The Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB), or Halyomorpha halys, is an agricultural pest that feeds on, and can severely damage, fruit and vegetable crops. The pest has spread from its native range in East Asia to form established populations in North America and Europe but is not yet present or widely established in Australia. Like the Asian Gypsy Moth, the BMSB is considered a ‘hitchhiker pest’ that can spread via oceangoing vessels in international trade. When BMSB adults seek shelter from cold weather during the winter months, they tend to ...

Compliance with the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) “Biofouling on Vessel Arriving to New Zealand – Craft Risk Management Standard (CRMS)” became mandatory on 15th May 2018, which requires all vessels arriving in New Zealand to have a clean hull to prevent the introduction of unwanted organisms. Vessels are required to provide evidence of compliance with the regulatory requirements prior to arrival, as well as conducting continued maintenance using best practices as contained in the IMO biofouling guidelines. Vessels considered by the MPI to have excessive biofouling affecting their hull, ...

We would like to maintain members’ awareness of the problems relating to so-called ecological inspectors in Ukraine. Recently we released a web alert on this topic which was withdrawn in response to a correction by the correspondent which issued the original alert. This correspondent has now reported that there has been an upsurge in the number of requests for assistance from shipowners and P&I clubs relating to this problem. The correspondent has the following recommendations for the master: -Make sure that the ballast taken in other parts of the world ...

Eagle Ocean Marine (EOM), the American Club’s fixed premium P & I and FD & D facility, recently completed another year of steady growth and solid profitability. It has also renewed its reinsurance program for another twelve months from July 1 on favorable terms with the continuing support of its coventurers at Lloyd’s. Its consistently strong operating performance, together with an established reputation for service excellence, augur well for EOM’s continuing success over the years ahead. Eagle Ocean Marine offers attentive, competitively-priced Protection and Indemnity and Freight, Demurrage and Defense ...

All vessels must now carry onboard a minimum of two two-way portable radio telephone apparatus for each team of firefighters. The radios must be certified for use in potentially explosive atmospheres and should otherwise be fit for purpose for crew wearing firefighter’s outfits. The new SOLAS regulation II-2/10.4 requirement for the carriage of at least two two-way portable radio telephone apparatus for each fire party for firefighter’s communication entered into force for newbuilds on 1 July 2014. For existing vessels, however, that is, vessels constructed on or after 1 July ...

Refusal of access of ships The latest annual report from the Paris MOU describes the high number of ships that have been refused access to the region over the past three years as “alarming”. Refusal of access (banning) has been used 65 times since 2015, and the 33 cases in 2017 is an all-time record. While “multiple detentions” has been the main cause of ships being banned, “failing to call at an indicated repair yard” has also been reported as a common cause. In 2017, several ships were banned a ...

In a landmark decision, the Norwegian Supreme Court has set aside a decision from the Court of Appeal which had concluded that Norwegian courts have jurisdiction under the Lugano Convention in a direct action concerning a ship collision in the Singapore Strait. The proceedings arose out of a collision between the “STOLT COMMITMENT” and the “THORCO CLOUD” in Indonesian territorial waters in the Singapore Strait on 16 December 2015. Following the collision, the owners and bareboat charterers of the “THORCO CLOUD” brought a direct action in Norway against the P&I ...

North P&I Club and 24Vision announced yesterday that they have entered into a partnership agreement, with effect from 1 July 2018, to provide P&I insurance to charterers and small ship operators. As part of 24Vision’s wider service proposition to their marine industry clients, the partnership agreement provides for North P&I Club to be the insurance carrier for 24Vision’s marine liability products. “An alliance with North P&I Club puts us in an excellent position to provide our clients with top-rated security,” says Rocco Bozzelli, Managing Director of 24Vision Insurance Solutions. “This ...

TT Club and its partner in Russia, the CIS countries and Baltics, Panditrans celebrate both TT Club’s 50th anniversary and their twenty-five year partnership in providing a unique insurance and risk management service to the freight industry. TT Club insureds, both within the territory and those trading with the region, have enjoyed tailored extensive cover and accurate trusted advice on the special characteristics of this particular transport environment. There has been a steady increase in importance of the container to Russian trade that began some twenty-five years ago and it ...

Our correspondents in Thailand, Spica Services (S) Pte Ltd have alerted us to the suspension of all waste imports into Thailand, including waste that is otherwise permitted for recycling. Spica reports that containers in transit are also included in the suspension. Background Boundary movement of hazardous waste is governed by the Basel Convention that also applies in Thailand. The Convention allows for certain types of waste to be imported into Thailand legitimately. In general, these are recyclable types of waste, but does not include lower quality waste bound for deposit. ...

We have previously reported in a web alert on President Trump’s decision on 8 May 2018 to withdraw from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and re-impose US sanctions against Iran. On 27 June 2018 US OFAC announced that it has revoked General Licence H (GLH) which allowed US owned or controlled foreign entities to transact certain business with Iran pursuant to the JCPOA. On the same day it issued a general license authorising until 4 November 2018 the winding down of activities involving Iran that were previously authorised ...

The demand for low sulphur fuel oil has steadily increased over the years, concurrent with the changing and more stringent requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) concerning air pollution. Low sulphur fuel oils (LSFO) typically have a higher content of catalytic fines (cat fines) than high sulphur fuels, as fines end up in the low-sulphur by-products from refining processes and the by-products are blended with residual fuels to reduce their sulphur content. ISO Standard 8217:2012 introduced a maximum permissible 60 ppm level of ...

The Club is grateful to Gallagher Marine Systems for advice on two compliance issues which may affect ships trading to the United States. Firstly, the Alternative Compliance Procedure (APC) schemes operated in Alaska by both Alaska Maritime Prevention & Response Network and 1-Call Alaska have been given approval by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to continue their operations until 2021, although the Network’s tanker APC has only been extended until the end of this year. The other current provider Alaska Response Company (ARC) has not been approved for further ...

In an important judgment issued on 15 June 2018 the English High Court held that a shipowner who misdelivered cargo to a third party without production of the bill of lading can still avail himself of the time bar protection prescribed by Article III Rule 6 of the Hague Rules. The Facts The tanker Alhani was chartered to carry a cargo of bunker fuel. The cargo was carried under a bill of lading which incorporated the Hague Rules, as well as an exclusive jurisdiction clause in favour of the English ...

Many of you are probably aware that the US West Coast has some of the heaviest ship traffic associated with some of the largest ports in the country, such as the Californian ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. You may also be aware that strict air pollution regulations in California have forced many ships to slow down off the Californian coast. But did you know that California’s waters are host to numerous threatened and endangered whale species? And that the unintended consequence of ships’ slowing down has been a ...