A NewsLink service for Dole Chile

Thursday, October 16, 2014

SAFETY
LR HIGHLIGHTS MANDATORY
REQUIREMENTS OF PASSENGER
MUSTERING
Statutory Alert issued by Lloyd's Register
reminds all stakeholders in the industry that
Resolution MSC.350(92) about passenger
safety on board will come into force next year.
Amendments to SOLAS regulations III/19.2.2
and III/19.2.3 will be effective from January 1,
2015. The regulation makes passenger
mustering and briefing before or on departure
from a port mandatory for all ships engaged in
international voyage of more than 24 hours.
This shall include instruction in using
lifejackets and actions to be taken in an
emergency.
The briefing shall include the instructions as
required by SOLAS regulations III/8.2 and
III/8.4 and it should be announced in one or
more languages that are likely to be
understood by the passengers.
The ship's public address system or another
equivalent means likely to be heard at least by
the passengers who have not yet heard it
during the voyage is to be used.
The briefing does not have to be separate; it
can be included in the muster required by
amended regulation III/19.2.2. While the
briefing can be supplemented by information
cards, posters or videos, these may not be
used to replace it.
Source: LR Statutory Alert

EU to ban fish caught by vessels

flagged in Sri Lanka
The European Union has decided to ban the
import of fisheries products caught by vessels
flagged in Sri Lanka from entering the EU
market after three months' time from now, the
EU office in Colombo said in a statement.
The statement said that the European
Commission had in November 2012 sent a
warning to Sri Lanka saying they were not
complying with international rules on illegal
fishing and their control systems were
inadequate.
European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs
and Fisheries, Maria Damanaki, was quoted in
the statement as saying that two years later, not
much has changed and the same problems are
still there and even getting worse.
She says Sri Lanka is now authorizing huge
vessels to fish in the Indian Ocean without
marine GPS (VMS) and that this renders control
totally impossible, Xinhua reported.

Low time charter earnings prompt

slide in Drewry index
A dismal output from the tanker and LPG
segments caused the Drewry All Earnings Index
to plunge by 25% in September, marking the
second-straight month of decline.
The Drewry index, which states the average of
time charter earnings for dry bulk, tankers and
LPG markets, now stands at 115 points. In July,
the index went up 46%. But in its Shipping
Insight report, Drewry said that soaring dry bulk
market rates in September prevented the index
from sliding further.
Freight rates for dirty tankers also fell as
global crude demand ebbed, although rates for
product tankers on major routes soared.
According to the shipping consultancy firm,
an abundant supply of LPG in Asian nations
caused demand for ships to stagnate and as rates

for chemical tankers remained stable during the

month, exports of such products from the US to
China and Europe went down.
Rahul Sharan, an energy shipping analyst at
Drewry, said the tanker market is likely to
remain flat this month on the back of
maintenance closures of refineries in Europe.
"However, the market will recover later in the
month as demand for crude rises with better
refinery runs on approaching winter," he added.
Meanwhile, Drewry noted that rising demand
for Indian coal imports, coupled with a seasonal
growth in US grain exports, enhanced the dry
bulk market in September, resulting in more
Supramax and Handysize vessels being
chartered. But demand for larger ships dipped
due to a decline in thermal coal from China.

Singapore to spend USD2mn for

six LNG-fuelled vessels

Sekimizu cites IMO's role to

complement GOC report

Singapore has announced that it is allocating

USD2 million for the testing of safety
procedures and standards for up to six vessels to
be fuelled with liquefied natural gas (LNG).
Minister for Transport Lui Tuck Yew
disclosed that the move is part of the city-state's
bid to supply more LNG to fuel ships by 2020 as
part of a growing trend to divert from oil to gas
to reduce emissions.
The Singaporean government plans to begin
its pilot programme for the six LNG-fuelled
vessels by 2017 as it further establishes the
city-state as the world's largest bunkering port.
"We are working towards LNG bunkering in
Singapore by 2020, hopefully earlier if
possible," the minister said.
The move comes after shipping firms are told
to cut polluting sulfur emissions in vessels that
travel to parts of Europe and North America
starting next year, as methanol and LNG are
getting high demand as alternatives to standard
diesel.
Singapore has been tagged as having the
world's largest bunkering port as more than 42
million tons of marine fuel have been sold
annually to the city state the past three years.

International Maritime Organisation (IMO)

Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu assured the
Global Ocean Commission (GOC) that the IMO
supports the issues raised by the GOC report,
including the need to mitigate threats to oceans.
Sekimizu told GOC co-chairs Jose Maria
Figueres, Trevor Manuel and David Miliband
that the IMO will work through several
co-ordination mechanisms such as the UN
Oceans, the Global Partnership for Oceans, as
well as the
Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of
Marine Environmental Protection.
He said the IMO needs to co-ordinate with the
GESAMP to reduce duplication of roles while
maximising the joint efforts of the groups.
"In my view, thoughtful development of ocean
regulations, coupled with early entry into force,
effective implementation, stringent compliance
oversight and vigorous enforcement of
international standards are the best ways to
protect and sustain the precious marine
environment and its resources," Sekimizu said.
"Through the application of these principles,
for example, the average number of large oil
spills (700 tonnes) during the 2000s was just an
eighth of that during the 1970s. This dramatic
reduction has been due to the combined efforts
of IMO, through its Member Governments and
the oil/shipping industries to improve safety and
pollution prevention," he added.

PAGE 2 - Thursday, October 16, 2014

SHIPPING DATA

BALTIC EXCHANGE
Market snapshot: (October 15)
Dry Index
BDI
935
Capesize Index
BCI
1376
Panamax Index
BPI
909
Supramax Index
BSI
944
Handysize Index
BHSI
506

-13
-109
+24
-8
-4

EXCHANGE RATES
New York (Wed Cls)
Fgn Currency
in USD
Britain (Pound)
1.5929
Canada (Dollar)
0.8860
China (Yuan)
0.1633
Euro
1.2778
India (Rupee)
0.0163
Indonesia (Rupiah) 0.000082
Japan (Yen)
0.009433
Norway (Krone)
0.1521
Philippines (Peso)
0.0223
Poland (Zloty)
0.3027
Russia (Ruble)
0.0246
Singapore (Dollar)
0.7851
Ukraine (Hryvnia)
0.0772

USD in Fgn
Currency
0.6278
1.1286
6.1253
0.7826
61.5000
12256.00
106.0100
6.5735
44.9000
3.3000
40.6878
1.2736
12.9570

Sekimizu said the efforts the IMO addressed

that was also mentioned in the GOC report
include
work
to
support
sustainable
development in the reduction of pollution
through the implementation of the MARPOL
Convention, as well as IMO's other multilateral
environmental agreements, among others.

Bid to re-float grounded tanker

in Amazon River continue
Efforts are underway to re-float a chemical
tanker that ran aground in the middle of the
Amazon River.
The Seychelles-flagged vessel, which was on a
cargo discharge mission to Manaus City from
Rio de Janeiro, got stuck on shifting and mud
banks at the river on October 8. Two re-floating
exercises had been carried out but to no avail.
In the first salvage operation, re-floating the
vessel through its own steam was tried but the
exercise failed, prompting the authorities to seek
help from two Dutch experts. Another
re-floating drill was carried out using two tug
boats, which later on developed mechanical
failures as they were too small for the operation.
An assessment on the ship's structure,
meanwhile, had been made and surveyors say
the vessel remains in an uncritical state and that
its cargo is still intact. Personnel from the
vessel's owners, technical managers and port
officials are now co-ordinating on a third
attempt to re-float the vessel with the help of a
third tug boat.
Those involved in the salvage operations are
determined to prevent any damage to the
chemical tanker and to the environment, as well
as to ensure the safety of its crew.

ENERGY

RI's Lampung storage to get

more LNG from Tangguh
State-owned gas distributor PT Perusahaan Gas
Negara's (PGN) floating storage and
regasification unit (FSRU) in Lampung,
Indonesia will receive two additional shipments
of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the
Tangguh plant in Bintuni, Papua.

"We are still waiting for the completion of

administrative processes at the Upstream Oil and
Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas)
and the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry
in reference to the shipment of two cargoes of
LNG," said PGN LNG Indonesia president
director Nisi Setyobudi as quoted by Antara
news agency in Jakarta on Wednesday.
He said the two shipments were the second
and third deliveries since July, when the first
was made, The Jakarta Post reported.
Nisi added that the second LNG cargo would
leave port on October 20 and take about a week
to arrive at the Lampung receiving terminal.
He estimated that the second shipment would
arrive on October 26 and the third on November
22.

CRUISE SHIP

China cruise market likely to

surge: insider
A senior member of the cruise industry has
talked about China's potential market for cruise
ship tourism in the wake of new policy support,
Xinhua reported.
"The number of the world's cruise ship
passengers is around 20 million every year, with
11 million from north America, compared to 1.7
million from the Asia Pacific region," said Liu
Zinan, vice-president of Royal Caribbean Asia,
on Wednesday.
"Though Asia takes only a small portion of the
market, its potential for fast development in the
sector has been noticed by global cruise lines,"
Liu said.
"In the next ten to 20 years, the Asia Pacific
will no doubt be a shining spot for cruise ship
tourism."
China's State Council, the cabinet, released a
guideline in August which set an agenda for
boosting cruise ship tourism, including planning
the construction of ports along rivers and sea
coasts, increasing both international and
domestic cruise lines, as well as the
manufacturing of cruise ships and yachts in
China.

WEATHER ALERT

Hurricane Gonzalo bears down

on the Bahamas
Hurricane Gonzalo churned in the Atlantic on
Wednesday, bringing intense winds and
threatening to deluge the Bahamas, US
forecasters said. A hurricane watch went up in
Bermuda, which could feel the storm's fury by
Friday, the Miami-based US National Hurricane
Centre said.
"A dangerous storm surge is expected to
produce significant coastal flooding in
Bermuda," the NHC said in a public advisory,
adding that it expected large and destructive
waves. Gonzalo was already causing large swells
in the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico and the
Dominican Republic, AFP reported.

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WORLD TRAVEL
TOP TOURIST DESTINATIONS IN SOUTH
AMERICA
Here are some of the top tourist
destinations in South America that should
be on your must-see list:
1 Machu Picchu (Peru): The Incan
kingdom of Machu Picchu is hidden within
the lush Peruvian mountains. It is the
continent's best known archaeological site.
It is the shining jewel of Peru, which has
become the hot spot for travellers in South
America.
2 Amazonia (Ecuador): The Amazon
covers 40% of the South American
continent. It is one of the most unique
ecosystems on our planet and it touches
many countries. One of the most
convenient entryways into Amazonia is
through Ecuador's capital Quito. It provides
opportunities to see diverse creatures such
as caimans and tarantulas.
3 Angel Falls (Venezuela): Angel Falls
are the highest waterfalls in the world. It is
situated within Venezuela's Canaima
National Park and a hike through the jungle
is very adventurous. Travellers move
through grasslands, rivers and mountains
to reach the spectacular waterfalls.
4 Torres del Paine (Chile): It offers
astonishing hiking opportunities amongst
blue mountains, lakes and glaciers. It is
located in the Southern most region of
Chile and the travellers wanting to
experience breathtaking views can choose
a day trip. The full circuit trek can be
completed in nine days. The tour operators
offer trekking trip along with options for
accommodation and basic services.
5 The Galapagos Islands (Ecuador): It
is one of the unspoiled place on earth. The
wild creatures prosper without fear of man
and it is an ultimate animal lover's
paradise. You can run with penguins and
swim alongside turtles and play amongst
sea lions. Here man continues to respect
the boundaries of mother nature and
animals are unafraid of their onlookers.
6 The Pantanal (Brazil): It has the
greatest density of animal life in South
America. These wetlands are perhaps the
wildest region in the world. It was created
by seasonal flooding of the river Paraguai.
A number of colourful birds, parrots,
hummingbirds and macaws inhabit this are
but many flock to the Pantanal on a
photographic safari to see the majestic
jaguar.