• 2014 January 10 13:12

    EU to spearhead international efforts to fight Somali piracy

    On the 1st of January the European Union assumed the chairmanship of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS), as part of a one-year rotation system.CGPCS This chairmanship is a joint endeavour of the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Commission and will continue the work carried out during 2013 under the chairmanship of the United States, ECSA said in its press release.

    Piracy attacks, as well as successful hijackings have dwindled in the last few years. While more than 700 seafarers were being held hostage in 2011, this number now has decreased to 50. This is mainly due to the important decrease of piracy activity off the coast of Somalia and the Indian Ocean, which was brought about by a successful combination of better ship protection measures (the application of the IMO Best Management Practices - BMP), an increased efficiency and cooperation of the international naval units deployed in the area, with special mention to the invaluable contribution of EUNAVFOR Atalanta, and the growing reliance of shipowners on private maritime security companies, used as a deterrent to protect their ships.
    ECSA welcomes the EU’s chairmanship of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia and is very pleased to see the continued commitment from the EU towards fighting piracy off the Coast of Somalia.

    “Efforts in East Africa have finally borne fruit but it is vital to preserve this fragile strategic balance and avoid any resurgence of piracy activity in Somalia” said ECSA Secretary General Patrick Verhoeven. He pointed out however that “we should urgently step up efforts on the West African coastline, where a very different and often more violent kind of piracy seems to thrive”. Mr Verhoeven added: “For that reason, we sincerely hope that it is the intention of the EU and the international community to take the initiative and act as soon as possible to stem the tide of violent smash-and-grab attacks in the Gulf of Guinea”.

    According to the latest International Maritime Bureau figures, out of the 234 piracy incidents reported in 2013, only 13 were attributed to Somali piracy (including two hijackings) while Nigeria-related incidents alone exceeded this number with a total of 30 incidents (including two hijackings). Sadly a number of attacks have already been reported this month in the Gulf of Guinea, most notably a failed hijacking attempt off Gabon and a successful hijacking off Equatorial Guinea which resulted in three seafarers being kidnapped.

    The Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia (CGPCS) was established on 14 January 2009 pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 1851 (2008) to facilitate the coordination of actions among more than 60 states and organisations to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.


2024 May 5

17:41 Visayas Container Terminal delivers enhanced productivity, efficiency to ICPC
15:07 Höegh LNG announces agreement to deploy FSRU Hoegh Galleon to Egypt
14:22 Metal Shark building 22 high-speed surface interceptor vessels for JDF
12:14 AAL's B-Class heavy lift ship named at a Chinese shipyard
10:04 DNV: April sees jump in methanol-fueled tanker orders

2024 May 4

15:17 Lomar takes bulker investment to $127 million inside a year
13:47 HD Hyundai, ABS to set standards for e-propulsion ships
12:08 Australian Govt selects BAE Systems and ASC to build sovereign nuclear powered submarines
10:51 Van Oord’s heavy lift installation vessel undergoes upgrade

2024 May 3

18:00 Holland America Line begins pilot test of renewable fuels on its flagship, Rotterdam
17:20 European Hydrogen Bank auction provides €720 million for renewable hydrogen production in Europe
17:06 GTT and PipeChina Innovation sign a License Agreement for the use of GTT membrane containment technology for onshore LNG storage
16:43 CMA CGM to launch M2X - Mexico Express Service connecting Far East to Mexico
16:31 Wartsila to supply the engines for a new Canadian Coast Guard Polar Icebreaker
15:58 The Port of Long Beach celebrates “Tri-gen” system for producing renewable hydrogen, electricity and water
15:06 Astrakhan region ports’ cargo volume in Q1, 2024 soars 78%
14:32 Valenciaport participates in a European project to promote the use of renewable energy for self-consumption in the port
13:50 Seatrade reaches settlement with Dutch Public Prosecution Service
13:15 Dennis Tetzlaff appointed Chief Operating Officer Fleet at Stena Line
12:40 ONE releases financial result for FY2023
12:20 IMO biofouling project to address biodiversity threat extended
11:30 Corvus Energy to supply ESS for the first net zero subsea construction vessel
11:10 Damen launches fully electric RSD-E Tug 2513 for Port of Antwerp-Bruges
10:30 Port of Rotterdam reduces CO2 emissions by 10% in 2023
10:02 HD KSOE wins $286mn order for four MGCs
10:00 Russian seaports in Q1, 2024: Infographics and Analytics
09:00 HD Hyundai Heavy secures contract to build LNG carrier duo

2024 May 2

18:07 World’s most environmentally friendly tug fleet delivered to HaiSea Marine
17:38 SOHAR Port and Freezone sings agreement with METCORE for Mass Flow Meter Implementation
17:23 Unifeeder launches China Gulf Express
16:59 Allseas receives T&I contract for Gennaker offshore wind farm
16:30 CMA CGM’s newest container vessel visited the HHLA TK Estonia terminal
15:46 DP World introduces new rail route from China to Turkey
14:32 Hybrid technology to optimise energy use and cut emissions for Matson Navigation Company’s new LNG-powered container ships
13:54 Bureau Veritas awards AiP for TotalEnergies’ Skipe V2 tool
13:24 Hapag-Lloyd launches first dry container tracking product “Live Position”
12:58 Europe’s ports have €80 billion investment needs for the next 10 years
12:15 MABUX: Bunker Outlook, Week 18, 2024
11:42 APSEZ FY24 net profit jumps 50%
11:19 Tristar Eships to manage its carbon footprint with Wartsila’s Decarbonisation Services
10:48 Topsoe awarded contract to support FEED study for new low-carbon ammonia plant in Louisiana, US
09:26 Maersk posts Q1 2024 results

2024 May 1

17:13 Matson picks Kongsberg Maritime's hybrid technology for its new LNG-powered container ships
16:22 All American Marine delivers hydrofoil-assisted tour vessel to Phillips Glaciers
15:24 Corvus Energy to supply ESS for the first Net Zero Subsea Construction Vessel
14:02 Stena Line taps Dennis Tetzlaff as Chief Operating Officer Fleet
12:31 APSEZ secures AAA Rating – India’s first private infrastructure developer with AAA
11:57 Unifeeder continues its expansion in Latin America
10:09 IMO's Legal Committee finalizes new guidelines on seafarer criminalization

2024 April 30

16:14 LR grants AiP to H2SITE’s AMMONIA to H2POWER technology
15:17 IRS partners with MARIN to enhance technical expertise in shipbuilding
13:42 Allseas T&I contract for Gennaker offshore wind farm
12:03 CSSC and QatarEnergy sign agreement for construction of 18 Q-Max class LNG carriers
10:13 First ship departs Baltimore through limited access channel

2024 April 29

17:42 Abu Dhabi leaps a staggering 10 places in 2024 LMC Report
16:19 Norwegian engine builder Bergen Engines joins FME MarTrans initiative
15:13 Hitachi, Chantiers de l’Atlantique to seal French offshore substation contract
14:53 Port of Greenock given vote of confidence with new Türkiye container service
14:09 Aker Solutions ASA:announces first quarter results 2024
13:37 Gasum Group's Q1 sales volumes rose 73% due to higher natural gas volumes
12:14 New Zealand cruise market on track for recovery
11:40 Vitol announces satisfaction of a condition precedent relating to the golden power proceeding
10:41 JERA Energy India begins operations as JERA’s base of operations in the country

2024 April 28

15:13 IACS publishes new recommendation for conducting commissioning testing of BWMS
14:11 Skanska set for South Brooklyn Marine Terminal Buildout (SBMT)
12:27 Philly Shipyard and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries sign MoU
12:03 Equinor to commence second tranche of the 2024 share buy-back programme
10:16 Gebrüder Weiss enlarges logistics center in Budapest
09:37 Opening of MARIN's Seven Oceans Simulator centre (SOSc) in the Netherlands slated for May 2024

2024 April 27

16:36 National Transportation Safety Board: Undetected flooding from a through-hull pipe led to capsizing of dredging vessel