It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
Friday, April 21, 2023
PROVOKING IRAN
U.S. Navy Sends First Unmanned Vessel Through Strait of Hormuz
Two Coast Guard fast response cutters accompanied the unmanned surface vessel through the Strait of Hormuz (US Navy photos)
The U.S. Navy sent its first unmanned surface vessel through the busy Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, April 19, as part of its ongoing efforts to integrate drones into the fleet for a broad range of patrols and monitoring. The 41-foot vessel that looks like a speed boat was escorted by two U.S. Coast Guard cutters and according to reports was closely observed by the Iranians.
The vessel used for the transit was one of the Navy’s L3 Harris Arabian Fox Mast-13 unmanned surface vessels deployed to the region as part of Task Force 59, a specialized unit for unmanned systems and artificial intelligence. The Navy has been using the MAST-13 on a range of missions in the region including several of its international exercises. The craft carries an array of cameras and sensors.
The MAST-13 was accompanied by two of the U.S. Coast Guard Fast Cutters, the USCG Charles Moulthrope and USCG John Scheuerman that are among the vessels patrolling the region in support of the International Maritime Security Construct, an 11-nation coalition led by the United States that focuses on maritime operations near key waterways in the Middle East. They reported that the three vessels sailed south from the Arabian Gulf and the through the narrow Strait of Hormuz before entering the Gulf of Oman. The vessel successfully navigated the strait, which at its narrowest point is just 20 miles between Oman and Iran, and managed with the traffic in the strait during the voyage.
The 41-foot vessel navigated the busy Strait of Hormuz entering the Gulf of Oman (US Navy photos)
Iranian forces according to a report by the Associated Press were seen closely observing the transit but did not approach the drone unlike last year when they approached and on one occasion seized a U.S. Navy Saildrone also operating in the region. Iran’s Mehr news agency later acknowledged the trains under the headline “US Navy allegedly sails first drone through Strait of Hormuz.”
“We are on the cutting edge of integrating advanced unmanned technology into our maritime patrols. Our crews are excited to help lead these efforts with our Navy counterparts,” said Lt. Stephen Hills, commanding officer of USCG Charles Moulthrope after the transit.
The U.S. Navy’s 5th Fleet established a unit called Task Force 59 in September 2021 to integrate unmanned systems and artificial intelligence into regional maritime operations. Task Force 59 is focusing on how to best leverage the unmanned and AI systems, expanding the monitoring efforts to better utilize naval forces in the region.
In addition to the deployment of the MAST-134 and Saildrones, in December, Task Force 59 launched an Aerovel Flexrotor unmanned aerial vehicle from USCGC Emlen Tunnell while operating in the Arabian Gulf. The launch marked Task Force 59’s first from a U.S. Coast Guard vessel.
Task Force 59 deployed an Aerovel Flexrotor for the first time from a USCG vessel in December 2022 (US Navy photos)
Speaking about the program, Vice Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command and commander of the 5th Fleet, recently said the harsh and inhospitable waterways of the Middle East offer ideal conditions to test and mature unmanned surface vessels that can be integrated into naval operations. According to the Navy, the integration of unmanned platforms and sensors alongside crewed ships from the United States and regional partners enhances its capability. Since its launch, the task force has deployed a suite of new unmanned systems from operational hubs in Jordan and Bahrain, and by mid-year, they expect to have 100 systems deployed.
The U.S. 5th Fleet leads regional efforts to increase vigilance in the region that includes more than 5,000 miles of coastline from the Suez Canal, around the Arabian Peninsula, through the Strait of Hormuz, and into the Arabian Gulf.
U.S. Navy Preplanning Decommissioning of Nuclear-Powered USS Nimitz
US Navy has begun to plan for the decommissioning of its oldest service carrier the USS Nimitz (US Navy photos)
Preplanning for the deactivation of the USS Nimitz, currently the United States’ oldest active aircraft carrier is beginning. Today, April 21, is the initial response date for the U.S. Navy’s presolicitation for the inactivation, defueling notice posted on April 6. Firms interested in subcontracting opportunities that could emerge from the project were instructed to contact Huntington Ingalls’ Newport News Shipbuilding, which will be responsible for the project.
The effort is starting even though the Navy has yet to finalize a date for the nuclear aircraft carrier to be deactivated. However, the Navy is required to present the notice of its intent to launch the decommissioning process while it expects to solicit and negotiate with only one source. Potential subcontractors are instructed to submit capability statements that will be considered by the government. The notice says that only qualified sources capable of performing refueling and complex overhauls on a large deck nuclear-powered aircraft carrier will be involved in this project.
The Navy has been discussing for several years the date for the Nimitz to retire. In 2018, the U.S. Congress directed the Navy to consider extending her life while they were waiting for the Gerald R. Ford to be completed and work to proceed on her sisterships.
It now appears according to the schedules in the Navy’s long-range shipbuilding plan sent to the U.S. Congress in March 2023, that the Nimitz will be retired in 2026. Previously, it had been reported that they would begin the offloading process in 2025 with the vessel officially set for inactivation in 2027.
The carrier began her current deployment in December 2022. She embarked Carrier Air Wing 17 and met up with her carrier group off San Diego. Recently it was reported that she had arrived in the Philippine Sea with her group which includes the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Bunker Hill, and the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Decatur and USS Wayne E. Meyer. This comes after it was reported in January that she was conducting routine operations in the South China Sea marking the first time she had entered the region on her 2022-2023 deployment. Before reaching the Philippine Sea, the group also conducted a maritime exercise with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the Republic of Korea Navy.
USS Nimitz was the first of a class of 10 nuclear carriers but is now past her projected 50-year lifespan (US Navy photos)
Built by Newport News Shipbuilding Co., construction on the Nimitz began in June 1968 and she was deployed for the first time on May 3, 1975, as the leader in the Navy’s first class of nuclear aircraft carriers. She was developed based on the information learned from the predecessor the USS Enterprise and would be the first of a class of 10 nuclear carriers, that was completed with the USS George H.W. Bush commissioned in 2009.
The Nimitz has had a distinguished career including seeing deployment in the Indian Ocean in 1980 after the U.S. Embassy was seized in Iran. She would support operations off Libya, Lebanon, and multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf and the Pacific. Designed for a 50-year career, the carrier has gone through a life extension and extended maintenance periods, as the Navy works to plan out her final deployments.
The hope is that the Nimitz will be simpler to recycle versus her predecessor the U.S.S. Enterprise which a decade later remains at Newport News Shipbuilding as the plans for her disposal continued to be debated. The cleanup began shortly after the Big E as she is known officially ended operations. By 2018 the nuclear defueling of her eight reactors in four compartments was completed. However, the Government Accounting Office has been critical of the process for the Enterprise.
In August 2022, the Navy released the long-awaited draft environmental impact statement with four proposed options for the carrier. Three options call for dismantling the ship either in partnership with private enterprise or by private enterprise, possibly with the Department of Energy taking responsibility for the reactors and the propulsion compartments or disposing of the reactor plant in authorized waste disposal sites. A fourth option is to continue her in waterborne storage which is estimated to cost $10 million per year. The National Environmental Policy Act requires the Navy to proceed in a manner that is the least harmful to the environment.
The Navy also has a greater sense of urgency to begin the planning for the Nimitz because the current plan calls for her sistership the nuclear carrier Dwight D. Eisenhower to follow in 2027. Further, the third ship of the subclass, the Carl Vinson, is also expected to follow shortly thereafter as she is only five years younger than the Ike.
One of the elements that the Navy is considering is that the Nimitz class is both slightly smaller but critically has a more compact nuclear plant. Each vessel has only two nuclear reactors compared to the eight on the Big E. It is anticipated that the recycling plan would follow from the decisions reached for the Enterprise. Currently, the Navy plans to finalize the plan for the Big E by the end of 2023.
Video: Decommissioned Ship Intentionally Sunk Off Florida Panhandle
On Tuesday, a team hired by Okaloosa County sank a vessel off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach, Florida. The reefed vessel will provide artificial habitat for fish and marine life on the bottom, creating ecosystem benefits and new attractions for anglers and divers.
The Okaloosa County Coastal Resource Team with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Tourism sank the 100-foot vessel RMS Cyclops at a position about four nautical miles to the southeast of Destin East Pass, sending her below in about 70 feet of water. The wreck came to rest upside down and can be found at 30° 20.838 N, 86° 26.239 W.
According to the county, this was the first reefing in state waters off Fort Walton in 20 years. Local officials plan further sinkings in the future, subject to appropriate state and federal permitting approvals.
“A lot of the vessels currently in state waters are getting old, they’re breaking down and the dive and fishing industry are really screaming for some high profile, large artificial reefs for them to be able to visit with some of their more novice divers," Coastal Resource Manager Alex Fogg told local outlet Get the Coast.
Florida has an active artificial reef program and encourages localities to sink decommissioned vessels in appropriate sites for the creation of marine habitat. The state provides financial and technical assistance to local partners to support reefing projects, and it has spent more than $25 million on these initiatives to date. The Florida Division of Marine Fisheries maintains a catalogue of no fewer than 4,000 artificial reef sites, including the carrier USS Oriskany, the largest intentionally reefed vessel in the world.
Last Livestock Carrier Departs New Zealand as Ban Goes into Effect
Dareen was the last livestock carrier to depart New Zealand (Mira International Shipping)
New Zealand completed its two-year phase out of livestock exports with the controversy on the practice continuing up to the departure of the last vessel. The phase-out of the business, which was reported to be valued at US$325 million in 2022, was in response to ongoing protests by animal rights activities, reports of poor conditions on the ships, and several high-profile losses of ships resulting in the death of the crew and the animals.
Agriculture Minister Damien O’Connor confirmed the departure of the last vessel, the Dareen (7,285 dwt) operated by Mira Shipping out of Dubai. Registered in Panama, the vessel is 29 years old. At 458 feet in length, the ship is reported to have a maximum capacity of 7,000 cattle. The vessel however under New Zealand’s interim restrictions put in place in 2021 was limited to 90 percent density and required to have a 20 percent feed reserve in case of delays or other problems during the voyage.
The Dareen arrived in Timaru, New Zealand, a port on the east coast of the South Island, on April 18. The export license allowed for up to 6,253 cattle, although under the restrictions each animal needed to be inspected before boarding. It was anticipated that the vessel would carry less than the license with the final count being reported at 6,090. The cattle were trucked from a farm and loaded aboard the vessel which departed Tiramu shortly before 0600 local time on April 20. The vessel is expected to reach Huanghua, China on May 9.
The official ban on live exports begins on April 30 but the ministry confirmed that no additional export licenses have been issued after the Dareen. The ministry said the two-year transition period had been set to provide farmers time to adjust their business and adapt to the limits. Minister O’Connor dismissed recent talk of restarting live export by sea saying that consumers overseas were also increasingly taking animal welfare and issues of sustainability seriously. He noted that others countries are following New Zealand’s example highlighting that Australia has also moved to phase-out live export of sheep.
“Since 2015, live exports by sea have represented only 0.32 percent of primary sector export revenue. Whilst we acknowledge the economic benefits for some farmers, we also have to protect the international reputation of our annual NZ$53 billion (US$32.5 billion) primary export industry,” said O’Connor. “This is why we initiated the review in 2019 and subsequently made the decision to cease live exports by sea by the end of April 2023.”
Animal rights activists were planning a celebration for April 30 to mark the official end of the live export trade. This week, however, the group Save Animals from Exploitation nonetheless repeated its allegations of cruelty accusing the New Zealand farmer of holding the animals in poor conditions prior to their last export shipment. They released a video showing the animals in a muddy field saying there was no feed and no grass, while the farmer denied the allegations saying the animals were well cared for and in good health before their export.
The ministry said it was aware of the video and would be investigating. They also told local media that the shipment would only be permitted to depart once inspectors confirmed that all the conditions of the export licenses were being met.
New Zealand had previously imposed a temporary moratorium and then set restrictions on the trade after the September 2020 loss of the Gulf Livestock 1 carrier. The vessel sank in a storm off Japan killing 41 crewmembers and around 6,000 head of cattle. Only two crewmembers survived the disaster which gained worldwide attention.
Privatization and Relocation of Auckland Port Rejected by Union
Auckland's mayor is pursuing plans to move the port to redevelop the waterfront (file photo)
The Port of Auckland, New Zealand is facing a new set of challenges as it recovers from four years of operational difficulties. The Maritime Union of New Zealand’s local for Auckland is speaking out against a plan proposed by the City’s mayor to move the port and explore the privatization of its operations.
Elected in October 2022, businessman Wayne Brown ran on a platform that included calling for the redevelopment of Auckland’s waterfront. Immediately after this election, he sent a letter to the chairperson of Ports of Auckland, the port’s operating company, saying that he would call on the Auckland Council to “act more decisively to turn around the port.” In pursuing his position Brown said, “There is no one who voted for me who should have been unaware of my view that car importation and container services should cease at the current site.”
Brown announced at the end of March 2023 that his office is funding a review of Ports of Auckland by a private consulting firm. The mayor briefed the city council and the management of Ports of Auckland on his initiative saying that the review would be focusing on land use plans and exploring the possible sale or “mixed ownership” of the operation. Three elements are being explored including asking if the port could carry out its existing operations on a smaller footprint, seeking interest from investors or port operators for a possible role in the future of the port activity, and how the existing waterfront land could be redeveloped for the benefit of Auckland and its residents.
The Auckland Council looks to use the information from the report as it begins to formulate an updated 10-year plan. Work on the plan is due to start later in 2023 and be finalized by mid-2024.
The Maritime Union local issued a statement rejecting the idea of privatization and saying “There is no need to mess with success.” Maritime Union Branch Secretary Russell Mayn said the confusion around the relocation of the port and now privatization is going to cause more problems for New Zealand’s supply chain security.
“We have seen a major turnaround in performance at Ports of Auckland recently, and we risk undermining this good work,” said Mayn. The union in earlier public statements had also said, “Our view is the Ports of Auckland is now on an extremely promising trajectory …. We need to let the Ports do its job.”
The union points out that the port is not a normal business and by its very nature is a monopoly. The port of Auckland is owned by the city. By world standards, the union admits that it is a small port, but critics point to reports which have consistently cited Auckland as the least efficient port in the region. The World Bank Container Port Performance index ranked Auckland the lowest of 18 ports in Oceania in 2021 while a supply chain analysis by a consulting firm recently said New Zealand companies lose NZ$1.7 billion (US$1 billion) annually to shipping delays.
Previous government studies forecast that the port’s container terminal would run out of capacity by 2055. Brown in 2019 led a government commission that proposed moving the container and car import business approximately 90 miles to the north, a two-hour driving distance from Auckland, to Marsden Point. The idea was rejected by government officials at the time in part due to the distance.
Brown, however, continues to push for the redevelopment of the existing port into a multi-use space with recreational areas as well as housing. He has called for the ro-ro port for cars to leave Auckland by the end of 2024 and container operations to be gone by 2040. He would maintain a small portion of the existing port for cruise ships, ferries, and coastal vessels.
Port officials for their part admit they are emerging from a troubled period saying that a solid turnaround is underway both operationally and financially. Ports of Auckland Chief Executive Roger Gray told The New Zealand Herald that they were rebuilding trust and respect. Among the steps, they highlight increasing the number of stevedores and crane operators after prior management reduced staff at the beginning of the pandemic. The head office staff has also been trimmed and a new partnership was formed with the union to set aside the combative approach of the past. Among the steps they took was moving stevedores to a 40-hour salary instead of hourly wages.
“When there is a pragmatic management that works with the workforce and focuses on getting the basics right, we get a successful port,” says union executive Mayn. The union also points to Ports of Auckland’s decision to abandon a controversial and unsuccessful automation program. One of the concessions the port has made is an effort to retrofit driver cabs to a fleet of automated straddle cranes bought as part of the canceled effort to automate.
Gray highlighted to the newspaper that the port has been able to increase its throughput and improve efficiency. He points to an effort converting to stacking boxes four levels high instead of three which is increasing capacity. He said that the Ro-Ro port has also improved efficiency, handing back land to the city over the past 25 years. He asserts that the port has enough space to maintain operations at least until 2035.
The union dismisses the latest calls saying that the history of privatization has had a negative effect on New Zealand’s infrastructure. The efforts to reshape the port they contend are not good for Auckland.
ILWU Reports Tentative Agreement on Some Contract Negotiation Issues
ILWU reports tentative agreement on certain issues as concerns remain high over the contract negotiations (Long Beach file photo)
The International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) announced today that it has reached a tentative agreement with the Pacific Maritime Association (PMA) on what it terms “certain key issues” in the long-running contract negotiations covering the 29 U.S. West Coast ports. The announcement from the union headquarters came following a month of contentious relations between the PMA and the union’s local for the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and growing calls from the port community and shippers for a resolution of the longshore workers’ contract.
The negotiations began in May 2022 for the contract which expired on July 1 and covers approximately 22,000 employees. Both sides said they would refrain from commenting during the negotiations but twice before issued updates. The union and the employer said in July 2022 that they had reached a tentative agreement on terms for the maintenance of health benefits and followed that seven months later saying that they were making progress and “remain hopeful of reaching a deal soon.”
In its statement, the ILWU said today that “the talks are continuing on an ongoing basis until an agreement is reached.” They reiterated that the PMA and ILWU have agreed not to discuss the terms of the tentative agreements as negotiations continue.
In recent weeks trade associations ranging from the agricultural sector to retailers have all reiterated the concerns saying that the uncertainty was bad for their operations and the U.S. economy. Speaking earlier in the month, Gene Seroka, Executive Director of the Port of Los Angeles said “all eyes” are on the contract negotiations and the time has come to get a settlement.
The West Coast ports continue to say the contract talks are a key contributor to their decline in volumes. Yesterday, the Port of Long Beach reported that its overall volume was down 30 percent in March citing continue high retail inventory levels and as “shippers shuffle routes from the West Coast to seaports on the East and Gulf coasts.”
Statements in recent weeks from both the PMA and Local 13 of the ILWU which covers the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach have further contributed to the concerns. Tensions began to rise in mid-March when the union members stopped staggering their meal breaks during their shifts at the Southern California ports. The PMA said it was a provision in the old contract and that by failing to abide by it the longshore workers were “creating significant delays.” Because a new contract was not in place, the PMA said there was no option to arbitrate the matter and require the union to man the terminals continuously without interruption.
Union members failed to report for their assigned shift on the evening of April 6 and again for the morning shift on April 7 with the local saying it was due to a monthly union meeting followed by the Good Friday religious holiday. While workers return to the assigned shifts, the PMA since then has said the local is using new tactics the employer association called illegal to continue to disrupt activities at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.
“As has been pointed out for years, any actions that undermine confidence in West Coast ports threaten to further accelerate the diversion of discretionary cargo to Atlantic and Gulf Coast ports,” wrote the PMA in its latest statement. They accused the local of placing quality jobs at risk far beyond the docks.
ILWU Local 13 responded yesterday saying that its members operate, maintain, and repair cargo handling equipment at the marine terminals within the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach and part of their responsibility is to inspect the equipment. They are contending that some of the terminals overlooked equipment maintenance during the surge in container volumes over the past two years.
Local 13 said that it is using the current lull in cargo volumes to conduct these mandatory equipment inspections. Citing the dangers of potentially poorly maintained equipment, they said union members expect to complete these inspections in a systematic and expeditious manner. Reports from the ports have said equipment is being red flagged as dangerous during these inspections resulting in equipment shortages and further delays in cargo handling.
PMA Says Local 13 Continues to Disrupt Ports Despite Progress in Talks
PMA continues to accuse union members of disrupting and delaying operations at Los Angeles and Long Beach (file photo)
The Pacific Maritime Association is continuing to say that members of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU) local are disrupting operations at some of the terminals in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. The association representing employers at the ports repeated its assertions of actions by the local only hours after the union’s headquarters issued a statement announcing a tentative agreement on “certain key issues” in the 11-month old contract negotiations.
The Wall Street Journal is quoting sources familiar with the negotiations saying that the agreement came “regarding automated machinery at cargo terminals.” According to their reporting, the tentative agreement pertains to the use of automation at the ports, which was considered to be one of the main points of contention in the negotiations. Last year, both the PMA and the union issued studies on the impact of automation at the California ports with reports saying the union was not only looking to block further automation but also roll back prior concessions on automation. Only three of the terminals have reportedly deployed automation but it is believed that the operators will be seeking to expand its use.
Observers are noting that yesterday’s statement unlike previous ones was not a joint release from the ILWU and the PMA. The employers’ association issued a brief comment later in the day saying “While significant progress has been achieved in coastwise contract negotiations, several key issues remain unresolved.”
For the past month, the PMA has been saying that Local 13 which covers the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach has been using new tactics to disrupt operations. In previous statements, the PMA said that Local 13 was using illegal tactics ranging from failing to stagger meal breaks, to not reporting for two shifts on April 6 and 7, and “red flagging” equipment at the terminals.
Yesterday, the PMA repeated its positions saying, “Work actions led by ILWU Local 13 at the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach continued to disrupt some operations at key marine terminals today. The Union is deliberately conducting inspections that are not routine, unscheduled, and done in a way that disrupt terminal operations.”
Local 13 previously responded to the earlier accusations confirming that it was using the current lull in volumes at the ports to conduct inspections that had been deferred over the past two years while the ports were operating at peak levels. “Monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, and annual inspection requirements ensure that cargo handling equipment is in good working condition.” They cited safety concerns noting that accidents could lead to damage to cargo and equipment as well as serious or fatal injuries. “Terminal operators that have a clear shortage of mechanical personnel on staff, naturally have the longest list of shortcomings to address,” the Local’s statement said.
“We hope to complete these inspections in a systematic and expeditious manner for the benefit of all supply chain partners,” Local 13 said. “Meanwhile, our members are continuing to move cargo with skill and efficiency.”
Contract negotiations began on May 10, 2022. While the expectation was that it would be a lengthy process, calls have been growing for an agreement. The uncertainty and fears of further escalation that could impact the operations continue to be cited by shippers and carriers as ships and cargo are diverted from the West Coast ports.
Researchers Launch Third Search for the WWII Shipwreck SS Norlindo
SS Volusia, later renamed SS Norlindo (Bowling Green State University archives)
A team of researchers in the U.S are undertaking a third search for the wreck of a World War II freighter which is laden with heavy fuel oil and could pose ecological risk in the event of a leak.
Two previous searches were unable to locate the wreck of SS Norlindo, an American steamship that was sunk by a German U-boat in 1942 in the Gulf of Mexico. While previous expeditions resulted in the identification of several magnetic anomalies that could indicate a shipwreck, both were ended early due to foul weather, leaving nearly half of the search area unexplored.
Researchers launch an AUV during a previous search for the Norlindo (NOAA)
SS Norlindo, a 2,686-tonne, 253-foot-long American steam freighter, was the first World War II combat casualty in the Gulf of Mexico. It was torpedoed and sunk by German U-boat on May 4, 1942, about 80 miles northwest of Dry Tortugas Island.
The freighter sank so quickly that it was impossible for the seven officers and 21 crewmen on board to launch the lifeboats. Five men went down with the ship, and the survivors were picked up two days later.
The German U-boat continued its hunt in the Gulf of Mexico and, over the next two days, sank two more freighters, Munger T. Ball and Joseph M. Cudahay. These shipwrecks have since been discovered by recreational scuba divers in shallower waters off the Florida coast. Norlindo remains undiscovered, 75 years after the end of World War II.
NOAA’s Office of Ocean Exploration believes that Norlindo is one of 87 shipwrecks in U.S. waters that pose a potential pollution threat from fuel onboard at the time of sinking. The freighter is believed to have sunk with about 5,000 barrels of fuel on board.
A team of scientists from the University of Southern Mississippi has embarked on a third search mission, hoping to locate the wreck and determine its current condition - and help avert environmental damage. The scientists are using the university’s research vessel, Point Sur, and will deploy a deep-towed sidescan sonar to scan the bottom in the areas that look most promising. If high-potential targets are located, the team will return with an ROV and inspect for visual confirmation and evaluation.
The wreck is particularly important to find because of its proximity to environmentally sensitive areas. An oil leak could affect seabirds near the Dry Tortugas, which are home to bird species that cannot be found elsewhere in the U.S. The area also provides spawning and nursery habitat for nurse sharks.
WWII Japanese Transport Lost With 1,080 People Located in Philippines
Montevideo Maru was being used as a transport when it was sunk in July 1942 claiming over 1,000 lives (Australian War Museum photo courtesy of Silentworld)
An expedition team led by an Australian maritime archaeology foundation is reporting that they have located the wreck of Australia’s worst maritime disaster, a ship that was being used by the Japanese as a transport during World War II when it was sunk by an American submarine. The former passenger liner Montevideo Maru sunk 80 years ago claiming the lives of over 1,000 people from 14 nations.
In late June 1942, after the fall of Rabaul on Papua New Guinea, the Japanese used a commandeered former passenger ship as a transport. The 7,200 gross ton ship entered service in 1926 sailing between Japan and South America for Japan’s Osaka Shosen Kaisha (OSK) Line. She was 430 feet long with a top speed of just 15 knots.
She had been used on several military and civilian transport missions before she loaded prisoners in Papua New Guinea. The ship sailed without escort bound for China when she was spotted by an American submarine off the Philippines. Unaware the ship was carrying Allied prisoners of war and civilians, the American submarine Sturgeon fired four torpedoes that struck the Montevideo Maru causing it to sink in under 15 minutes on July 1, 1942.
Most of the people were caught below deck with reports saying less than 20 of the Japanese crew and soldiers survived the sinking. Some reports say any of the prisoners that survived the sinking were left to die in the water.
The memorial society formed to preserve the memory of the ship estimates that approximately 1,060 prisoners, both military and civilian, were lost. They report the people were citizens of 14 countries, including Australia, Denmark, England, Estonia, Finland, Holland, Japan, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, Solomon Islands, Sweden, and the United States. Of the dead, it is estimated that 979 were Australians.
The wreck was discovered on a mission put together by Australia’s Silentworld Foundation, which is dedicated to maritime archaeology and history, and Dutch deep-sea survey specialists Fugro, along with support from Australia’s Department of Defense.
The search commenced on April 6 in the South China Sea, 110 km northwest of Luzon. After just 12 days on April 18, the team reports that a positive sighting was recorded using state-of-the-art technology, including an Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) with in-built sonar.
Expert analysis by the project team, comprising maritime archaeologists, conservators, operations and research specialists, and ex-naval officers, confirmed the identity of the wreck.
Identifying features of the wreck (Silentworld)
“The discovery of the Montevideo Maru closes a terrible chapter in international military and maritime history,” said John Mullen, the director of Silentworld as well as an Australian businessman, maritime history philanthropist, and explorer. He said Silentworld had been planning the expedition for nearly five years along with the dedicated efforts of the Montevideo Maru Society, which has been working for over 20 years to preserve the history.
The team reports the wreck lies at a depth of over 4,000 meters, which is deeper than the Titanic. The site will be recorded for research purposes, but out of respect for all the families of those onboard who were lost, Mullen said no artifacts or human remains will be removed.
Bow points (Silentworld)
Stern points (Silentworld)
Chile to nationalize its lithium industry
Cecilia Jamasmie | April 21, 2023 | Evaporation ponds in Atacama’s Salt Flat, Chile.
Chile’s President Gabriel Boric announced on Thursday night his government would nationalize the country’s lithium industry, applying a model in which the state will partner with companies to enable local development.
The long-awaited policy in the world’s second-largest producer of the battery metal includes the creation of a national lithium company, Boric said on national television.
State copper giant Codelco, the world’s No.1 producer of the metal, will be initially in charge of signing up partners for new contracts.
That role will then be undertaken by a dedicated national lithium company, with a mandate will to develop the industry into a pillar for Chile’s economy while protecting its environment.
“This is an opportunity for economic growth that will be difficult to beat in the short term (…) We can’t afford to waste it,” Boric said.
The two lithium miners already operating in Chile, Albemarle (NYSE: ALB) and SQM (NYSE: SQM) will continue to do so until their contracts expire. Without naming them, Boric said he hoped that lithium miners already present in Chile would be open to negotiate state participation before the end of their contracts.
The contract for the world’s no.1 producer, Albemarle, runs out in 2043, while the contract for the second largest, SQM, ends in 2030.
The President noted that future lithium licences will be only issued as public-private partnerships with state control, but no details about state shareholding or other ownership arrangements were disclosed.
President Gabriel Boric unveiled Chile’s lithium policy
Codelco and state miner Enami will be given exploration and extraction contracts in areas where there are now private projects before the national lithium company is formed. There will be a unit in charge of advancing technology to minimize environmental impacts, including favouring direct lithium extraction (DLE) over evaporation ponds — the method currently used.
Applying DLE is expected to speed up production and avoid vaporizing billions of litres of water. The technique, however, is relatively untested at major scale, which could initially mean less output and profit.
Canada’s Summit Nanotech Corporation, which is developing a DLE technology, welcomed the news and announced on Friday the opening of a facility to test its method in Santiago.
Supply squeeze
Chile’s move adds further pressure to electric vehicles makers, who are scrambling to secure supply of the battery metal.
It follows Mexico’s decision to nationalize its own lithium industry last year. The country is now seeking to create a regional lithium association with Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. The three countries make up the so-called “Lithium Triangle”, which has about 65% of the world’s known resources of the metal and reached 29.5% of world production in 2020.
Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Brazil, in turn, are exploring the creation of a lithium cartel of sorts in charge of expanding South America’s processing capacity, turning more of their mined lithium into batteries and tapping into the electric vehicle manufacturing sector.
Jordan Roberts, battery raw materials analyst at Fastmarkets NewGen said the immediate impact of Boric’s announcement seemed to be “muted” as market participants digest the news and await Codelco’s plan, which will be released in the second half of the year.
“We do not expect any material impact to established producers … [but]… there may be some hesitation investing in Chile’s lithium space until further details have been released and companies are confident on stability and in how the public-private partnerships will operate,” Roberts said in an emailed statement.
Chile currently generates about 30% of the world’s supply, but it plans to double production by 2025 to about 250,000 tonnes of lithium carbonate equivalent (LCE).
Graphic source: Reuters.
Global demand for lithium, according to the government’s projections, will quadruple by 2030, reaching 1.8 million tonnes. Available supply by then is expected to sit at 1.5 million tonnes.
The country’s Atacama region, which is also home to vast copper mines, supplies nearly one-quarter of the globe’s lithium.
Last year, the state received more than $5 billion from the sector, equivalent to 1.6% of its GDP, figures from the Autonomous Fiscal Council show.
Exports of lithium carbonate reached almost $7.8 billion, an increase of 777% over 2021, according to the Chilean Central Bank.
It means that lithium carbonate surpassed salmon and fruit in the Chilean export basket.
