A first-of-its-kind digital naming ceremony was held today for the 23,000 TEU CMA CGM Jacques Saade, the largest LNG-powered containership in the world. The ceremony was attended by Hudong–Zhonghua Shipyard representatives in Shanghai, China, and CMA CGM’s management in Marseille, France. Blessed by father Francis Fang, the vessel was... Read more

Some seafarers have now been on board their ships for more than 17 months, exceeding the 11-months limit set out in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim said, urging governments to act on the crew change crisis to avert risk of casualties.. It has been almost... Read more

A rescued crew member of a cargo ship that went missing off Japan  has said  that the vessel, carrying 43 members and about 5,800 cattle, sank in stormy seas after getting caught in a typhoon on  Wednesday. The 11,947-ton Gulf Livestock 1 sent a distress call about 1:45 a.m.... Read more

A Panama-flagged chemical tanker has been reportedly attacked by Somali pirates off the Horn of Africa. The incident, which occurred 180 nautical miles southwest of Socotra, would be the first successful hijack in Somali waters since 2017, maritime intelligence provider Dryad Global said. The vessel, identified at the 8,100... Read more

Hong Kong’s biggest container port facility Kwai Tsing Container Terminals has been linked to around 65 coronavirus infection cases, Bloomberg reported. According to local media outlets, the virus was most probably picked up from communal resting facilities and dormitories, where social distancing measures are difficult to implement as dozens... Read more

A Vietnam-flagged cargo vessel ran aground in the waters between Nagubat Island and Liwagao Island in Antique, the Philippines, on 13 August 2020, the Philippine Coast Guard said. As informed, the 4,400 dwt Globe 6 with 25 crew onboard was on its way to Davao City from Ho Chi... Read more

Representatives from China, Denmark, Finland, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Republic of Korea, and Singapore have launched a network to address the challenges and align standards for the trials and operation of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS) in ports. MASSPorts aims to develop detailed guidelines and conditions for MASS trials... Read more

At least 11 workers were crushed to death after a huge crane collapsed at an Indian shipyard in Vishakhapatnam, in southern India, the Indian Express reported. The incident took place at the government-owned Hindustan Shipyard Limited on Saturday afternoon, August 1, injuring several other workers at the site. The... Read more

COVID-19 EU guidance for cruise ships has been published jointly by  the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) j As explained, the guidance is not intended to provide prescriptive solutions. Rather, it helps stakeholders in determining the effectiveness of measures addressing the... Read more

 The seafarer community is in the midst of a mental health crisis due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the seafarers’ welfare and that of their families, the latest edition of the Seafarers Happiness Index (SHI) published by the Mission to Seafarers shows. The SHI is a... Read more