malfunctioning.

 

Coast Guard is assisting with the evacuation and rescues (PCG)

 

To the south near Cebu, another cargo vessel also grounded late on Wednesday. Strong winds and rough seas were being blamed for breaking the anchor chains of LCT Golden Bella that drifted ashore in the storm.

The Coast Guard remains on alert but as the storm has moved away reported the number of people stranded had gone down. However, the rescue operations were continuing as widespread flooding and mudslides were being reported in parts of the Philippines.
 

Tanker Malaysia Labeled “Suspicious” After Collision Anchors off China

Ceres 1 after the collision in July (Malaysia Maritime)

Published Oct 24, 2024 1:58 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

The mysterious case of the VLCC tanker Ceres 1 continues to draw attention as the vessel has again turned up anchored off China three months after it was involved in a fiery collision in Malaysian waters. The authorities in Malaysia are not commenting but the 300,000 dwt tanker had been under detention since July after it and the Hafnia Nile collided.

Using ship tracking data, Bloomberg reported yesterday that the vessel was on the move apparently bound for China. The vessel’s AIS signal is now showing that it has anchored off Zhoushan, China.

Malaysian officials declined to comment to Bloomberg about the status of their investigation into the collision. Hafnia referenced a statement from September at which time the company said it was unable to locate the owner, manager, or insurer of the tanker.

In the hours after the incident, Malaysian officials called the vessel’s IMO registration information “suspicious” while saying the actions of the ship leaving the incident area were also “doubtful.” Malaysian Maritime launched a search for the vessel locating it being towed a good distance from the scene of the collision. They ordered the ship to return but later said the ship might have drifted after the collision.

 

Video showing the damage to Ceres 1 posted online by Edwin (Fernando) Tharsis

 

The Ceres 1 has been widely linked to the sanction-busting trade in Russian, Iranian, and Venezuelan oil. Responding to media speculation in the hours after the collision, Iran’s Energy Ministry issued a statement saying it did not have oil aboard the Ceres 1. Initial reports had said the vessel was loaded with as much as 2 million barrels of crude, but images of the tanker from Malaysia’s video showed the Ceres 1 riding high, confirming it had offloaded before the incident.

Watchdog agencies said the vessel was in a known area used for illegal ship-to-ship oil transfers. At the time of the collision the vessel’s AIS signal was saying it was anchored, but it has been pointed out that the ship’s history showed “irregularities consistent with extensive spoofing,” according to Lloyds Intelligence.

The Equasis database shows the ship registered in São Tomé and Príncipe while noting that a similar report from 2023 was judged to be false. The ship has been trading as Ceres 1 since 2019 after recording two previous name changes earlier in the year. Built in 2001, since 2019 it has reported jumping between registries in Liberia, Panama, and Honduras, before São Tomé and Príncipe. 

Both the Ceres 1 and the Hafnia Nile were heavily damaged with fires breaking out after they collided. The hull and tanks of the Hafnia vessel were punctured with a portion of its cargo lost. The remainder was later offloaded and the vessel was reported to be undergoing repairs. 

Malaysia is conducting an investigation in to the July incident. Singapore as the flag state of the Hafnia vessel has said it is also monitoring the case and offered assistance in the investigation.

 

New Warnings of Piracy Activity in Indian Ocean and Singapore Strait

EU forces maintain surveillance in the Indian Ocean as part of Operation ATALANTA (EUNAVFOR)

Published Oct 24, 2024 6:04 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

Despite the numerous reports that crime against seafarers has fallen dramatically, fresh warnings have gone out this week to vessels operating both in the Indian Ocean and transiting the Singapore Strait. EUNAVFOR warns that it is investigating suspected pirate action groups from Somalia while ReCAAP ISC in the Far East reported three new incidents in the Singapore Strait over the course of just two hours while warning of a possibility of further incidents.

The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) reported early in October that crimes against seafarers were at a 30-year low in the first nine months of 2024. The highlighted progress in all regions including the Indian Ocean and Singapore Strait while cautioning that crew safety remained at risk.

Now after a lull in activity originating from Somalia, EUNAVFOR’s Operations Atalanta issued a warning this week that said groups had been reported setting out to sea from Somalia. They said there were possibly two action groups with a total of 13 armed pirates who set out late on October 22. In the past, they warned that the groups were operating further out to sea than historically threatening shipping over a much wider range. 

There was a spate of new activity beginning in November 2023 as the pirates were possibly emboldened by the incidents in the Red Sea and the increasing number of ships diverting. They were successful in taking control of a bulker and boarding other ships, although the Indian Navy and its elite forces were able to intervene and stop several incidents. One crew however was held until a ransom was paid.

Somalia pirates were also going after fishing vessels possibly to use them as motherships for attacks on large merchant ships. The incidents however tailed off after Atalanta and the Indian Navy were successful with several interventions. Speculation is that the monsoon season which is now ending could have stopped the pirates.

ReCAAP at the same time is warning that there has been a total of 39 incidents in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore since January 2024. They continue to focus on sea robbery but they are warning that in at least two of the recent incidents, the perpetrators that boarded the vessels were armed with knives. In most cases when detected the pirates flee and do not interact with the crew. The majority of the incidents are happening near the western side of the Singapore Strait.

In the early hours of October 18, three incidents were reported. The bulk carrier Nyon (35,500 dwt) was underway when five perpetrators with knives were sighted in the engine room. The alarm was raised and the crew searched the ship but no one was found and nothing was reported stolen. Just over an hour later, the bulker Aspasia Luck (37,700 dwt) sighted 10 armed perpetrators also in its engine room. The crew searched the ship and found that spare engine parts had been stolen.

A third incident happening about 30 minutes later involved the bulker Maran Spirit (93,000 dwt). A single perpetrator was seen in the engine room. The crew searched for more people but found nothing and did not report anything as being stolen.

All three of these incidents happened off Indonesia in the Phillip Channel. ReCAAP warns that 38 of the incidents were in the Singapore Strait which has been an ongoing area of concern. They continue to advise vessels to use vigilance and maintain look-outs while also calling on the local authorities to increase patrols and surveillance.

 

Belgium Deploys Unique Sensor to Measure Ship Emissions

Sensor was installed near the traffic control center at the Port of Zeebrugge (Port of Antwerp Bruges)

Published Oct 23, 2024 8:29 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The authorities in Belgium this week deployed a new sensor that is designed to enhance the detection of ships violating the emissions control zone in the North Sea as well as enhance data collection to inform future emissions regulations. The program expands on the use of drones and planes which are being used to fly over ships and measure the emissions from the smokestacks.

The program began in 2021 with the Royal Belgium Institute for Space Aeronomy working to create an optical system that could be deployed as a measuring instrument for emissions of SO2, NOX2, and CO2. The concept was to expand enforcement of the emissions regulations imposed in the North Sea region to catch vessels that might be exceeding the limits either through the use of higher sulfur fuels or failing to properly scrub emissions.

The authorities highlight that approximately 200,000 ships pass through the Belgian part of the North Sea each year emitting not only CO2 but many regulated pollutants. In addition to in port inspections, they are using so-called “sniffers” to overfly vessels while underway but it is limited in the amount of measuring that can be achieved and requires personnel to implement. 

“The international goal is to get shipping to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050,” said Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister and North Sea Minister Paul Van Tigchelt. “With new techniques, such as this sensor, we will soon be able to monitor ships to our ports 24/7. This test project in Zeebrugge proves once again that Belgium is leading the way thanks to our innovative companies and top experts in the fight against climate change.”

The concept was to develop an automated system that would measure vessels passing near the sensor. The measurements are fed into a database and the system also seeks to detect violators. The design called for measuring at least 30 ships per day at a distance of up to 10 km (6 miles) from the sensor. 

When suspected violations are detected, the authorities are alerted. The plan calls for ordering an overflight to take detailed measurements or to conduct fuel inspections when the vessel reaches port. 

The sensor developed by the Institute began testing in 2023 and was recently installed near the traffic control center at the Port of Zeebrugge. Once the system has completed proof of concept, the plan is to deploy it in an offshore wind farm at the southern end of the Belgian North Sea zone to expand the monitoring of shipping traveling into and out of the region.

European leaders meet to re-energise offshore wind power

Odense (Denmark) (AFP) – The countries bordering the North Sea meet in Denmark on Thursday to seal commitments to boost offshore wind power, a sector that is suffering from stiff competition from China.

Most of Odense port's surface area is devoted to wind power, and Vestas produces nacelles, masts and foundations © Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP

At the gathering, eight countries -- Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Norway and Ireland -- and the European Commission are expected to reach an agreement on the installation of some 20,000 wind turbines in the North Sea by 2050.

China currently accounts for 82 percent of orders for new wind power, according to analyst firm Wood Mackenzie.

"The EU cannot lose momentum, we need to ensure that we choose the right path," Danish energy minister Lars Aagaard told AFP.

In Denmark, which inaugurated its first wind power farm in 1991, more than 40 percent of electricity originates from wind power.

Soren Rask, the head of port security began his career as a blacksmith at the shipyard © Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP

In the port of Odense, where the discussions are being held, port director Carsten Aa told AFP turbines are produced for farms all over Europe, the US market and the Philippines.

In 2011, the first nacelle -- the casing that houses the components needed to operate the wind turbine, including the generator and transmission -- was produced by turbine maker Vestas at the Lindo shipyard, used by global shipping giant Maersk to build its vessels until 2009.

Since then, some 1,500 offshore wind turbines have been assembled at the site.

"We are world-leading at the moment, but the Chinese are knocking on our front door," Aa said.
'Political ambitions'

Most of the port's surface area is devoted to wind power, and Vestas produces nacelles, masts and foundations, among other things.

The parts are too bulky to be built elsewhere and transported by land before being loaded onto ships and installed at sea.

"If we shall fulfil all the political ambitions, we need to see even more production in European seaports," Aa insisted.

The expanding shipyard in Odense employed 2,700 people when it closed in 2009, and more than 3,200 are now working on the site © Jonathan NACKSTRAND / AFP

He hopes that Odense will lead the way in countering Chinese competition.

"We have changed from an outdated industry area to a top modern facility and production facility by using old shipyard workers... to produce windmills," the port director explained.

In France, Nantes Saint-Nazaire Port recently presented a project to develop a platform for the deployment of future offshore wind farms.

The port of Odense is also expanding. The shipyard employed 2,700 people when it closed in 2009, and more than 3,200 are now working on the site, which has grown by 18 percent in the last two years.

"What makes us unique is that the area is very large... we have the area around the old shipyard to be able to develop new products and new production halls," Soren Rask, the head of port security who began his career as a blacksmith at the shipyard, told AFP.

© 2024 AFP

Additional Blades Require Reinforcing as Work Proceeds at Vineyard Wind

A manufacturing defect was blamed for the blade fracture (Nantucket Government)

Published Oct 23, 2024 1:56 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind, a joint venture project between Avangrid and Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, detailed the next phase of their recovery effort after the offshore wind farm experienced a blade failure more than three months ago. Problems at the project continue to place financial pressures on GE Vernova which last month reported in the face of continuing financial losses it would be scaling back its efforts tied to offshore wind power generation.

Installation offshore was well underway at Vineyard Wind south of Martha Vineyard in Massachusetts when one of the approximately 330-foot-long blades on one of the 24 installed turbines fractured. Pieces of the blade fell into the water with some parts sinking while other shards began washing up on Massachusetts’ beaches causing an outcry from residents and critics of offshore wind. The damaged blade further broke in the following days.

GE Vernova is now reporting after an extensive review of more than 8,300 ultrasound images per blade and physical blade inspections with “crawler” drones, it has found additional issues in the manufacture of an unspecified number of the blades and if they have been installed. Company CEO Scott Strazik told Bloomberg that defects similar to the failed blade were found on “a low-single digit percentage of its blades.”

The company previously blamed the failure on problems in the bonding process at its manufacturing plant in Canada. Speaking to investors today, Strazik repeated that it was a “manufacturing deviation,” that he previously said should have been detected by quality control.  

“Out of an abundance of caution, GE Vernova intends to remove some blades from the Vineyard Wind farm while strengthening other blades as needed to support the safety and operational readiness of this project,” the company said in its announcement. The work will be done either at the plant or in the field but no timeline was specified for how long it would take.

After the incident, regulators suspended work on the project but later permitted some work to proceed. Following authorization in mid-August to resume certain activities, eight new towers and nacelles were installed the companies reported. They were also granted approval on October 22, to return to installing new blades on turbines at the project once stringent safety and operational conditions are met. Power generation however remains suspended.

They also reported that the recovery effort tasks including blade rotations to reduce blade debris, the removal of the hanging portion of the blade, and the clearing of debris from the platform have been completed. Resolve Marine was retained and the removal of seabed debris began on October 13 and will be completed this week. The final task, the removal of the root of the blade from the rotor hub, is expected to occur in the coming weeks.

GE Vernova and Vineyard Wind reported they are focused on these critical pathways, the final step in the action plan, and operations and power production will resume only after additional progress is made and all requisite approvals are granted. The approved construction plan calls for a total of 62 turbines generating 800 MW of power.

The update came as GE Vernova reported third quarter financial results. While the company reduced its financial loss from operations, the loss was higher than projected by analysts. Company executives cited the continuing issues in the wind power business saying that it was being offset by stronger results in its energy and electrification sectors. The company however reaffirms its financial guidance for 2024.

The partners in Vineyard Wind have been undeterred by the problems and delays for the first project. It had become the largest operating offshore wind farm in the United States and they are confident the project will get back on track. They have also submitted proposals for additional projects as states continue to move forward with their solicitation process for offshore wind power generation.

ECOCIDE

Trinidad and Tobago Succeed in Arresting Tug Behind Mystery Oil Spill

The barge being towed by the tug capsized and grounded starting a large oil spill off Tobago (TEMA)

Published Oct 24, 2024 4:55 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

Eight months after a massive oil spill from an overturned barge on the coast of Tobago, government officials confirmed that they have arrested the tug believed to have caused the oil spill and filled a massive financial claim. The island nation’s Finance Minister Colm Imbert announced the development reading out a statement from the Attorney General during a session of the country’s senate on Wednesday.

“The arrest proceedings were filed in Angola after a relentless pursuit of the Solo Creed by the Office of the Attorney General and Ministry of Legal Affairs with the assistance and support of the Ministry of Energy and Energy Industries, the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard and the Maritime Division of the Ministry of Works and Transport,” said Imbert.

The tug had been the subject of an international hunt that began shortly after a fuel barge capsized and washed ashore in February. Initially, the authorities thought a vessel had capsized but with the help of a broad range of resources identified the barge as the Gulfstream and later the tug that had been towing the barge. The circumstances behind the incident are still unknown and ownership of the tug remains unclear. The Solo Creed reports it is registered in Tanzania.

The arrest was ordered by the court in Angola to allow the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago to protect its claim for the damage and recovery effort. The tug Solo Creed was arrested in Luanda, Angola, and will not be allowed to leave that jurisdiction unless security is lodged to secure the interest of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago. A preliminary claim of $244 million has been entered as the Finance Ministry says it is still tabulating the cost of the spill. 

The tug disappeared after the incident having turned off its AIS transmissions. Reports began to appear in May that it had been located in Angola. Officials in Trinidad & Tobago moved to investigate while asking Angola to detain the vessel.

The claims are many times the value of the tug which was built in 1976. It has been sold several times and changed names with some databases reflecting the ship as Ranger. It was believed to have been sold in 2023. The tug departed Panama in January and made a stop in Aruba and according to the Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard satellite images showed the tug towing an object approaching the area around Tobago on February 4. They were able to track the vessel into the country’s territorial waters, but eventually lost radar contact with both vessels. The oil slick and capsized barge Gulfstream were first spotted on February 7. It took till August to remove the barge which was towed to Trinidad for salvage.

The government said in a statement it will continue to pursue all legal proceedings in Trinidad and Tobago and elsewhere to hold the owners and or persons interested in the vessel accountable for the extensive damage caused to the environment of Tobago.

Additionally, the government continues to pursue from the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund the recovery of money expended during the clean-up project.

Greek Seafarers Extend Strike Stopping Most Island Ferries

Greece's island ferries are stopped as the unions extend their strike over wages and work rules (PENEN file photo)

Published Oct 24, 2024 4:03 PM by The Maritime Executive

 

 

The unions representing Greek seafarers including deckhands, dockworkers, and others on the country’s critical island ferries, are extending their strike for another two days as they demand better wages and work rules. A “warning strike” started on Tuesday and Wednesday and the unions are now adding another two days while citing further potential escalation as Greece heads into a three-day holiday weekend ahead of a national holiday on Monday.

Most of the mainland and interisland ferry service across Greece is suspended. The unions exempted from the strike members who work on a few short-distance runs as well as on domestic tankers and cargo ships. Reports are that nearly all the country’s ferries have remained docked with the islands in the Aegean and Ionian Sea cut off from the mainland. 

Multiple unions including the Panhellenic Seamen’s Federation (PNO) and the Panhellenic Union of Deckhands (PENEN) are participating in the strike. PNO issued a statement yesterday also calling for a meeting with the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy as well as scheduling a rally for Friday, October 25.

The unions announced their plans to strike at the beginning of October as they continue to demand wage increases and changes to Greek laws. The unions are calling for a 12 percent wage increase for 2025 while reports said the Greek Shipowners Association for Passenger Ships has proposed a three percent raise.

The unions are also demanding the government roll back a new law that permits high-speed ferries popular with tourists to limit their operations to only four months of the year. As such, they report crewmembers working on these vessels are classified as “seasonal employees” losing out on wages and benefits including unemployment. The unions want the law amended to require a minimum of seven months of operation.

In their demands, the unions highlight that the shipping companies are making large profits and receiving benefits from the government. According to the statement from PNO, the government is providing €150 million ($162 million) in subsidies to the shipping companies to maintain service on routes with less demand. They also report the government is preparing bonuses for shipping companies to encourage the renewal and modernization of fleets to spur the transition to green shipping.

The initial strike was for October 22 and 23, but yesterday the unions said they would extend it for October 24 and 25. It is currently scheduled to end at 23:59 on October 25 but fears are growing that it will disrupt holiday weekend travel in addition to continuing to cut off the islands from the mainland.

How Are UK  MPs Planning To Vote On The Assisted Dying Bill?

Kevin Schofield
Updated Thu, October 24, 2024

A small demonstration by people advocating assisted dying hold a protest outside the Houses of Parliament last week. via Associated Press

MPs will vote on Labour MP Kim Leadbeater’s Assisted Dying Bill on November 29.

If passed by parliament, the legislation would make it legal to help a terminally ill person end their life.

Since it is a matter of conscience, MPs will be free to vote how they like rather than being whipped by party managers.

The last time the Commons voted on the issue was in 2015, when parliament comprehensively rejected the proposed law by 329 to 117.

However, given the fact that the make up of the Commons has changed so much since then, the result on November 29 is difficult to predict.

It is understood that Keir Starmer - who voted in favour of assisted dying nine years ago - plans to do so again next month.

But early indications are that his cabinet are evenly split on the issue.

Here’s what we know so far about the voting intentions of senior ministers and other MPs.
IN FAVOUR

The first cabinet minister to confirm they will vote for the bill was energy and net zero secretary Ed Miliband.

He said: “I will be voting for the assisted dying bill.

“These are very complex and difficult issues and there are very respectable views on both sides.

“For my part, I know there are people who are in the late stages of terminal illnesses, and I think the current situation is rather cruel actually.

“I think people having control over their own life and their own death is something that is the right thing to do.

“Obviously there have to be proper safeguards and I understand the concerns of some people on these issues, but my personal view will to be vote in favour of this Bill.”

Ed Miliband is voting for the bill. via Associated Press

Culture secretary Lisa Nandy also plans to vote for the bill, telling BBC Breakfast: “I’ve just seen too many examples of people who have no choices and no dignity at the end of their lives.

“And I think the current system is unsustainable.”
AGAINST

Justice secretary Shabana Mahmood - who as Lord Chancellor would have a key role in implementing the law were it to pass - has said she will be voting against it.

She told The Times: “As a Muslim, I have an unshakeable belief in the sanctity and value of human life.”

And earlier this year she said: “I know some MPs who support this issue think, ‘For God’s sake, we’re not a nation of granny killers, what’s wrong with you’… [But] once you cross that line, you’ve crossed it forever.

“If it becomes the norm that at a certain age or with certain diseases, you are now a bit of a burden… that’s a really dangerous position.”

Wes Streeting, the health secretary, also revealed that he has changed his position on the issue, having voted in favour of it in 2015.

He said: “The challenge is, I do not think palliative care, end-of-life care, in this country is good enough to give people a real choice.

“I worry about coercion and the risk that the right to die feels like a duty to die on the part of, particularly, older people.”

Health secretary Wes Streeting will vote against the bill. via Associated Press

Tory leadership candidate Robert Jenrick, who voted in favour of assisted dying in 2015, told the party’s annual conference that he would now vote against it.

Meanwhile James Cleverly, who was voted out of the race to succeed Rishi Sunak in the final MPs’ ballot, has also confirmed that he will vote against the bill, just as he did in 2015.

Streeting will vote against assisted dying law

Henry Zeffman - Chief Political Correspondent 

and Jennifer McKiernan - Political reporter, BBC News
Thu, October 24, 2024 

[EPA]


Health Secretary Wes Streeting will vote against changing the law on assisted dying, the BBC has confirmed.

Backbench Labour MP Kim Leadbeater has put forward a bill proposing that terminally ill adults nearing the end of their lives get the right to choose to shorten their deaths if they wish.

In a meeting of Labour MPs on Monday, Streeting said he did not believe the palliative care system was good enough to support assisted dying.

His cabinet colleague Lisa Nandy, however, has said she plans to vote for the bill when it comes before Parliament next month.

She told BBC Breakfast she said she had seen "too many examples of people who have no choices, and no dignity at the end of their lives".

MPs to get first vote on assisted dying for nine years


What is assisted dying and could the law change?


Assisted dying idea is dangerous, bishop warns

The culture secretary added: "I very much agree with Wes that we need to improve palliative care in this country, but I want people to have the choice about how they’re treated at the end of their life.”

The prime minister has made clear the government will remain neutral on the issue and Labour MPs will be given a free vote.

A similar move was rejected by MPs in 2015, but recent polling has consistently suggested a majority of the public supports a change in the law.

Sir Keir is personally in favour of a change, but cabinet ministers have been instructed not to campaign in public on either side of the issue ahead of a vote on the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill on 29 November.

Dozens of Labour MPs are thought to be still undecided about the plans and Streeting's intervention, first reported by The Times, could be especially influential because of his position as the health secretary.

It is also notable because Streeting voted for the legalisation of assisted dying the last time the Commons voted, in 2015 – meaning he has changed his mind.

It is regarded as a conscience issue, which means that on all sides MPs will be given a “free vote” - and not instructed by their parties to vote a certain way.

Last month, he told the Financial Times he was “struggling” with the issue, saying he could “buy into the principle” of assisted dying but was “not sure as a country we have the right end-of-life care available to enable a real choice on assisted dying”.

He has also spoken of concerns about a "slippery slope" - which Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has also warned of.

Streeting is the second cabinet minister in two days to state their intention to vote against changing the law, after Justice Secretary Shabana Mahmood told The Times of her “unshakeable belief in the sanctity and the value of human life” on Tuesday.

The pair head the two government departments, health and justice, that would be tasked with implementing any new law.

Leadbeater has said patients with serious illnesses are suffering “horrible painful deaths” and that “people deserve a choice”.

The precise detail of her proposed legislation - setting out the circumstances which could lead someone to be eligible for assisted dying - is not expected to be published until closer to the Commons debate at the end of next month.

However, Leadbeater has indicated her bill would restrict assisted dying to terminally ill patients, and insisted there is "absolutely no question of disabled people or those with mental illness who are not terminally ill being pressured to end their lives".
Concerns about 'vulnerable'

She has said there must be both medical and judicial safeguarding, so that any intervention would require two doctors and a judge to sign it off, and that she would like to see a "timeframe" on the diagnosis of patients.

But opponents say there are still serious concerns about safeguards.

Earlier this month, Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson told the BBC she was worried about the impact on vulnerable and disabled people, as well as the possibility of coercive control and the ability of doctors to predict how long a patient has left to live.

The Archbishop met Leadbeater on Monday, but no details of their discussions were disclosed.

Assisted dying is generally used to describe a situation where someone who is terminally ill seeks medical help to obtain lethal drugs which they administer themselves.

Assisted suicide - intentionally helping another person to end their life - is currently banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

The bill would cover England and Wales, where - like Northern Ireland - assisting someone to ending their life is against the law.

In Scotland - where it is not a specific criminal offence but can leave a person open to a murder charge - a bill is currently being considered that, if passed, would give terminally ill adults the right to request help to end their life.

Let citizens’ assemblies break the political deadlock on issues like assisted dying

The Guardian
Wed, October 23, 2024 

‘The government should give the assisted dying bill the time it will need to be debated properly – and build in space for a citizens’ assembly as part of the process.’Photograph: Lucy North/PA

As chief executive of Involve, I welcome John Harris’s call for a citizens’ assembly on assisted dying to inform Kim Leadbeater’s private member’s bill on the topic (How can Britain plot its future when it is so deeply stuck in the mud? Empower the citizens, 20 October). There is a valuable precedent in Jersey that the new government could learn from. In 2021, Involve helped run a citizens’ jury on this issue for the government of Jersey, as part of its preparations for legislation. Politicians later followed the recommendations of the jury, which were to allow assisted dying, for people with a terminal illness, in certain circumstances.

The lesson here is not whether the Jersey jury voted to allow or prevent assisted dying. Rather, the example shows that we should give our decision-makers the tools they need to do their jobs properly and democratically. In Jersey, politicians understood the informed preference of the people, when given space and time to come to judgment. This enabled decision-makers to break the political deadlock on this complex, sensitive and contested issue.

I urge the new government to provide Kim Leadbeater with a similar resource. Typically, private members’ bills are given very little legislative time. For an issue of such significance, the government should give the bill the extra time it will need to be debated properly – and build in space and time for a citizens’ assembly as part of the process.
Sarah Castell
CEO, Involve

• While I entirely agree with John Harris’s call for citizens’ assemblies to decide difficult issues, I was disappointed by his side swipe at the Church of England. The presence of the bishops in the House of Lords is no more anomalous than the rest of that house, and I am sure they will speak and vote with their consciences, and demonstrate the same sort of split on the matter as their “shrunken flock” – which is actually much larger than their weekly attendance and includes those who rarely come to church, but still look to the church for some guidance on these matters.

The debates inside church are largely the same as those engaged in more widely, balancing the right to determine when your own life has become unbearable, and the vulnerability of those who might be “encouraged” to seek an early exit. In church, we have this debate within the framework of a belief in the sanctity of life, but differ on whether that sanctity is maintained or abused by requiring people to hold on to life to a bitter end. So, bring on the citizens’ assemblies. I trust that Anglicans won’t be excluded from participating.
Rev Nick Ross
Holy Trinity Church, Smethwick

• If I understand John Harris correctly, he suggests that 99 ordinary citizens are better able to make decisions about complex long-term issues than 650 MPs. Given that most challenges now fall into this category, the logical conclusion is to close down parliament and establish citizens’ assemblies to determine the direction of the country.

This makes sense given the moronic nature of an MP’s life at the national level, which denies them the opportunity to speak their mind or vote based on the merit of arguments, their own views, and those of their constituents. This is further exacerbated by a system that incentivises governments to think about short-term political cycles. Prioritising the issues for citizens’ assemblies can be undertaken by those who know best – the people of the country. I’m sure an app could be developed to manage that.
Bill Kingdom
Oxford

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Quebec moves ahead with allowing advanced requests for assisted dying

CBC
Thu, October 24, 2024

Sonia Bélanger, Quebec's minister responsible for seniors, says the province won't wait for Ottawa in making changes to medical assistance in dying. (Jacques Boissinot/The Canadian Press - image credit)


Quebec is going ahead with its plan to authorize early requests for medical assistance in dying, despite concerns raised by the federal government.

Starting Oct. 30, the province will begin accepting requests for assisted dying, known as MAID, before a person's condition, such as Alzheimer's, renders them incapable of giving consent.

Health officials held a briefing for journalists early Thursday to outline how applications will be considered, and pointed to new online guidelines for patients and physicians.


Dr. Stéphane Bergeron, an assistant deputy health minister, said during the briefing that patients who could potentially be eligible will need to meet with doctors on multiple occasions to understand how it would work and when it would apply.

"It's something that will take a bit of time before this goes ahead," Bergeron said.

Ottawa says to 'wait'

The federal government has repeatedly expressed concern about Quebec moving forward with advanced consent before it modifies the Criminal Code.

Federal Health Minister Mark Holland told La Presse on Wednesday that Quebec should "wait" before going ahead.

In a follow-up statement to CBC News on Thursday, his office said the federal government "is taking the necessary time to examine the details of what the government of Quebec has announced."

"We are committed to working with Quebec — and all provinces and territories — to carefully consider next steps," the statement said.

Minister of Health Mark Holland rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2024.

Federal Health Minister Mark Holland says Quebec should wait for a broader discussion on MAID. (Justin Tang/The Canadian Press)

On Thursday, Sonia Bélanger, the minister responsible for seniors, said the province had conducted a "rigorous" assessment of how the new rules will be applied, and will move ahead without Ottawa.

"In the case of MAID, we have never waited for the federal government," she told reporters in Quebec City.

For more than a year, Quebec has been calling on the federal government to modify the Criminal Code to allow people to make such requests — and made it clear in August it would not wait any longer.

The provincial government adopted a law in June 2023 permitting people with serious and incurable illnesses, such as Alzheimer's disease, to ask for assisted dying while they have the capacity to provide consent, with the procedure being carried out after their condition has worsened.

The province has asked the Director of Criminal and Penal Prosecutions to respect the conditions laid out in the act respecting end-of-life care when it comes to pressing criminal charges.

A question of dignity

Georges L'Espérance, a retired neurosurgeon and head of the Quebec Association for the Right to Die with Dignity, doesn't believe there's a need to wait any longer.

"We have a lot of reports on that, and we have a lot of expertise on that," he said.

L'Espérance said said it will be up to patients and their families to determine at what stage they no longer want to live, and that could vary from person to person. For example, a person with Alzheimer's may decide they want MAID when they no longer recognize their family or can't feed themselves, he said.

"If you have that law, you know that you won't go in the last year of the disease, in the path when you lose all your dignity," he said.

Some health professionals remain opposed to the changes. Dr. Catherine Ferrier, an assistant professor in McGill University's department of family medicine and a member of the group Living with Dignity, has worked with patients with dementia for 40 years.

She said it will be difficult for a patient to know if they will want to die five years from now, or longer.

"There are many, many unknowns there," she said. "You don't know if you will be suffering."

Ferrier said the province should instead be focused on providing better care to patients with dementia.

"You're never undignified. You have the dignity of a person for your whole life," she said.

"I find it sad that in Quebec we're not providing all the supports that people need as they get older and more vulnerable and people lose their cognition, and then we're fast-tracking death."


Quebec says it's ready to start accepting advanced MAID requests as of Oct. 30

Morgan Lowrie
Thu, October 24, 2024 



MONTREAL — Quebec's Health Department says it will be ready to meet the expected demand for advanced applications for medical assistance in dying when it begins accepting those requests next week.

Dr. Stéphane Bergeron, an associate deputy minister in the department, told reporters in a briefing on Thursday that it will take time for the first requests to be approved, which will give the health system further room to prepare.

"It's not something we do in a few minutes during one consultation or appointment," he said. "It's something we have to take our time with, that will certainly require several meetings between the (health professionals) and the patient."

On Oct. 30 Quebec will become the first province to allow a person with a serious and incurable illness to request that a medically assisted death be administered months or even years in the future — when their condition leaves them unable to consent to the procedure.

Quebec chose to expand its MAID program to help people with illnesses such as Alzheimer's — without waiting for Ottawa to update the Criminal Code. Instead, the province asked the Crown prosecutor's office not to charge doctors who choose to participate in the advanced MAID program as long they comply with the provincial act.

The Criminal Code says a health-care worker who administers a medically-assisted death must ensure that the person gives "express consent" immediately before they receive MAID. They must also offer an opportunity to withdraw the request. There are exceptions, but for the consent requirement to be waived under Canadian law, a person seeking MAID must fulfil several criteria, including that they entered an arrangement specifying the day on which they wanted to die.

Bergeron says that people who seek approval for advanced MAID applications must fulfil several obligations, including that they describe in detail the symptoms that health-care workers will need to witness before administering the procedure. They must also have a serious and incurable condition that causes them "constant and unbearable physical or psychological suffering."

To Quebec's displeasure, Ottawa has been relunctant to quickly update the Criminal Code to allow advanced MAID requests. Matthew Kronberg, spokesman for federal Health Minister Mark Holland, said Thursday in a statement that MAID is a "complex and deeply personal issue. Given this complexity, the Government of Canada is taking the necessary time to examine the details of what the Government of Quebec has announced. We are committed to working with Quebec – and all provinces and territories – to carefully consider next steps."

Bergeron said the province didn't have an estimate of how many requests the health network might receive in response to the expansion, for which he said there is a "strong consensus" in Quebec. Earlier this year, six professional orders, including those representing Quebec's doctors and nurses, put out a statement urging the federal government to amend the Criminal Code to allow for advanced requests.

On Thursday, Bergeron and two other doctors present at the briefing said Quebec's experience in delivering MAID would help them navigate the challenges presented by the new rules.

Health professionals, they said, would have to determine whether a patient who is agitated or uncooperative at the moment of assisted death was resisting because it's a common symptom of a neurocognitive illness or because they were refusing the MAID treatment.

Dr. David Lussier, director of a geriatric pain clinic at the McGill University Health Center, told the briefing that doctors who work with people who have dementia and Alzheimer's have techniques that help them calm patients who become agitated and resist treatments, including through mild sedation. Another doctor, Guy Morissette, said doctors would not use "very restrictive" techniques such as physical restraints, and could decide instead to put off the procedure while the patient is assessed further.

However, Dr. Catherine Ferrier, a doctor in the division of geriatrics at the McGill University Health Centre who objects to MAID, said she sees a number of "ethical and practical problems" with advance requests in particular.

People's wishes evolve as they go through a chronic illness, she said, making proper consent nearly impossible to obtain. The push for advanced requests is based partly on "stigma" and the assumption that people who have neurocognitive disorders are suffering and have no quality of life, she added, which is not necessarily the case.

"You don't know what your experience will be," she said.

Provincial data indicate that requests for MAID have grown every year since the law went into effect in December 2015. A recent report says that 5,717 people received MAID between April 1, 2023, and March 31 of this year, accounting for 7.3 per cent of the province's deaths during that period.

The number of doctors involved in administering MAID also rose 10 per cent in the same period, to 1,804, an increase the Quebec college of physicians described as "good news" given the demand. A spokesperson said in an email that the order expects the demand for MAID to continue to grow in response to the program's expansion.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 24, 2024.

Morgan Lowrie, The Canadian Press