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Japan’s First Large-Scale Offshore Wind Farm Starts Operations

Japan’s first large-scale offshore wind farm had finally started commercial operations at Noshiro Port in the northern prefecture of Akita on 22-December-2022. It is part of Japan’s efforts to build a carbon-neutral environment. Generally, offshore wind farms use larger turbines that enable more stable wind power generation than onshore turbines. 20 turbines with 60-meter-long blades started operating, with 13 more…


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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ARMY COMBAT ENGINEER BRIGADE AND NAVY AMPHIBIOUS CONSTRUCTION BRIGADE

INTRODUCTION This article is a product of research work that will differentiate the function of the Army Combat Engineer Brigade from the Navy Amphibious Construction Brigade of the SEABEES. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND Army Combat Engineer A sapper, in the sense first used by the French military, was one who dug trenches to allow besieging forces to advance towards the enemy defensive…


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Maritime Legislation

According to Atty Brenda Pimentel:         “It is unfortunate that in this archipelago, there is no overarching policy direction that binds into a cohesive maritime aspiration. The fisheries sector, maritime transport industry, coastal tourism, recreational sector, marine environment protection and many more ocean-based activities are undertaken almost exclusively by each other, although at times it is submitted, collaboration is initiated….


General Assembly Adopts the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships

The United Nations General Assembly adopted the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships on 7-December-2022. The General Assembly authorized a signing ceremony for the Convention to be held as soon as practicable in 2023 in Beijing and recommended the Convention be known as the “Beijing Convention on the Judicial Sale of Ships. In most…


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Ambassadors of European Union Member-States in the Philippines Visit Navy Base

The Ambassadors of EU member-states in the Philippines led by H.E. Ambassador Luc Véron, visited the Philippine Navy’s Naval Operating Base in Subic, and were warmly welcomed by the base commander LT COL Ferdinand Foronda. The dignitaries also received a briefing on-site. The Ambassadors reiterated the EU’s commitment to a secure, free, and open maritime supply routes in the Indo-Pacific,…


Our Submarine Chasers

INTRODUCTION After the reconstitution of the Offshore Patrol (OSP) in 1945, a subsequent build up followed with the arrival of former US Coast Guard Lighthouse Tenders by 1947, surplus ships of the United States Navy made its way to the  OSP from the Patrol Craft Escorts (PCE), Landing Ship Tanks (LST’s), and Submarine Chasers (SC’s). Unknown to many, from 1945…


Medieval Shipwreck Discovered in Norway’s Largest Lake

Archaeologists working for the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment made the discovery while hunting for unexploded WWII ammunition, and say it could become one of the country’s oldest-ever shipwrecks. Sonar images of the wreck site show the hull of the 10-metre-long wooden ship, which is lying on the lake bed at around 410m beneath the surface. Speaking to Live Science, maritime archaeologist Øyvind…


What Is a Red Tide?

Harmful algal blooms, or HABs, occur when colonies of algae—simple plants that live in the sea and freshwater—grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. The human illnesses caused by HABs, though rare, can be debilitating or even fatal. While many people call these blooms ‘red tides,’ scientists prefer the…


Leading Shipping Banks and Marine Insurers Pave the Way For 1.5C-Aligned Emissions Benchmarking

30 shipping banks and 17 marine insurance providers and brokers announce today the Poseidon Principles will add additional trajectories to report climate alignment with a 1.5C future. This new commitment will align the Poseidon Principles with the ambition of the UN and the latest available climate science. The Poseidon Principles have committed to adopting an emissions reduction trajectory in line…


IT’S TIME FOR WETLANDS RESTORATION!

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Station Eastern Sarangani participated in the MANGROVE PLANTING & CLEAN-UP DRIVE activities in celebration of “WORLD WETLANDS DAY” at Sitio Mauswagon, Barangay Glan-Padidu, Glan, Sarangani Province, on 03-February-2023. Personnel of CGS Eastern Sarangani led by Station Commander CG ENS KENNETH JOY R ALCANTARA,kqwd and the Sub-Station personnel joined the Mangrove Planting Activity and Clean-up Drive…



Shipping’s Future Role in Carbon Capture and Storage

Over the next decade, carbon capture will start to play a larger role in the fight against climate change. And with more industry stakeholders looking at different transportation options between capture sites and storage locations, liquid CO2 carriers will become an important link in the value chain. Released in August 2022, the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report reached some disturbing…


MARINA Leads Philippine Delegation to IMO HTW 9 Meeting in London

The Philippine delegation, headed by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), participated in the 9th Session of the Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training, and Watchkeeping (HTW) held on 06 to 10 February 2023 at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Headquarters, London, United Kingdom. The HTW deals with the human side of shipping, including training and certification, review and revision of IMO…


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Why Skills Development is Vital for Shipping’s Green Transition

Moving towards a low-emission global economy will create tens of millions of new ‘green jobs’ across sectors including shipping. The renewable energy industry alone is projected to generate 38.2 million jobs by 2030. The effects of the green transition on employment are also requiring workforces across multiple sectors to reskill and upskill. This, coupled with new technologies, such as artificial…


THE YEAR 2023 OPENS WITH A PROMISE: SAAD PROGRAM TO LIFT FISHERFOLK OUT OF POVERTY

The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Regional Office IX conducted the CY2023 Target Setting of Plans, Programs, and Activities Based on the Approved GAA FY2023 back-to-back with the conduct of Special Area for Agricultural Development (SAAD) Framework Planning Preparation Workshop headed by the newly appointed and full-fledged BFAR IX Regional Director, Al-zath K Kunting, RFP. The said activity…


Book Review: INNOVATING VICTORY Naval Technology in Three Wars

INTRODUCTION The word technology is a compound of two Greek roots, tekhne for craft, and logia for learning. Technology then is the practical application of knowledge expressed through the use of a crafted device. This book focuses on 6 technologies in 3 broad categories: Weapon, Tool, and Platform. A weapon is to damage a target; a tool is to assist…



DEFENDING OUR PATRIMONY :The need to Reshape the AFP’s Operational Plan

The 2023 budget deliberations and recent legislative hearings once more brought to the fore their observation about our present inability to confront intrusions into the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise. One senator urged “the government to expedite the buildup of defense forces in the WPS.” Another congressman was advocating to stress lethality in the development of this force….


Seafarer Support Services and Partnership Working are Vital for Maritime Industry’s Future

As the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) reports a high demand for its helpline services over the last year, it is clear that accessible welfare and support services for seafarers worldwide remain a priority for the maritime industry. In its newly released annual review covering 1st April 2021 to 31st March 2022, ISWAN reports that the total number…



Philippine-U.S. and Philippine-Australian Exercises Combine: Sama Sama-Lumbas

Military personnel from the Philippines, United States, Australia, France, Japan, and United Kingdom kicked off exercise Sama Sama-Lumbas in Cebu, Philippines on 11-October-2022. Sama Sama is an annual bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between the Philippine Navy (PN) and the U.S. Navy (USN), while Lumbas is a yearly bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between PN and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). This is the…


New Report Demonstrates how Maritime Industry Challenges are met most effectively through Connectivity

A new report compiled by maritime innovation consultancy, Thetius, makes a compelling case that shipping companies seeking to meet current and emerging challenges facing the maritime industry will benefit from a strategic approach to connectivity. Published by Inmarsat, a world leader in global, mobile satellite communications, ‘The Network Effect: Strategizing Connectivity at Sea for Maximum Impact’ also provides guidance on…


Need for Maritime Security Oversight on Violations by Mercenaries and Private Military

NEW YORK (1-November-2022) –A growing reliance on private contractors to protect vessels, commercial shipping, offshore platforms, ports, and other maritime infrastructure has exposed human rights violations perpetrated by mercenaries and private military and security companies, UN experts said. A report presented to the General Assembly by the Working Group on the use of mercenaries explores how the maritime security sector has evolved…


France’s First Commercial Offshore Wind Farm in Full Operation

France’s Saint-Nazaire Offshore Wind Farm had been under construction for about 10 years. The wind farm is located off the coast of Brittany in north-western France consists  of 80 units of 6 megawatts (MW) Wind Turbine Generators. The first offshore wind turbine was installed in April and the wind farm delivered its first power to the French national grid in June 2022. More nacelles continued to…


Naval Forces Central Leads the Recovery of Endangered Marine Species in Tabogon, Cebu

Headquarters, Naval Forces Central (HNFC), Lapu-Lapu City, Mactan, Cebu, 16-December-2022 – The Philippine Navy through Naval Forces Central Lead the recovery and confiscation of marine species (Tridacna) locally known as “Taklobo” in Tabogon, Cebu on 15-December-2022. The said joint and inter-agency operations were composed of the operatives and elements from Naval Forces Central, Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO), Tabogon Municipal…