The world economy is heavily dependent on maritime transport, as most of the international trade is carried out by sea. Delay in shipping can result in severe financial loss, especially for the management team in the distribution channel. This heavy dependency makes the shipping industry an attractive target for cyber criminals. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digitization of the world,…
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STCW training provisions on bullying and harassment in the maritime sector, including sexual assault and sexual harassment (SASH) The Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW 9), 6-10 February 2023, agreed to draft amendments to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Code, to prevent and respond to bullying and harassment in the maritime sector, including…
Sangley Point, Cavite City – The Philippine Fleet (PF) received on 29-June-2022 the visiting representative from the US Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (NMOC), U.S. Indo-Pacific Command 3rd /7th Fleet, Dr. John Edward Murray Brown at its headquarters at Naval Base Heracleo Alano. Dr. Brown paid a courtesy call on PF Commander, RAdm Nichols Driz at the headquarter’s wardroom. He…
Naval Station Jose Andrada, Manila. Philippine Navy frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) docked at U2 Pier on June 12 in time for the commemoration of the 124th Philippine Independence Day. Members of the Naval Task Group 80.5 proudly saluted the National Flag as it was raised while BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) was docked at Naval Base Guam. To also mark…
The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) Port Management Office (PMO) of NCR-South, through its Port Police Division (PPD), conducted a live Simulation Exercise (SIMEX) on bomb threat or bomb attack, drug interdiction, and arson scenarios on 8-June-2022 at the Terminal Management Office of Pasig. The simulation was spearheaded by Station Commander Billy L. Estrada, in cooperation and participation by the Philippine…
Admittance alone into the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland is already an achievement in and of itself. The USNA admission is the most selective with an acceptance rate of 9%. Half of the midshipmen have an SAT score somewhere between 1230-1450. A quarter of midshipmen admitted score even higher. To enter, first, you would need to be a…
Over the past few decades many nations in Southeast Asia, including the ASEAN, have increased their defense budgets to procure and upgrade weapons systems. Some accounts indicate that the increase in the regional defense spending is two to three times the world average. Interestingly most of the weapons acquisitions are for their air and naval forces that are incredibly more…
INTRODUCTION This article is a research on sea state conditions and the Beaufort scale –how sea state conditions can affect ship operation at sea and how the Beaufort scale can be a tool of information to define the characteristics of waves and its effects on ship navigation. WAVE GEOMETRY The forces generated by ocean waves are among the most powerful…
In my previous contributions to the Maritime Review, I highlighted the importance of an all-government approach to national security in updating a National Defense and Act. In my second contribution which was about Maritime Governance and administration, I highlighted the fragmentation of our various agencies and recommended amending the executive order that created the Coast Watch System, and updating the…
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has warned that lack of access to vaccinations for seafarers is placing shipping in a ‘legal minefield’, while leaving global supply chains vulnerable. A legal document due to be circulated to the global shipping community later this week by ICS highlights concerns that vaccinations could soon become a compulsory requirement for work at sea…
The Preface indicates that the book was first published as The Rules of the Nautical Road by the late Captain Raymond F. Farwell of the U.S. Naval Reserve and professor of transportation at the University of Washington. After its first publication in 1941, many statutory and regulatory changes have been made, including the international side. These necessitated the revision of…
Ships that fail to comply with cybersecurity code of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) may face detention from 1-January-2021. This comes as the IMO identified the management of cybersecurity as a key aspect of safety as technology becomes essential in ship operations. The group has identified cybersecurity as a major risk to be addressed in safety management systems. The handling…
Over 90% of shipping businesses are re-thinking how crew changes are managed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to new research carried out by travel management company, ATPI Marine & Energy. Representatives from over 30 different shipping businesses around the world took part in the research, the results of which were unveiled this week and show the impact…
The importance of nautical chart cannot be overemphasized. It is more important to a mariner than a map is to a driver. While the driver can see the road and the obstructions, a mariner cannot directly see the dangers underwater or around him. A chart is important for planning the route but equally important is its updateness to ensure the…
Some 400,000 seafarers from across the globe are now stranded on ships, continuing to work but unable to be relieved, in a deepening crew change crisis which threatens trade and maritime safety. During a high-level event on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (24 September), Captain Hedi Marzougui, who was in command of a vessel between December 2019…
The Poseidon Principles establish a framework for assessing and disclosing the climate alignment of ship finance portfolios. They set a benchmark for what it means to be a responsible bank in the maritime sector and provide actionable guidance on how to achieve this. The Poseidon Principles are consistent with the policies and ambitions of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), including…
The era of digitalization has made room for Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles (AUV) to take place and become a powerful tool for ports and the overall shipping industry, playing a major role in a variety of ‘shipping duties’, such as surveillance, safety, accident and pollution reporting, representing the importance of technology in shipping and making us wonder whether drones will be…
It’s no secret that today’s autopilot technology is an invaluable tool to both recreational boaters and commercial mariners. Autopilot systems enable a vessel to hold a course in light-to-moderate sea conditions. This functionality increases vessel course predictability, while reducing operator fatigue, a major causal factor in marine incidents. Like autonomous systems, autopilots are indefatigable and have an unlimited attention span…
The Asia Wind Energy Association has partnered with Dutch De Oude Bibliotheek Academy (DOB-Academy) to launch a regional Academy for the fast-developing offshore wind industry in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) Region. The Asia-Pacific Offshore Wind Academy would be set-up in Singapore and would provide educational services for the regional offshore wind industry. The Academy would provide offshore education for professionals in the region…
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Oil Spill Response Limited (OSRL) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance the country’s capability to respond to oil spill in the morning of 24-February-2020. Vice Admiral George Ursabia of the PCG – Marine Environment Protection Command (MEPCOM) expressed his gratitude to the OSRL for their willingness to assist the PCG…
In collaboration with the Norwegian, Danish and US maritime authorities, battery manufacturers, system integrators, suppliers of fire extinguishing systems, shipyards and shipowners, DNV GL has released a new report on battery safety in ships, titled “Technical Reference for Li-ion Battery Explosion Risk and Fire Suppression” dated 11-November-2019. The report assesses explosion and fire risks in maritime battery installations and the…
Background The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) defines storm surge as the abnormal rise in seawater level during a storm, measured as the height of the water above the normal predicted astronomical tide. The surge is caused primarily by storm winds pushing water onshore (NOAA, 2019). The amplitude of a storm surge is attributed to several factors…
The latest warning issued in early November 2019 by thousands of scientists from 153 countries about instituting measures that would effectively address Climate change speaks volumes in terms of human nature’s resistance to change. According to the scientists, Mother Earth “clearly and unequivocally faces a climate emergency.” She has registered faster than expected acceleration of global warming. This alert came…
London, UK. Human Rights at Sea published a short independent legal briefing note on proposed amendments to the draft agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction to include International Human Rights Law. These amendments note an absence of human rights…
IUMI – the International Union of Marine Insurance – presented its analysis of the latest marine insurance market trends at this week’s annual conference in Toronto, Canada. Marine underwriting premiums for 2018 were recorded at US$28.9 Billion which represents a single percentage point rise from 2017. With significant challenges facing the market, the modest increase is not significant to herald…