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Join us as we report through 2021

‘You learn with Africa Ports & Ships’

Tuesday 25 May 2021 was ‘AFRICA DAY’- May the Source of all bless Africa & those who live in her 

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TODAY’S BULLETIN OF MARITIME NEWS

These news reports are updated on an ongoing basis. Check back regularly for the latest news as it develops – where necessary refresh your page at www.africaports.co.za

Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return  

Front Page:  APL SANTIAGO

• Fire aboard X-Press Pearl out of control, ship a likely write-off  UPDATE
• Western Cape Govt MEC speaks out on Cape Town port inefficiencies
• IN CONVERSATION: Why Kenya must take control of sand harvesting off its coast
• WHARF TALK: Pacific Sarah – bringing…. ‘Petrol from Amsterdam’
• Xeneta container rates alert: sky’s the limit….
• TRADE NEWS: Daikin’s CA container technology ships custard apples long-range
• South African citrus season off to an exciting and optimistic start
• WHARF TALK: Handysize dry bulker Strategic Spirit and a cargo of soya beans
• Meet Sabrina Chao, new BIMCO president
• WHARF TALK: Another Spirit for our coast – NS Spirit
• Transnet announces R870 million final settlement with McKinsey & Co
• X-Press Pearl on fire off Colombo, continues to burn
• SAECS vessel Santa Barbara skips southbound Cape Town call
• IN CONVERSATION: How COVID-19 affected informal cross-border trade between Uganda and DRC
• WHARF TALK: Reefer ship Cool Eagle arrives in Cape Town
• CRUISING: AIDA Cruises opens its cruising season in the Eastern Mediterranean
• Oxygen concentrators sent to India to save seafarers’ lives
• Maritime legal courses for developing countries delivered online
• IN CONVERSATION: Tanzania’s ‘forgotten’ cyclones and concerns for the future
• DP World & Ethiopia enter into agreement for devloping road corridor to Berbera port
• WHARF TALK: SANTA CLARA – sailing on Maersk service
• Global vaccine rollout needed to stop crew crisis third wave
• Unions threaten blockade on Israeli ship, Zim Shanghai
• WHARF TALK: Durban Port Bulletin News
• WHARF TALK: Durban Volume and Vessel Call Performance
• HM The Queen visits HMS Queen Elizabeth:
    …..The UK Carrier Strike Group sails on 28-week Far East deployment
• NSRI rescue returning Vasco da Gama race yachties in rough seas off Wild Coast
• IMO calls for further action to address Gulf of Guinea piracy
• WHARF TALK: AMDERMA – small, weather-beaten landing craft
• IN CONVERSATION: Kenya launches Lamu port. But its value remains an open question
• VIDEO: COOL EAGLE departing & COOL SPIRIT arriving at port of Durban

EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND AT NEWS CATEGORIES…….

The Sunday masthead shows the Port of Durban Container Terminal
The Monday masthead shows the Port of Durban Multipurpose (City) Terminal
The Tuesday masthead shows the Port of Durban Island View Terminal
The Wednesday masthead shows a Maydon Wharf scene at the Port of Durban
The Thursday masthead shows the Port of Cape Town Elliott Dock
The Friday masthead shows the Port of Cape Town dry dock area
On Saturday & Sunday the mastheads will feature Cape Town port scenes

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Front Page: APL SANTIAGO

APL Santiago. Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Until a few years back it was a rare thing to have a vessel of the APL fleet calling at any South African port. The fleet of APL was predominantly one that serviced routes between Southeast Asia and the west coast of the USA, and between the east coast of the USA and Europe. APL is the modern short version of the name of the company, American President Lines.

On 11 May at 14h00 APL SANTIAGO (IMO9597563) arrived at Cape Town from Luanda, on her rotation on the CMA CGM Asia-West Africa service. She sailed to Port Klang in Malaysia after departing Cape Town. This CMA CGM service is unique on that it does not include Durban on its port rotation and Cape Town is the only South African port served on the route, both eastbound and westbound.

Built in 2014 by Daewoo Shipbuilding of Geoje in South Korea, APL Santiago is 328 metres in length, with a deadweight of 115,077 tons and a container capacity of 9,200 TEU. She is powered by a Doosan MAN-B&W 10S90ME-C9 10 cylinder 2 stroke engine, producing 78,993 bhp (58,100 kW) for a service speed of 22 knots.

The lineage of APL goes as far back as 1848 when her predecessor was founded on the west coast of the USA and it was not until 1938 that the company received the name American President Lines. Famous for their transpacific passenger liners, namely President Cleveland, President Wilson and President Roosevelt, the company was acquired by Singapore based Neptune Orient Lines in 1997 and the head office was relocated to Singapore and the name altered to simply APL. In 2016 Neptune Orient Lines themselves were acquired by CMA CGM, and APL became a separate operating company within the CMA CGM Group.

Picture by Dockrat’.   Background story by Jay Gates

Added 23 May 2021

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Photographs of shipping and other maritime scenes involving any of the ports of South Africa or from the rest of the African continent, together with a short description, name of ship/s, ports etc are invited.

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Fire aboard X-Press Pearl out of control, ship a likely write-off

The fire onboard the 36,150-DWT container ship X-PRESS PEARL (IMO 9875343) appears to be out of control with almost the entire ship having been burnt out, according to latest reports.

The vessel caught fire amongst its cargo of containers more than a week ago (20 May 2021). Initially it was thought the fire had been brought under control but later it flared up as adjacent containers to those already on fire ignited with the fire spreading the length of the vessel.

Firefighting tugs have constantly been spraying and misting the stricken vessel with support from the Sri Lankan Navy and Indian coastguard, who remain on scene. The ship remains at anchor off Colombo port.

A crew member was transferred to a special facility in a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 remains asymptomatic and is recovering from a leg injury sustained during his evacuation from the vessel. A second injured crew member continues to recover from his injuries in a local hospital. All other crew members remain in a Colombo quarantine facility and are in good health and are in contact with their families.

The ship had called at the Indian port of Hazira and Hamad port in Qatar prior to the start of the fire. X-Press Feeders, disponent owners/ operators, and managers of the container ship, have refuted reports that the ship was denied entry to Hazira after the fire began, saying the vessel underwent discharge and loading operations in both ports before continuing on its planned journey to Colombo.

It appears that applications were however made to both ports to offload a container that was leaking nitric acid but the advice given was there were no specialist facilities or expertise immediately available to deal with the leaking acid.

The first indication of a fire was when the ship reported smoke from the cargo hold while at Colombo anchorage, Sri Lanka.

Emergency procedures were initiated, and CO2 released in the cargo hold. Port Control and the local authority were informed, and Sri Lankan navy assets along with firefighting teams were placed on standby.

The following day, 21 May, the vessel reported fire on deck at which time firefighting tugs were deployed by the port authority and a helicopter provided support to help fight the fire. The ship’s crew assisted with boundary cooling of the area.

The Harbour Master and Sri Lankan Navy remained on standby to assist in case of evacuation. Meanwhile, Smit Salvage were appointed as Salvors.

On Saturday, 22 May, the sound of an explosion was heard in cargo hold #2.

 

The tugs deployed to assist the firefighting operation are Posh Teal, Posh Hardy, Megha, Hercules, and Mahawewa.

On the Sunday, 23 May, 12 crew members disembarked from the vessel to make way for a 12-person firefighting team which then continued the operation in conjunction with water-spraying tugs on site.

By Monday, 24 May, the fire had intensified and was spreading toward the aft of the vessel.

A further and louder explosion was heard on 25 May and as a prudent measure, it was decided to evacuate all 13 crew and the firefighting team of 12. The crew and firefighting team were transferred to a quarantine facility ashore. During the evacuation two crew members suffered leg injuries and were taken to hospital for attention.
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Firefighting tugs have since remained on-site, with the assistance of Sri Lankan Navy helicopters and vessels and two Indian Coastguard vessels.

In the meantime beaches opposite the scene have become contaminated by oil and chemicals spilling from the vessel, and certain cargoes have washed ashore.

X-Press Pearl was built this year (2021) and flies the flag of Singapore. The ship was carrying over 1500 containers of which some have since fallen into the sea.

Watch the YouTube video [1:54] of the burning ship, courtesy the Sri Lankan Air Force Media.

Added 28 May 2021

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Western Cape Govt MEC speaks out on Cape Town port inefficiencies

Negative impacts

Western Cape Government MEC, Ivan Meyer, has expressed his concern about the current state of service delivery at the Port of Cape Town and its potential negative impact on the export of agricultural products.

Continuing inefficiencies at Port of Cape Town are a risk for agricultural exports, he said.

Meyer made this statement following a meeting held with the Citrus Growers Association earlier in May.

He pointed out that with the Western Cape being responsible for 50% of South Africa’s agricultural exports, the Port of Cape Town is a vital cog in the wheel of the Western Cape and South Africa’s economy.

“Any inefficiencies in this port will therefore harm the Western Cape’s economy and cost jobs at a time when we desperately need to be creating more of them,” he said.

“On the other hand, if we get this right, many people will benefit. In fact, according to our research, growing our exports by 5% over five years will create approximately 19,000 new jobs in the Western Cape.

Meyer said the shortage of equipment and obsolete equipment highlights the Port Authority’s inability to manage the Cape Town terminal efficiently. “It undermines the critical role that the port should play in supporting exports and economic growth.”

He pointed out that the Department of Economic Development and Tourism, led by the Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities, David Maynier, established a Port Task Team which has brought together stakeholders from across the port logistics value chain to find solutions to the challenges facing the Port of Cape Town. He said that while this Task Team has achieved some successes to date, improving port efficiency will ultimately require an intervention by the national government, “which is why we have called on President Ramaphosa to visit the Port of Cape Town urgently.

“Given the above, I intend to support the CGA by visiting the Port of Cape Town and raising some of my concerns with the senior management at Transnet Port Terminals.

“I will also bring these concerns of the CGA to the Western Cape Standing Committee for Finance and Economic Development and Tourism.”

Meyer said that an efficiently run Port of Cape Town will enhance the economic recovery of the Western Cape and support the critical role that the agriculture sector is playing in growing the economy and creating jobs.

Added 27 May 2021

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IN CONVERSATION: Why Kenya must take control of sand harvesting off its coast

David Obura, The University of Queensland

Kenyans have taken to social media to protest against what they claim is illegal sand harvesting off Diani beach, one of the country’s most popular coastal areas. The Conversation Africa’s Moina Spooner spoke to David Obura about why this is an issue.

Is sand harvesting a problem on the Kenyan coast?

The harvesting of sand from Kenya’s ocean beds has made headlines in recent years. It’s a growing problem. The most publicised case was in 2016 when the China Road and Bridge Corporation started to collect sand off the Waa reef for construction of the standard gauge railway in Mombasa. This was done without a suitable Environmental Impact Assessment and eventually the National Environment Tribunal revoked their license, putting a stop to it.

The main problem is that mega-infrastructure projects – like the country’s new standard gauge railway – are coming online and they need resources, like sand. Sand is crucial for construction and is used in the foundations of buildings, railways and port terminals. But the government has not identified where relevant sources are, the total anticipated demand, nor where sand should be extracted.

There needs to be a national strategic environmental assessment which focuses on sand for large scale construction. This would help inform where sand harvesting should be done and locations where conflict with other sectors, like tourism and fisheries, could be avoided.

For individual projects, where harvesting is allowed, there then needs to be an environmental impact assessment which would highlight what mitigation measures need to be put in place to minimise damage. What has been missing from all assessment reports so far is real-time monitoring of sediment plumes, how they are affected by the wind, waves and tides, and what would trigger harvesting activities to be postponed or altered to avoid damage to nearby sensitive reefs.

These environmental studies are good for all concerned, as the constraints would be transparent and useful for planning and long term investments.

Who is harvesting sand and why?

Sand harvesting is being carried out for construction of the second phase of the container terminal in Mombasa’s Port Reitz.

It is being harvested off the Waa coral reefs off Diani beach in Kwale County, on Kenya’s south coast. The harvesting is being carried out by the Dutch vessel Willem van Oranje, funded by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency.

After the sand is harvested it is then deposited at the terminal.

What impact can this have?

Sand harvesting can have a huge impact on coral reef and seagrass ecosystems.

The volumes of sand needed are immense. Removing this amount of sand will have a number of consequences. It will deepen the seafloor at the base of the coral reefs and the sand balance between undersea sediments and shorelines will change. In addition, popular beaches of the Diani area may become eroded.

Sand harvesting also creates large plumes of sediment, both on the seafloor and at the surface.

If carried to the reefs and seagrasses by tides, currents and wind, the sediments suffocate and kill corals.

The sediment plumes can also suffocate invertebrates, algae and fish, killing the reef.

This activity is being opposed because the Kenyan government hasn’t formally designated locations or guidelines for sand harvesting from the sea. Environmental impact assessment should have been prepared. In fact the current activity is based on reports and approvals that are over five years old.

A similar activity was stopped by the National Environment Tribunal in February 2016. At that time the environmental license was withdrawn on the grounds that the environmental impact assessment didn’t adequately address potential impact to the reef and people dependent on it.

Since that decision no new environmental impact assessment or consultation has been undertaken. If it had been done then the opposition by various stakeholders – like the tourism and fisheries sectors, coastal residents, marine scientists and hotel managers –- could have been taken on board and solutions found to avoid the current conflict.

How is the government addressing it?

So far the government has been completely silent. There are a couple of things it should do.

Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority should suspend the operations immediately. It must require that the 2014 environmental impact assessment be updated. The assessment must also specify relevant options for monitoring the adjacent reef and limiting sediment plume effects, and consult the relevant authorities in the county government.

And considering the regular and mega-infrastructure projects, the relevant government agencies should institute a strategic environmental assessment around the need for sand for construction. This should specify where large scale collection can or shouldn’t happen -– with individual environmental impact assessments conducted for each project.

David Obura, Adjunct Fellow, The University of Queensland

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Added 27 May 2021

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WHARF TALK: Pacific Sarah – bringing…. ‘Petrol from Amsterdam’

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

As Max Bygraves once sang, ‘When it’s spring again, I’ll bring again, tulips from Amsterdam’. Except in this case it’s not tulips, but petrol, as on 22 May the LR1 class tanker PACIFIC SARAH (IMO 9772034) arrived in Cape Town after an exact 22 day voyage bringing refined fuel products to the Mother City all the way from Amsterdam.

Built in 2017 by STX Shipbuilders at Jinhae in South Korea, Pacific Sarah is 219 metres in length with a deadweight of 74,356 tons. She is powered by an STX MAN-B&W 6S60ME-C8 6cylinder 2 stroke engine providing 12,958 bhp (9,663 kW) to a fixed pitch propeller, giving her a service speed of 14 knots. She has 14 cargo tanks with a capacity of 83,790 m3.

She was the first of four sisterships built for Royal Dutch Shell’s Project Oval, and is currently on longterm time charter to Shell Transport and Shipping Company of London, with this voyage to Cape Town being a single spot market event. Owned by Sinokor Merchant Marine of Seoul in South Korea, Pacific Sarah is operated by Sinokor Petrochemical Company, also of Seoul, and is managed by Fleet Management Limited of Hong Kong.

Unusually, for a LR1 sized tanker, a very rare occurrence took place when the Pacific Sarah berthed in Cape Town, as there was already another LR1 tanker alongside in the harbour. This was due to the LR1 tanker SCF Pearl having just completed her discharge at the 250 metre long outer tanker berth, and had been shifted along to the nearby bunker berth at the Eastern Mole, where she took on bunkers from the bunker tanker Al Safa. This allowed Pacific Sarah to take her place at the berth capable of servicing the sole LR1 class tanker in the port.

Added 27 May 2021

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Xeneta container rates alert: sky’s the limit….

…. as demand drives further unprecedented hike in long-term contracted rates

 

Shippers could be forgiven for asking ‘when will it end?’ A year of historically high long-term contracted container rates is being pushed to new heights, with a further 9% surge in prices across the month of May.

According to the latest market intelligence from Xeneta’s Long-Term XSI® Public Indices, which crowd sources rates from leading shippers and freight forwarders, the global benchmark now stands 34.5% higher than it did at the start of 2021, some 33.5% up year-on-year. All major trade corridors have seen rates growth, and much of it spectacular, across the first five months, with Far East export and European imports leading the way (both up by over 50%).

Fundamentally strong

It’s a development that, notes Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund, delivers pain and profit in equal measure to those on opposing sides of the carrier/shipper logistics divide.

“Every month we see a new set of results from the carriers demonstrating their strength,” he comments. “This time it’s Zim, which has managed to almost double its year-on-year TEU revenues, from USD 1091 to USD 1925, turning a loss of US$ 12 million for the quarter in 2020 into a US$ 590 million profit this year. A truly remarkable performance.”

He continues: “After years of fluctuating fortunes, the carriers are determined to seize on current opportunity, manoeuvring to exploit huge consumer demand and increased online retail with new strategic moves. For example, Hapag-Lloyd now plans to implement a US$ 3000 FEU GRI on Far East-US trades from mid-June and, with fundamentals so much in their favour, there’s a good chance they’ll achieve some level of implementation.”

The shippers, says Berglund, are, quite literally, paying a heavy price for this success.

Stressful situation

“A lack of equipment and the ongoing ramifications of coronavirus, added to unforeseen factors such as the blocking of the Suez Canal, have squeezed supply chains, pushing capacity to bursting point,” he explains.

“This leaves stressed shippers facing increasingly one-sided negotiations and, even when contracts are signed, the potential of rolled cargoes and broken agreements as operators take advantage of massively lucrative spot rates.

“With carriers blanking sailings to manage capacity, added to continuing high demand and reduced retail inventories, it’s difficult to see the prospect of any immediate rates relief on the horison. Of course, as we know only too well after a rollercoaster year, things can change overnight, so it pays to keep an eye on the latest intelligence – and that relates to everyone – in the bid to achieve optimal value in future negotiations.”

In-depth analysis

XSI®’s intelligence informs the market that every region experienced rates’ upturns in May. Utilising over 280 million data points, with more than 160,000 port-to-port pairings, the report shines a spotlight on real-time developments, breaking down trade corridor activity to deliver unique insights. Recent market moves make for riveting reading.

In Europe, the import benchmark rose for the sixth consecutive month, by 3.9%, now standing 51.6% up year-on-year, and 53.5% up since the beginning of 2021. European exports, meanwhile, jumped by 8.6%, equating to a 15.5% hike against the same period last year.

The Far East experienced substantial monthly gains across both imports and exports, with the former jumping 13.8% and the latter 12.2%. Both figures now overshadow those of May 2020, with imports 26.7% up and exports a huge 63.7% higher year-on-year (56.4% up since the end of 2020).

XSI® activity in the US is no less breath-taking, with the import benchmark rising by 13.3% – its highest single monthly increase in two years. The figure now stands 19.4% up year-on-year. US exports saw a more modest, but still strong, development, climbing by 2.9% to stand 0.4% higher than May 2020, up 8.7% since the end of last year.

Alternative opportunity?

“As nations gradually emerge from the worst of the pandemic, and more equipment and capacity is introduced, it’s possible we’ll see some relaxation in rates… but, in the short-term, the carriers appear to be holding all the cards,” concludes Berglund. “It’ll be interesting to see how the market reacts to try and redress the balance, with the recent arrival of CULines (supported by purchasing association XSTAFF) showing the potential for alternative solutions to the main carriers.

“Certainly, some fascinating, and nail-biting, times await. Not to mention some very tough negotiations. Having the right market data when initiating those is now more important than ever before.”

Companies participating in Oslo-based Xeneta’s crowd-sourced ocean and air freight rate benchmarking and market analytics platform include names such as ABB, Electrolux, Continental, Unilever, Lenovo, Nestle, L’Oréal, Thyssenkrupp, Volvo Group and John Deere, amongst others.

To get the full XSI® Public Indices report for the long-term market, CLICK HERE

To see daily XSI® short-term market rate movements for 12 main trade lanes, VISIT HERE

Added 27 May 2021

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TRADE NEWS: Daikin’s CA container technology ships custard apples long-range

Daikin’s controlled atmosphere (CA) container technology ships Taiwanese custard apples to Middle East for first time

Yang Ming Line and leading fruit exporter Fruit Days International Co. have selected Daikin’s Active controlled atmosphere (CA) container technology for the first ever container shipment of Taiwanese custard apples (cherimoys) to Dubai in the Middle East. Daikin Reefer is a leading supplier of refrigeration and climate control solutions for freight containers. Headquartered in Japan, Daikin Reefer is a business unit of the refrigeration division of global refrigeration, air conditioning and climate control provider Daikin Industries Ltd.

The containerload carrying 10 tons of custard apples was shipped by Yang Ming Line and left Kaohsiung port in Taiwan on 1 Feb 2021 and arrived in Dubai on 19 Feb 2021, a total transit time of 18 days.

The majority of Taiwan’s fresh produce exports, including Taiwanese custard apples, are bound for Asian countries. This delicate fruit can often have a limited shelf life even after short ocean shipment journeys, due to its tendency to spoil easily or ripen quickly.

However increased demand for Asian fruit globally together with changes to market conditions in Asia mean….

Read the rest of this report in the TRADE NEWS section available by CLICKING HERE

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South African citrus season off to an exciting and optimistic start

In a crop update on the 20221 South African early citrus season, Vanguard International says it brings with it excitement and cautious optimism.

Across the country, all regions, with the exception of the Eastern Cape, are showing an increase in overall citrus variety volumes. The Eastern Cape continues to face challenging weather and drought conditions. The areas most impacted by the rain levels are Hankey and Patensie specifically. The Sundays River Valley area are fairing slightly better with water amounts.

“All other regions including Limpopo, Mpumalanga and the Western Cape have recovered from last season’s drought and had an excellent winter weather wise. The strong rain season along with new plantings are pushing the South African citrus industry to new heights,” Vanguard said.

According to Vanguard, South African citrus is seeing a positive growth trend. Export cartons year over year have tallied:

2019 – 130 million
2020 – 146 million
2021 – predicted 159 million (latest forecast by the CGA)

A 9 per cent increase is anticipated in volumes for 2021, compared with 2020, Vanguard predicts, with the biggest growth being in soft citrus and lemons.

Lemons

Lemon crops have already started with an estimate of around 30.2 million cartons which is a 1.5 million increase from last year. The Sundays River Valley in the Eastern Cape is the single biggest producing area at 14 million cartons. Sizing is on the small side and peak sizes is around 113, 138 and 100 with good quality and conditions to date.

Grapefruit

The grapefruit volume estimate for 2021 is 15.2 million cartons which is a 15 percent increase on last season. White grapefruit will account for just over 1 million cartons of the overall crop, while the remaining 14 million cartons will be red grapefruit.

Red Grapefruit has been steadily increasing over the past 15 years. Peak grapefruit sizes are expected to be around 40/45. All grapefruit crop regions have experienced positive weather to date with strong dams filled to the rim.

“More rain is expected over the next month, which we are monitoring closely, but for now everything is looking very good,” says Vanguard. The very first grapefruits were packed the first week of April with small volumes. The peak will be between week 20 and 24 before volumes taper.

Soft citrus (late mandarin)

Soft citrus are still a distance away from packing. Some Satsuma are available on the local market however, very little for export at this stage. The crop estimate for soft citrus is 30.5 million cartons which is almost a 30 percent increase over 2020.

Oranges

Oranges are a couple weeks away from packing. All indications are that Navels will be consistent to last year with 26 million cartons while the Valencia crop is estimated to see a 5 percent increase at 57.9 million cartons. source: Vanguard International.

Added 26 May 2021

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WHARF TALK: Handysize dry bulker Strategic Spirit and a cargo of soya beans

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

The flow of bulk carriers into Cape Town bringing dry bulk agricultural products continues, with the arrival on 23 May at 09h00 of the Handysized bulk carrier STRATEGIC SPIRIT (IMO 9626388) from San Lorenzo in Argentina. She proceeded to C Berth in the Duncan Dock, and in a change to the normal berthing arrangements she was berthed Port side to the quay, instead of the normal Starboard side to.

Built in 2012 by the Hyundai Mipo shipyard at Ulsan in South Korea, Strategic Spirit is 186 metres in length with a deadweight of 37,194 tons. She is powered by a HHI MAN-B&W 6S46MC-C 6 cylinder 2 stroke engine producing 10,540 bhp (7,860 kW) driving a fixed pitch propeller. Her auxiliary power comes from four generators producing 2,150 kVA and she has a single Kangrim oil fired boiler.

Owned by Strategic Bulk Carriers of Connecticut in the USA, and managed by MTM Ship Management of Singapore, Strategic Spirit had arrived at Cape Town with a cargo of 16,000 tons of Soya Beans for discharge at the port. A feast for the local pigeons!

There has been a recent steady stream of bulk carriers bringing Soya Beans to both Cape Town and other South African ports from the Argentinean port. This is not a surprise when you realise that South Africa imports over 95% of her annual Soya Bean requirements solely from Argentina, and South Africa is responsible for the import of over 70% of all Soya Bean import demand across the whole of sub-Saharan Africa.

Within South Africa, the commodity is mainly crushed and used for animal feed. Whilst Soya Beans are grown in South Africa, mainly in the Free State and Mpumalanga, domestic production only accounts for just over 40% of industry needs, and so over 50% of the commodity has to be imported.

In 2020 this import was just over 400,000 tons, and the import forecast for 2021 remains at around 400,000 tons. At a cost of US$8,100 per ton, as per September 2020, which equates to a year on year price increase of 39%, this is a lucrative product.

Added 26 May 2021

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Meet Sabrina Chao, new BIMCO president

BIMCO, the world’s largest shipping association, with around 1,900 members in more than 120 countries, representing 58% of the world’s tonnage, has elected Sabrina Chao of Wah Kwong Shipping Holdings Limited as President at the organisation’s online general meeting on Thursday 20 May 2021.

BIMCO’s global membership includes shipowners, operators, managers, brokers and agents. BIMCO is a non-profit organisation.

Sabrina Chao takes over as the 45th President of BIMCO, the fifth President to be based in Asia and the third to be based in Hong Kong. She takes over from Şadan Kaptanoğlu, managing director of Kaptanoglu Shipping, who has completed her two-year term.

“I am honoured to be offered this opportunity by an organisation that is trusted world-wide with a membership representing over half of the world cargo fleet,” says Chao.

“Over the next two years, one of my key priorities is to use this opportunity to help increase awareness of our industry and our seafarers. The pandemic has exposed the lack of knowledge by policymakers about the important role we play in society, causing inaction when it comes to solving urgent issues including the crew change crisis and piracy. We need to keep raising our voice outside of our industry,” Chao says.

Sabrina Chao has been in the shipping industry since 2001 and joined the family business – Wah Kwong Maritime Transport Holdings Limited in 2002. Chao held the position as Chairman of the group from 2013 until August 2019 and from 2016, she served a two-year term as Chairman of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association.

“I also see my appointment as a great opportunity to help strengthen BIMCO’s position throughout Asia, growing our voice and visibility through engagement with members and with regulatory bodies,” says Chao.

Chao takes over after a 2-year period as President Designate, and at the general meeting, Nikolaus H. Schües, CEO of German-based Reederei F. Laeisz, was elected as President Designate.

“We need strong industry bodies more than ever, as we face a tremendous amount of regulatory pressure from governments. We must work together to find solutions to decarbonise while assuring a level playing field. I am honoured that I will take part in this journey with BIMCO,” Chao says.

Added 26 May 2021

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WHARF TALK: Another Spirit for our coast – NS Spirit

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

Another day, another Russian. Like London buses, you wait around for an age for one to turn up and then two turn up together. No sooner had the LR1 tanker SCF PEARL sailed from Cape Town at midnight on 22 May, and now heading back to Mangalore in India, that the MR2 tanker NS SPIRIT (IMO 9318553) arrived on 23 May at 22H00 from a coastal drop off run of Durban, Richards Bay and Ngqura.

Built in 2006 by the Brodotrogir Shipyard at Trogir in Croatia, NS Spirit is 183 metres in length and has a deadweight of 46,941 tons. She is powered by an Uljanik MAN-B&W 6S50MC-C 6 cylinder 2 stroke engine providing 12,880 bhp (9,480 kW) to a fixed pitch propeller to give a service speed of 14.5 knots.

Her auxiliary engines are three Wartsila 6L20 generator sets producing 1,320 kW each, and her emergency generator is a MAN D2866E engine producing 165 kW. She has a TPK Nova SAACKE oil fired boiler and a TPK Nova SAACKE KLP exhaust gas heated boiler. Her cargo carrying capacity is 51,915 m3.

One of four sisterships owned by Novorossiysk Shipping, of Novorossiysk in Russia, hence the NS in her name, and which itself is a subsidiary company of SovComFlot (SCF), NS Spirit is operated by SCF Novoship and managed by SCF Management Services of Dubai. Her affiliation with SCF is clear with the use of the company acronym, and the company safety message from those initials, adorning the front of her accommodation.

Showing that a sense of humour is prevalent onboard the vessel with the crew, there is a fully dressed mannequin on permanent deck duty beneath the ship’s free-fall lifeboat.

Her current voyage to South African ports is not her first to Southern Africa, and in April she discharged fuel products in both Reunion Island and at Ehoala, which is the new port at Tolanaro in South-east Madagascar.

Having to undergo an attack by pirates is not anything that any seafarer wants to experience, yet NS Spirit has been unfortunate enough to have experienced it twice, once off the coast of Somalia, and once off the coast of Nigeria.

In October 2009 whilst sailing well offshore of Somalia, NS Spirit was approached by a skiff with eight armed men onboard. She fired pyrotechnics at the skiff and began evasive manoeuvres and called for assistance from a nearby Russian warship, the Udaloy class destroyer Admiral Panteleyev, which dispatched one of her onboard Kamov KA-27 Helix helicopters. This was enough to unnerve the pirates who then moved away.

Then a year later, whilst approaching the port of Lagos in November 2010, NS Spirit was boarded by ten armed pirates who violently assaulted the Captain and a number of members of the crew, shot another member of the crew, and stole money and valuables from the ship before departing.

Despite the fact that she was in Lagos roads and close to the main fairway buoy, her calls for assistance from both the nearby Port Control and the Security Services went unanswered for three hours. The wounded crewman with the gunshot wound was eventually taken off the ship by the Agent in a fast launch, underwent surgery at a local hospital and survived the ordeal.

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Transnet announces R870 million final settlement with McKinsey & Co

In a media statement issued by Transnet on late Tuesday, 25 May 2021, it has been announced that Transnet SOC Ltd, the parent company of Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA), Transnet Port Terminals (TPT), Transnet Freight Rail (TFR) and Transnet Pipelines, and the firm of McKinsey & Company, have finalised the settlement on the fees that McKinsey agreed to return to Transnet.

The commitment to return fees to Transnet was reached at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry in December 2020.

The full and final settlement of R870 million includes the fees paid to McKinsey in respect of the projects undertaken with Regiments Capital, plus interest.

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X-Press Pearl on fire off Colombo, continues to burn

The container ship X-PRESS PEARL (IMO 9875343) which caught fire amongst its cargo of containers on 20 May is continuing to burn at the anchorage about 10 miles off the Sri Lankan port of Colombo.

The fire began among the containers last Thursday, 20 May and was thought to be under control but has instead proven difficult to extinguish. A list to starboard has been observed, which resulted in a number of conainers falling overboard.

Sri lankan tugs and a crew from SMIT have been fighting the fire and retardants were dropped by aircraft on the burning vessel but so far to little avail.

The ship’s crew of 25, comprising Chinese, Philipine, Indian and Russian seafarers, were all evacuated safely from the vessel with no injuries reported.

The ship, which was launched this year, is carrying 1486 containers, including a cargo of 25 tons of notric acid.

The Singapore-flagged vessel is operated by X-Press Feeders.

It is not known what caused the fire although reports say there was an explosion.

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SAECS vessel Santa Barbara skips southbound Cape Town call
making time after COVID-19 detention delay

The Maersk Line SAECS container vessel SANTA BARBARA (IMO 9430399), on the northbound leg of her journey voyage 211N has been detained at the German port of Bremerhaven after the crew on board tested Positive for COVID-19 following arrival.

Arrangements were made that in order to recover the schedule, the SANTA URSULA v. 212S would swap positions with the Santa Barbara v. 212S in Europe.

A subsequent advice reports that Santa Barbara has since been released by the German authorities after being detained and is now deemed seaworthy for her onward voyage (v.212S) to South Africa.

As a result of the delay, Santa Barbara v. 211N/212S will omit the Cape Town 1 Southbound call, in order to recover the schedule.

Cape Town destined cargo will be discharged on the northbound call, ETA at Cape Town on 24 June 2021.

The revised southbound 212S schedule is now:

PORT                     ARRIVAL DEPARTURE
Bremerhaven        24 May     25 May
Rotterdam             27 May    28 May
Algeciras(APMT)   31 May       1 June
Algeciras(TTI)          1 June       2 June
Cape Town             OMIT        OMIT

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IN CONVERSATION: How COVID-19 affected informal cross-border trade between Uganda and DRC

 

Kristof Titeca, University of Antwerp

Informal cross-border trade, which includes smuggling, is hugely important for survival in, around and beyond border regions. Across the border between Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo informal trade pays the bills and puts food on the table; it stocks the provision shops and pharmacies; and it keep youths out of trouble, communities on the move, and people employed.

This trade is carried out both through unofficial crossings (where goods are smuggled across the border) and over official border points – where goods are not declared. Considered a legitimate source of livelihood this trade not only supplies the borderlands, but is also a vital supply line for the wider region.

Different reasons account for the informality of cross border trade. These include cumbersome border procedures, shortages of particular commodities on either side of the border, and different taxation levels (with the consequent price difference offering attractive margins for smugglers). Added to these is corruption, and harassment of traders by state officials. For these reasons many traders avoid border controls altogether.

Uganda’s central bank has been collecting data on undeclared goods passing through official border points. Between 2010 and 2018, Uganda’s informal exports to the DRC nearly doubled, from US$ 143.2 million to US$ 269.8 million. Given that formal exports to the DRC for those years respectively were US$ 184 million and US$ 204 million, these figures highlight the importance of informal cross-border trade.

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cross-border mobility worldwide and its policy consequences are therefore particularly visible around borders.

But, what has been the impact of the pandemic on informal cross-border trade along the Uganda-DRC border? Our new research in a number of key border points found that cross-border trade has been severely affected, with knock-on effects on various aspects of lives far beyond the borderlands. For example, as north-eastern DRC largely depends on imports from Uganda for much of its commodities (such as salt, sugar or soap), their supply in basic goods was strongly affected.

However, we also found that players in the informal trade adapted to various changing COVID-19 policies and contexts, including differences in pandemic responses in Uganda and DRC.

COVID measures

Uganda has imposed some of the strictest COVID-19 lockdown rules in the world. At the start in March, 2020, Uganda ordered a stay-at-home lockdown and the closure of all its borders – except for cargo truck drivers. Soon after, it suspended all public transport and non-food markets, and a nationwide curfew.

This led to a severe disruption in supply and distribution channels – both formal and informal. Uncertain supplies and speculative behaviour led to increasing and fluctuating prices throughout the borderlands region.

In order to reduce risk, most informal traders deal in a variety of items. These traders adjusted in a variety of ways. As the initial ban in Uganda excluded food markets, traders would shift from nonfood to food items. Yet, particularly in the initial phase of the lockdown, this was not easy, as it remained difficult to transfer goods across the border.

Second, the cost of trading increased as truck drivers had to undergo screenings leading to long waiting times. Formal exports and imports were “slowed down or completely halted by the COVID-19 restrictions.” This had a range of impacts, such as the loss of perishable and short-life items due to the restrictions on demand and supply.

Border areas are traditionally vulnerable to economic, political and mobility-related shocks. Cross-border trade run mostly by small-scale traders with fragile supply chains is especially prone to insecurity and upheaval.

The COVID-19 control measures in Uganda therefore had a severe impact on informal cross-border trade. Many traders lost merchandise, such as agricultural produce or livestock, that they were unable to sell. This led to increased financial stress among informal traders, who then often relied on informal loans, resulting in spiralling debt.

Surviving COVID-19 restrictions

While Uganda employed a heavy-handed approach, with the military shutting off official and unofficial border crossings, this was not the case on the Congolese side of the border. Congo’s president did announce the closure of the country’s borders and a state of emergency in March 2020. But these directives remained largely ineffective with Congolese authorities making no effort to limit crossings.

This allowed some limited opportunities for informal cross border trade. For example, while markets were forcibly closed on the Ugandan side of the border, they remained open on the Congolese side. As a result, many small-scale Ugandan traders shifted to the DRC to reside there. Many were unable to return due to the closed border, and often stayed in precarious conditions.

To move goods across the border, traders on either side of the border would pay truck drivers to transship goods. Overall, these were fairly small quantities, but still allowed traders to survive. But there were risks too. Traders complained about being duped or shortchanged by truck drivers entrusted with moving or sourcing goods. For example, a driver entrusted with buying Congolese coffee for sale in Uganda may deliver inferior quality beans.

Moreover, traders complained that Ugandan security officials were more vigilant in levying trade taxes but also irregular “foreigner taxes”, more so in the Rwenzori border region.

Informal trade is here to stay

Many COVID-19 border restrictions for traders in Uganda have now been lifted. In theory, travellers need to present a COVID-negative test issued no more than 120 hours before travel – but in practice this is not enforced for small-scale traders. Most security personnel have also been withdrawn from unofficial border crossings, through which cross-border mobility has improved again.

In sum, our research demonstrates once more how informal border trade is a historically grounded reality, constituting an important source of livelihood, and supplier of goods, for many far and beyond. Formalisation of these dynamics should therefore not be seen as the solution, as it will threaten trade operations and endanger the economic viability of border communities.

Instead, what is key here is improving the trade environment for these traders. This can be achieved by tackling various other financial and non-financial obstacles, such as harassment by security officials. Doing so will help to deepen regional integration and foster development in these border communities.

Innocent Anguyo, a research consultant based in Kampala, is the co-author of this article.

Kristof Titeca, Senior Lecturer in International Development, University of Antwerp

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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WHARF TALK: Reefer ship Cool Eagle arrives in Cape Town

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

As reported earlier this month, the 2021 newbuild reefer COOL EAGLE is on her maiden voyage to South African ports, and on 24 May at 16h00 she arrived at her final port of call, Cape Town, and berthed at B berth in the Duncan Dock to complete her citrus fruit onload, prior to sailing for Europe.

Her current voyage had her first arriving at Port Elizabeth to offload reefer containers, then on to Durban, where she arrived on 13 May. She spent a week in Durban loading a sizeable cargo of citrus fruit before sailing on 20 May for Port Elizabeth to continue her citrus onload, where she arrived on 21 May. Sailing once more on 23 May for Cape Town to complete the onload.

As a result of the fact that Cool Eagle belongs to a class of reefer vessels that are, by far, the largest reefer vessels in the world, her final onload will result in a cargo that is some 40% larger than a traditional reefer vessel. She is able to carry about 6,000 high-cube pallets of citrus in 342 reefer containers on deck, and 7,200 high cube-pallets below deck in her six holds. This will equate to 1.2 million cartons of citrus loaded on this voyage, for transport to export markets.

With South African citrus growers expecting to export around 160 million cartons of citrus fruit during the 2021 season, it is increasingly obvious that the current situation in the port container terminals is such that reefer vessels, and larger refer vessels at that, are required to ensure that the projected increase to 200 million cartons in subsequent years can be handled.

Vessels such as Cool Eagle help solve a huge problem that South African citrus farmers are having to confront. This is the current congestion at our ports in terms of both cold storage facilities and container terminals, with the additional issues of productivity and increasing delays at the terminals. The inefficiencies at South Africa’s container terminals have resulted in container ships taking two-thirds longer to clear the country’s harbours than reefer vessels, which typically arrived at export markets in Europe a week or two ahead of container vessels.

The Citrus Growers Association have been openly critical of Transnet in regard to the situation in their ports. They have gone on to state that vessels such as Cool Eagle will meet the increasing export demand for South Africa’s citrus produce. In a statement, the association added that the vessel would be sailing from Durban, Port Elizabeth and Cape Town reaching her first offload port in Europe, namely Rotterdam by 9 June, which will be one week ahead of two container ships that will leave Durban and Cape Town at around the same time.

Reefer ships such as Cool Eagle therefore guarantee better quality fruit reaching key European markets quicker. This will help South African growers achieve greater market access for their citrus in the future, according to the Citrus Growers Association. After her arrival in Rotterdam, Cool Eagle will continue on to St. Petersburg in Russia to complete her discharge. She is then scheduled to return back to South Africa by the end of June.

The busy activity surrounding the citrus season means that there are three reefer vessels a week arriving in South African ports, in order to load citrus fruit. The most recent reefers to depart from Cape Town and Durban for Europe in the month of May include Baltic Summer (already arrived in Europe), Emerald (arriving 26 May), Green Egersund (arriving 28 May), Duncan Island (arriving 1 June) with Cool Eagle in Cape Town scheduled for a 9 June arrival, and followed by Cool Spirit, currently loading in Durban, and scheduled for an arrival in Europe on 15 June.

Awaiting Cool Eagle on arrival at Cape Town, as well as a cold store full of pallets of citrus fruit, was a large stack of reefer containers on the quayside, delivered as ‘Empties’ earlier this month by other vessels of the Cool Carriers fleet when calling southbound at Cape Town.

For those wishing to know the technical details of Cool Eagle, see the article on her arrival in Durban that was previously published in the 16 May edition of Africa Ports & Ships.

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CRUISING: AIDA Cruises opens its cruising season in the Eastern Mediterranean

On Sunday evening, 23 May 2021 German cruise line AIDA restarted its cruise operations in the Eastern Mediterranean when the cruise ship AIDAblu set off from Corfu for a seven-day cruise among the Greek islands.

AIDAblu’s Greek island season will run until 17 October this year, with these cruises that will take in the sites and experiences of such ancient attractions as Katakolon (Olympia), Heraklion (Crete), Rhodes and Piraeus (Athens), all of which being a destination stop on each voyage.

“I am very pleased that with AIDAblu we are now also offering our guests cruises in one of the most popular holiday regions in Europe. Our guests look forward to experiencing Greek hospitality and millennia-old culture. This would not have been possible so quickly without our partners in Greece,” said Felix Eichhorn, President AIDA Cruises.

Minister of Tourism Greece Harry Theoharis, said “We welcome back AIDA Cruises on the Blue Aegean waters and we are sure that all passengers will discover our unique history, culture and gastronomy in our beautiful destinations.”

AIDAblu is the second ship of the Costa Group to resume operation with an itinerary touching Greece after Costa Cruises’ return with COSTA LUMINOSA, which restarted on 16 May 16 from Italy to take passengers to visit Corfu, Athens, Mykonos and Katakolon. This ship will be followed by Costa Deliziosa at the end of June.

In addition to trips in Greece, AIDA Cruises has been offering trips to the Canary Islands with AIDAperla since March 2021. From Germany, Kiel is the starting and destination port for various short cruises with AIDAsol until the end of June. From 3 July 2021, AIDAprima will start seven-day trips from Kiel every Saturday, which will be offered until 23 October 2021.

AIDA Cruises will also be opening the cruise season in Rostock-Warnemünde (Germany) in just a few weeks on 1 July 2021, with AIDAsol – booking starts on 26 May 26 2021.

In other cruises, AIDAperla‘s transit journey from Gran Canary to the western Mediterranean will begin on 3 July 2021. Palma de Mallorca will be the port of departure and destination for seven-day trips to some of the most beautiful destinations in Spain starting from 10 July. For these trips booking starts on 4 June 2021.

AIDA Cruises celebrates its 25th anniversary on 7 June 2021. The guests of all three ships can look forward to a special on-board program during their voyage.

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Oxygen concentrators sent to India to save seafarers’ lives

Hundreds of lives will be saved thanks to two new emergency projects being funded by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust and delivered through two Indian-based seafarers’ unions. This was announced on 24 May.

Grants

Support from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust for oxygen concentrators and emergency supplies for affected seafarers and their families comes as India’s health system teeters on the brink of collapse in the wake of the country’s unprecedented Covid-19 outbreak. The two grants total £215,000 ($305,085).

The National Union of Seafarers of India (NUSI) will use its network of branches across the country to deliver the oxygen concentrators free of charge to seafarers and their families. This initiative is part of a wider union project to increase the number of ventilator beds in government hospitals.

A second grant from the ITF Seafarers’ Trust will fund supplies for Indian seafarers and their families who are experiencing hardship during lockdown or in periods of quarantine. The Forward Seamen’s Union of India (FSUI) will coordinate getting logistical support and essential goods to seafarers in locked down ports, as well as providing assistance to families who have lost loved ones to the virus.

To quote Katie Higginbottom, Head of the ITF Seafarers’ Trust: “Last year Indian seafarers’ unions were at the forefront of getting emergency supplies and hand sanitizers to seafarers as the pandemic was just beginning.

“Now we are all bearing witness to the human tragedy unfolding in India with this deadly second wave, and the ITF Seafarers’ Trust is proud to support unions stepping up to save as many lives as possible and reduce the hardship being faced by Indian seafarers and their families.”

General Secretary of NUSI Abdulgani Y Serang said the grant for oxygen concentrators will save lives because it helps address a chronic lack of breathing-supporting equipment in the country.

He commented: “People all over India, including seafarers, have been trying to source oxygen cylinders or oxygen concentrators for themselves or their loved ones so that they can battle this virus at home. The hospitals, too, need more of these machines – many patients cannot get oxygen beds and lives are being lost. This grant will save hundreds of lives.”

Manoj Yadav, General Secretary of the FSUI was also confident that the grants would make a difference: “Many seafarers have tested positive, and many have died. Too many. We are doing our best to provide the necessary support to seafarers’ families in very challenging circumstances.”

Indian outbreak threatens to worsen crew change crisis

Concerns are growing in the maritime industry that the health crisis in India may lead to a doubling of the number of seafarers unable to get home due to governments’ Covid-related border and travel restrictions in a matter of weeks. Already several tens of thousands of seafarers are estimated to be trapped working aboard vessels beyond their initial contracts.

David Heindel, chair of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Seafarers’ Section added: “New restrictions targeting Indian seafarers will worsen the crew change crisis. We need systems that get Covid-negative and fully vaccinated seafarers onto ships to relieve crews who have been on board for far too long.

“Our hearts go out to our brothers and sisters in India. It’s a double-blow for Indian seafarers at sea who are watching their families suffer, while they also face the prospect of many more months trapped working on board unable to get home to comfort their loved ones.

“These substantial grants show that labour representatives are prepared to do whatever we can to reduce the impact of the virus. But the long-term solution remains universal access to vaccines for all seafarers by everyone doing their part: government, union, business; simultaneously and globally.

“National Covid outbreaks like that being seen in India right now will continue to happen until the whole world has this virus under control, worsening the crew change crisis and risking essential supply chains. No one is safe until we are all safe.”

It is understood that key crew change hubs Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates have banned those with recent travel to India from entering or transiting through their ports and airports.

We are informed by ITF that Indian nationals represent one in eight seafarers of the global seafaring workforce.

 

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London

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Maritime legal courses for developing countries delivered online

Knowledge of maritime legal matters is crucial for development

On 19 May the International Maritime Organization (IMO) reported on efforts to support ongoing education during the Covid-19 pandemic. It is understood that 103 officials from Small Island Developing States (SIDS) and Least Developed Countries (LDCs), and from the seven IMO-established Women in Maritime Associations (WIMAs) were recently awarded fellowships to undertake short professional development courses organised by the IMO International Maritime Law Institute (IMLI).

The five specialised legal courses, held remotely from 30 November 2020 to 4 June 2021, help to enhance the professional capacity and understanding of participants, to better assist them with domesticating treaties.

Topics covered included the Law of Treaties, Law of Ports, Seafarers’ Rights, Protection of the Marine Environment and Ocean Governance, and International Maritime Security Law. IMO officials contributed to the courses by offering lectures in their field of expertise.

Funds were provided under the Integrated Technical Cooperation programme (ITCP) through the SIDS and LDCs programme, the Women in Maritime programme, and the EU-funded project on Port Security and Safety of Navigation in Eastern and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean.

 

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

 

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IN CONVERSATION: Tanzania’s ‘forgotten’ cyclones and concerns for the future

Declan Finney, University of Edinburgh; Hellen Msemo, University of Leeds, and John Marsham, University of Leeds

A cyclone, known as Jobo, made landfall near Dar es Salaam in late April. By this point it had weakened to a tropical depression and impacts were, thankfully, minimal.

Land-falling tropical cyclones are rare in Tanzania so past events are outside the memory of most. It had even been suggested that Cyclone Kenneth, which occurred in 2019, was the first tropical cyclone to make landfall in Tanzania. The largest impacts of cyclone Kenneth were felt further south where at least 38 lives were lost and almost 35,000 homes were damaged or destroyed.

However, we recently published research which recounts the events of two tropical cyclones which made land-fall in Tanzania, in 1872 and 1952. Using eyewitness accounts from news articles, the British Online Archives and meteorological observations, we show what a devastating impact these storms had.

We hope that by documenting these cyclones in Tanzania, it will encourage further investigation into the drivers of tropical cyclones in the southwest Indian Ocean which, to date, have received little research attention.

Our concern is that, with a changing climate, these events could become more intense.

Rare cyclones

Tropical cyclones – also known as hurricanes in the Atlantic and typhoons in the Pacific – typically form over the ocean when the sea surface temperature is at least 26.5°C and where there is a sufficiently strong Coriolis effect. The Coriolis effect arises because of the earth’s spin around its axis. It drives the circular rotation of winds in a cyclone.

Countries closer to the equator, north of Tanzania, won’t experience tropical cyclones directly. The Coriolis effect is too weak to sustain them, though there can be complex indirect effects of tropical cyclones occurring further south. This can range from delaying onset of rainy seasons, as with Cyclone Idai in 2019, to actually increasing the chance of heavy rainfall, as with cyclones during 2018.

Around Tanzania, tropical cyclones are rare, but they’ve happened before. In 1872 and 1952 the country was hit by devastating cyclones that made landfall in the far north and south respectively.

Meteorological records of these events are limited, but there are eyewitness accounts which provide interesting and important information on tropical cyclones along the coast of Tanzania.

In 1872, a tropical cyclone tracked across Zanzibar and Bagamoyo, a town to the north of Dar es Salaam. The storm destroyed all of the Sultan’s boats in Zanzibar harbour, the Catholic Mission Hospital at Bagamoyo, and two thirds of coconut and clove crops on Zanzibar.

In 1952 another cyclone hit, this time further south, over Lindi. This was reported by the East African Meteorological Department. It caused over US$100 million of damage in today’s terms. This included half the buildings in Lindi losing their roof. An account by a ship captain caught in the storm says there were “gusts of well-nigh indescribable fury” with “limited visibility to about 20 metres”.

There are concerns that changes in the weather could make these events even more intense.

More intense?

With the warming of sea surface temperatures, especially the rapidly warming Indian Ocean, intense cyclones are expected to become more prevalent.

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Read more:
Southern Africa must brace itself for more tropical cyclones in future

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With rising sea levels, storm surges (resulting from the strong winds of cyclones) will cause more wide spread damage. Once-a-century extreme sea-level events, which can result from these storm surges, could strike the East African coastline every year by 2050.

In addition, as the air over the ocean warms, more moisture can be transported with storms such as tropical cyclones, driving an increase in maximum rainfall intensity.

Forecasting

Once a cyclone is on its way, there is no changing where it will hit, nor how it could intensify, but we can see it coming and take precautions to greatly reduce the harm that it does.

With satellite imagery and modern weather forecasting, cyclones are often observed many days in advance of landfall. Even before a cyclone is present there are activities which can either increase or decrease the ability of locations to cope with impacts. For example, the destruction of mangroves decreases the natural protection against ocean storm surges.

The severity of past events should give impetus to build knowledge of the potential impacts of extreme weather amongst decision-makers, disaster management authorities and the general public.

Dr Caroline Wainwright (Post-Doctoral Research Assistant, University of Reading) and Dr Sam Hardy (Research Fellow, University of Leeds) contributed to the research in this article.

Declan Finney, Project Manager of Climate Research, University of Edinburgh; Hellen Msemo, PhD candidate, University of Leeds, and John Marsham, Academic Research Fellow, Institute for Climate and Atmospheric Science (ICAS), University of Leeds

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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DP World & Ethiopia enter into agreement for devloping road corridor to Berbera port

Dubai’s DP World and the Ethiopian Ministry of Transport have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the aim of developing the Ethiopian side of the road linking Ethiopia to Berbera into one of the major trade and logistics corridors of Ethiopia’s international trade routes.

The MoU, which was signed in Addis Ababa by Dagmawit Moges, Ethiopia’s Minister of Transport, and Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, follows a decision by the two parties to explore the potentials for developing logistics infrastructure and the provision of end to end logistics services along the corridor to unlock major economic benefits for Ethiopia.

The corridor will connect landlocked Ethiopia with the emerging port of Berbera in neighbouring Somaliland, where DP World is currently reveloping the port.

In terms of the MoU, it is proposed that the parties would establish a joint venture logistics company to perform logistic operations from origin to destination. It is intended that for export, DP World will offer services from origin in Ethiopia up to Berbera Port, while for imports, it will offer from the port of loading to the delivery of shipments in one of the dry ports in the hinterlands or the final destination of the consignees.

DP World and its partners envisage investing up to US$1bn over the next ten years in developing the supply chain infrastructure along the corridor. This will include dry ports, silos, warehouses, container yards, cool and cold chain depots, freight forwarding and clearing activities.

The infrastructure investment will be in parallel with the implementation of the latest IT infrastructure and technology to ensure the efficient functioning of the corridor, and smooth, secure and transparent transfer of cargo throughout the entire transportation journey.

The MoU also envisages that the Ministry of Transport will see to it that a review and resolution of regulatory obstacles facing the Ethiopian side of the Berbera Corridor are exercised with a view to ensuring competitive arrangements for logistics companies so that they could be able to use the Corridor on a common user basis.

“As we kick off the journey towards prosperity, aiming at unlocking Ethiopia’s development potentials designed to propel the country into becoming an African beacon of prosperity, the transformation of the logistics industry is expected to play the leading catalytic role,” said Transport Minister Moges at the MoU signing cermeony.

“Ethiopia aims to diversify its port access facilities and services to improve its trade corridor access routes; utilising the Berbera corridor will surely have a potential to make Ethiopia a front runner in logistics operations, boosting the competitive advantage of delivering our products to the world market,” she said.

“The development of this corridor will not only meet with the growing demand of Ethiopian’s international trade, but it would also enhance our nation’s capacity in utilising our existing major corridor both in terms of volume of trade and efficiency.”

Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO of DP World, said that as a leading global provider of trade and logistics solutions, DP World strongly believe that developing the Berbera Corridor into one of the major trade and logistics corridors will unlock huge economic benefits for Ethiopia, and support its ambitious development plans.

“It will create new jobs, attract new businesses and investment along the corridor, as well as diversify and strengthen the country’s access to international trade by having a direct, seamless and efficient link between Ethiopia and Berbera Port,” he said.

The road infrastructure that will connect Berbera Port to Wajaale at the border with Ethiopia, funded by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and the UK’s Department for International Development, is expected to be completed by the end of 2021.

The road will link to the existing modern highway on the Ethiopian side and will further position Berbera as one of the key trade gateways in the region and will be one of the fastest and most efficient routes for Ethiopian transit cargo.

DP World has committed to investing up to US$442 million to develop and expand Berbera port, with the first phase nearly completed. Further work is already underway on expansion of the quay to 1000 metres which will increase capacity to two million TEUs, operated by 10 quay cranes.

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WHARF TALK: SANTA CLARA – sailing on Maersk service

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat’

One of the greatest shipping companies to have come out of Germany is the Hamburg Sudamerikanische Dampfschiffahrts- Gesellschaft, founded in 1871 to trade between Hamburg and the east coast ports of South America. Known today simply as Hamburg Sud, and as with most great shipping companies, consolidation between the big players meant that Maersk Line took over the company in 2017, and today Hamburg Sud vessels sail on Maersk services.

On 19 May at 16h00 the Hamburg Sud container vessel SANTA CLARA (IMO 9444716) arrived from Coega at the end of the South African coastal element of the Maersk SAECS service between Europe and South Africa. She berthed at the container terminal in the Ben Schoeman Dock to load in preparation for the start of her northbound voyage back to Europe.

Built in 2010 by Daewoo Shipbuilding at Geoje in South Korea, Santa Clara is 300 metres in length, with a deadweight of 93,552 tons and a container capacity of 7,154 TEU. One of a class of ten sisterships built for Hamburg Sud, her owners made an unusual boast at the time she was launched, in that she represented a class of vessel, despite being container ships, that were the largest reefer vessels currently in service anywhere. This was because her TEU capacity included her ability to plug in 1,600 reefer containers. Today, that boast belongs to even larger container ships that are capable of running in excess of 2,500 reefer boxes.

She is powered by a Doosan Wartsila-Sulzer 8RT-Flex96C 8 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 61,245 bhp (45,670 kW), driving a fixed pitch propeller which gives Santa Clara a service speed of 22.2 knots. To power her large reefer TEU capacity she has four STX MAN-B&W 9L32/40 generators providing 6,600 kVA (4,685 kW).

Carrying a traditional Hamburg Sud name, Santa Clara is owned by Santa Containerschiffe GmbH of Hamburg, operated by Hamburg Sud and managed by Maersk Line. She sailed on 23 May at 18h30 for Algeciras, as per the SAECS rotation of Durban- Coega- Cape Town- Algeciras- Rotterdam- Thamesport- Bremerhaven- Rotterdam- Algeciras- Cape Town- Coega- Durban.

Santa Clara has a special and unique connection with South Africa as far as the Hamburg Sud ships go – she was named officially on 28 February 2011 at a function held in Durban alongside Pier 1’s berth 101, with a number of top Hamburg Sud officials having flown out to Durban for the occasion.

In the early hours of the morning on 7 February this year, Santa Clara was underway down the Weser Estuary heading for her planned call at Bremerhaven. In tragic circumstances, a female member of her crew, who was working on preparing the gangway, fell overboard. Despite the immediate launch of two Search and Rescue helicopters to locate her, two German Lifeboats, two Weser Pilot boats and a Police Boat engaged in the search, no trace of the missing crewmember could be found.

Weather conditions at the time were atrocious with gale force strong winds, gusting to storm force ten, and an air temperature at the time of minus 8 degrees centigrade, and a seawater temperature of only 2 degrees centigrade, the chances of survival were, sadly, very slim and the unsuccessful search was called off eight hours later.

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Global vaccine rollout needed to stop crew crisis third wave

On 21 May seafarers’ unions challenged governments, particularly those with maritime responsibilities, to endorse universal access to Covid-19 vaccines to prevent the crew change crisis from spiralling out of control for a third time.

To quote International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) Seafarers’ Section chair David Heindel: “If the wealthy countries do not support patent waivers at the 8 June TRIPS Council meeting, then not only will more seafarers’ lives be lost – we will also miss our opportunity to be rid of the crew change crisis and the daily risk it places on essential supply chains.”

At the same time ITF estimated that there were still around 200,000 international seafarers forced to work on vessels beyond their contracts due to governments’ ongoing border and travel restrictions. Thousands have been on board more than a year. With unprecedented Covid outbreaks gripping India and other major seafarer labour-providing nations, the maritime industry fears that the number of seafarers trapped working on ships could double within weeks.

Heindel added: “We are at a crossroads. One path is universal access to vaccines for all seafarers by everyone doing their part: government, union, business; simultaneously and globally. The other path is seriously frightening: Covid on ships, seafarers dying at home, those on board unable to sign off.”

Flag states need to step up

Continued Heindel: “We are on the precipice of a third wave of the crew change crisis. Now is the time for generosity and action from every kind of government.

“We need to see the home countries of seafarers prioritising them as key workers for vaccines. We need port States to offer vaccines to seafarers visiting their shores. We need flag States to vaccinate all seafarers on ships which fly their flags.”

Heindel said the ITF welcomed news that the Dutch government had partnered with ship owners and local unions to vaccinate 49,000 seafarers from mid-June at a number of ports in the Netherlands and at Schiphol International Airport. The single-dose Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine will be given free to seafarers working aboard ships flying the Dutch flag or those under Dutch management.

“Congratulations to the Dutch government for recognising their responsibility to vaccinate seafarers on ships flying their flag. Operating a ship registry is not an opportunity to make easy money; it is a serious commitment. Flag States must uphold health, safety and seafarer welfare on their ships. The Netherlands understand this, and they are leading the way in stepping up to their responsibilities,” said Heindel.

He added: “Likewise, the US Coast Guard has assisted industry and labour representatives on an ad hoc basis to vaccinate seafarers and plans are underway to introduce a programme to assist desiring crew in ports where a US state makes vaccines available.”

Port States need to reopen borders to international seafarers

Heindel said that some governments were re-introducing border restrictions after earlier giving international seafarers exemptions to have crew changes.

He concluded by saying: “We are deeply concerned that the Norwegian government has announced it is reintroducing quarantine for seafarers regardless of their Covid or vaccination status. This is the time for port State governments to be introducing new and expanded green lanes for international seafarers, not going backwards with more restrictions. Now is the time for them to welcome seafarers and use their ports as seafarer vaccination hubs.

“Securing the global shipping industry requires global cooperation. The rich countries who have strong vaccine programmes should now turn their minds and resources to helping vaccinate these key workers.”

Seafaring unions are helping to drive vaccination effort

Unions across the world were already doing their part to help get international seafarers vaccinated. ITF inspectors and coordinators have been working with local unions and seafarer welfare charities to help roll out vaccine doses in the US, while ITF-affiliated maritime unions are pushing for their port State governments to extend vaccines to visiting crew:

In April Nautilus called for the United Kingdom to become an international seafarer vaccination hub, while the Seafarers’ International Union of Canada warned of a total shutdown of the country’s shipping industry if a plan was not developed to rapidly vaccinate seafarers.

On 6 May ITF Inspector Barbara Shipley (Seafarers International Union – SIU) took nine members of the crew of the BW Canola to be vaccinated in Newport News, Virginia.

 

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London

 

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Unions threaten blockade on Israeli ship, Zim Shanghai

Dockworkers in the Durban Container terminal, Pier 2 refused to take part in the offloading of the ZIM SHANGHAI (IMO 9231822), on the grounds that it is operated by an Israeli shipping line, Zim Lines. The protest is in solidarity with the Palestinians of Gaza Strip and the West Bank and as a protest against what the unions say is the “barbaric Israeli onslaught on Gaza”.

There is no mention of several thousand rockets fired indiscriminately on Israel’s towns and cities from the Palestinian regions.

The ship in question is berthed at DCT’s berth 108/09 in the main container terminal, after arriving in Durban last Wednesday night from Singapore and China.

Although on charter to Zim Lines since 2002, the 66,685-dwt, 4,492-TEU Zim Shanghai, built in 2002, is Chinese owned, the nominal company being registered as Fastsail Maritime, which is managed by Shanghai Costamare Ship management, based in Shanghai, China. In the convoluted world of shipping ownership and operation, Costamare, the real owner of the vessel, is an Athens, Greece based time charterer specialist.

The charterer of the vessel in Durban is Zim Lines, an Israeli state-owned company.

On Friday about a hundred protesters paraded themselves along Durban’s Esplanade with placards announcing their call for a boycott of Israeli ships and aircraft.

The protest followed a call by the Palestine General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU) on workers and trade unions to “refuse to unload [Israeli] ships and goods from sea and airports.” It is understood that several Zim Lines ships in various ports around the world have been similarly targeted, not for the first time as this sort of action has taken place on several earlier occasions.

Anele Kiet, the union’s deputy general secretary said there would be lunchtime pickets in solidarity with the Palestinian cause.

“Satawu members who work in the Durban port need to boycott the shipment. Indeed we have contacted our members at the Durban port, who have confirmed they will not be offloading the shipment,” Kiet said.

In the meantime an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire has come into effect.

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WHARF TALK: Durban Port Bulletin News

Moshe Motlohi, Transnet National Ports Authority General Manager reports:

This was quite an eventful week. TPT undertook a NAVIS system upgrade over the weekend. The upgrade went fairly well and the glitches that arose post the upgrade were subsequently addressed. We started seeing heightened operational activities due to grain export. The grain trucks destined for Maydon Wharf had a significant impact on traffic towards the container handling facilities.

The port found itself being the terrain of international solidarity where some civic organisations mobilised a series of activities as means of showing their anger against what they perceived as aggression by the state of Israel against the Palestinians in Gaza.

The focus for this week has been on fine tuning the coordination between Island View and Maydon Wharf. This is an area that will require close monitoring by precinct management.

We are continuing with the 1 to 1 engagements with port stakeholders who will be impacted by the Durban Hub Port Master Plan. We appreciate the positive and insightful contributions coming out of these engagements. The focus of strategic engagements will continue to be about the Port Master Plan.

Whilst we await the roll out of the vaccine to all of us, I would like to appeal to everyone to be vigilant as we are apparently seeing the surge in COVID-19 cases. Let’s keep on doing everything we can to stay safe; sanitize, washing of hands, keep the social distance and steam.

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WHARF TALK: Durban Volume and Vessel Call Performance

Containers performed well due to more than planned import and export cargo handled. Imports performed well for the reporting week at 18% above budget, boosted by empty containers which exceeded target by 50%. This is the result of high cargo output from China and the import of empty reefer containers for the high citrus season. Exports were also above budget by 8%.

Automotive: The automotive sector performed well increasing by 41% from the previous period. Imports improved to a total throughput of 4327 units versus the previous volume of 1053 units in week 7*. The erratic purchasing behaviour remains to be an influencing factor in the volumes handled. Exports on the other hand seem to remain buoyant with a total throughput of 5265 units handled. The majority of the OEMs exported more than 1200 units each with the highest being 2336. We are hoping for this to continue as the European regions rebound in terms of the pandemic.

Dry Bulk: The dry bulk sector has once again performed well taking an incline of 2% from the previous reporting period. We have noted that commodities within the ores and minerals space have surged in the week as a total of 162,449 tons were handled through the port of Durban in the period. Agricultural products performed marginally well with maize exports at 27,500 tons with a total of 36,595 tons of fertiliser imports. The remainder of volume was made up of wheat, rice and woodchips.

Break Bulk: The breakbulk sector also followed suite in week 8* as targets were exceeded. We have noted that rice imports drove up volume in the sector with just over 25,000 tons for the period. The remainder of volume resided with citrus exports of which 10,214 tons was loaded with steel also registering a throughput of just over 20,000 tons.

Liquid Bulk: Petroleum performed 65% above budget, this is due to refineries affected by the relevant shutdowns, there are high volumes of refined petroleum imported since there is currently no crude oil input. Chemicals exceeded budget by 14%, this is a result of high demand from the mining, manufacturing and construction sectors.

* Note: Weeks 7 and 8 referred to in the above are calculated from the first week in April, with 1 April being the start of the Transnet financial year.

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HM The Queen visits HMS Queen Elizabeth:
The UK Carrier Strike Group sails on 28-week Far East deployment

Nine ships, 32 aircraft, and 3,700 personnel set sail on 22 May on the UK Carrier Strike Group’s maiden operational deployment.

The seven-month global deployment will extend through the Mediterranean and Indian Ocean and on to the Indo-Pacific region, interacting with more than one fifth of the world’s nations.

Britain’s new flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth, is leading six Royal Navy ships, a Royal Navy submarine, a US Navy destroyer and a frigate from the Netherlands in the largest concentration of maritime and air power to leave the UK in a generation, it is reported.

HM The Queen visited her namesake vessel – which she commissioned in 2017 – on the forenoon of 22 May before the aircraft carrier set sail from Portsmouth.

She met the ship’s company and wished them luck in what will be an unforgettable life experience by being part of naval history.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was also among those to visit HMS Queen Elizabeth during the week of her departure and was joined on 21 May by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace, First Sea Lord, Admiral Tony Radakin and Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “The UK’s Carrier Strike Group sets sail to write Britain’s name in the next chapter of history – a truly global Britain that steps forward to tackle the challenges of tomorrow, working hand-in-hand with our friends to defend our shared values and uphold the rules-based international order.

“This deployment shows that we are strong on our own, but even stronger with our allies. I want to join the nation in wishing the crews across the Carrier Strike Group every success as they depart on this truly historic endeavour.”

In a projection of the UK’s global reach and influence, the Carrier Strike Group will interact with over 40 nations during its 26,000-nautical-mile global tour, undertaking over 70 engagements, exercises and operations with allies and partners.

As outlined in the recently-published Defence Command Paper, the Carrier Strike Group is a demonstration of the UK’s commitment to be ready to confront future threats alongside international partners and help seize new opportunities for Global Britain. Underscoring the UK’s leading role in NATO, in the coming days the Carrier Strike Group will take part in NATO’s Exercise Steadfast Defender. The Strike Group will also provide support to the Alliance’s Operation Sea Guardian and to maritime security operations in the Black Sea during the deployment.

Working alongside another key NATO ally, the Carrier Strike Group will be joined by French aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle for a period of dual carrier operations in the Mediterranean.

In the Indo-Pacific region, the Carrier Strike Group will visit India, Singapore, Japan and the Republic of Korea to strengthen Britain’s security relationships, reinforce political ties and support UK exports and the international trade agenda.

Elements of the Carrier Strike Group will also participate in Exercise Bersama Lima to mark the 50th anniversary of the Five Powers Defence Arrangements between Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

 

Reported by Paul Ridgway
London

 

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NSRI rescue returning Vasco da Gama race yachties in rough seas off Wild Coast

The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) has been involved in a quite dramatic sea rescue off South Africa’s Wild Coast last Friday, 21 May. The incident involved the yacht MAJIMOTO which had taken part in this year’s Vasco da Gama Ocean Race 2021 and was returning to Durban with five crew on board – three men and two women.

While offshore of Cape Morgan in the Transkei and in stormy seas with eight-metre high swells and a 50 knot gusting wind, the yacht lost its rudder and began taking on water.

At 10h15 that morning he NSRI East London duty crew were activated following a request for assistance from the yacht. The message had been relayed by a fellow yachtsman to East London Port Control, reporting that Majimoto was taking on water approximately 2.5 nautical miles off-shore of Cape Morgan, Transkei.

It appeared the yacht’s rudder had broken off, leaving the crew unable to steer in the strong winds and in the big sea swells, despite efforts at rigging a temporary rudder.

With their situation deteriorating a call was sent out for assistance, relayed by a fellow yachtsman at sea off the Wild Coast, and leading to the activation of the East London NSRI Station 7.

Also alerted were the MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) and NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre), with the MRCC activating a South African Air Force (SAAF) 22 Squadron Oryx helicopter and the NSRI ASR (Airborne Sea Rescue) based at Cape Town, which were placed on standby.

The NSRI East London sea rescue craft Spirit of Lotto was then launched and departed for the scene off Cape Morgan.

The Port of East London meanwhile had placed its pilot boat and crew also on standby.

Arriving on scene the NSRI crew secured a tow line to the stricken yacht but with the yacht having no rudder and her crew unable to establish a temporary replacement in the strong winds and huge swells, efforts at towing the yacht proved impossible. With the yacht drifting closer to the rocky shore, the decision was made by the skipper to abandon the yacht.

The yacht crew then deployed their life raft and under the watchful eye of the NSRI crew on the sea rescue craft the crew abandoned their yacht. A towline was secured from the NSRI vessel and all five crew members from the Majimoto was safely recovered onto the Spirit of Lotto, which then returned to East London, arriving in darkness at 19h16 that evening.

At Cape Town the Air Force 22 Squadron Oryx helicopter and NSRI ASR crew were stood down.

Back at East London the NSRI rescue craft was met by EC Government Health EMS paramedics but with none of the casualty crew injured no medical assistance was required.

The following morning, Saturday 22 May, it was learned that the yacht Majimoto had run aground North of the Kei River Mouth. The owner is making arrangements to salvage the yacht.

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IMO calls for further action to address Gulf of Guinea piracy

Member States, national authorities, the United Nations and other relevant organisations are urged to consider strengthening law enforcement to arrest and prosecute pirates in relevant jurisdictions in accordance with international law and national legal frameworks.​

In a statement of 19 May IMO called for increased collaboration and action to tackle an escalation in the number and severity of attacks in the Gulf of Guinea region, which threatens the lives and well-being of seafarers and the safety of shipping.

Recommended action

In a resolution on recommended action to address piracy and armed robbery in the Gulf of Guinea adopted by the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), IMO called on Member States, national authorities, the UN and other relevant organizations to consider strengthening law enforcement to arrest and prosecute pirates in relevant jurisdictions, in accordance with international law and national legal frameworks. Coastal States are urged to harmonize criminal penalties.

IMO also calls for improved governance of available protection solutions, such as security escort vessels for assisting other vessels, in accordance with international law, and with due respect for the sovereignty, sovereign rights and territorial integrity of coastal States.

Wider participation urged

Member States, national authorities, the UN and other relevant organisations are urged to support and encourage wider participation in the Gulf of Guinea Maritime Collaboration Forum (GoG-MCF/SHADE GoG) as well as other platforms, such as the G7++ Friends of the Gulf of Guinea (G7++FoGG). This will help improve maritime security and safety in the region and facilitate the strengthening of cooperation mechanisms for regional maritime patrol and protection.

The resolution highlights the need for greater collaboration with all critical stakeholders, including information-sharing on maritime criminality and illegality, use of maritime domain awareness such as MDAT-GoG (Maritime Domain Awareness for Trade for the Gulf of Guinea) and use of surface and/or air patrol capabilities.

 

 

Capacity building

Furthermore, the resolution requests IMO’s Secretary-General to make full use of technical cooperation funds to support capacity-building in the region to tackle piracy and armed robbery and to look at creating a common platform for information sharing between existing mechanisms (these include MDAT-GoG, the NIMASA C4i-Centre, Regional Reporting Centres, the ICC IMB Piracy reporting centre and relevant responding law enforcement entities).

Member States, international organisations and relevant stakeholders are urged to contribute financially the IMO West and Central Africa Maritime Security Trust Fund.

The resolution welcomes other continuous efforts made in the region to curb piracy and armed robbery against ships in the Gulf of Guinea, including drafting of anti-piracy laws, the Nigerian Government’s Deep Blue project, the Interregional Coordination Centre (ICC Yaoundé) and the ongoing establishment of the Yaoundé Architecture Regional Integration System (YARIS).

Supporting regional initiatives

IMO and the shipping industry have supported efforts to tackle piracy and armed robbery against ships and the kidnapping of seafarers and/or passengers in the Gulf of Guinea, including through providing technical assistance to Member States to implement of maritime security measures.

Other initiatives include supporting regional initiatives such as the Interregional Coordination Centre (ICC) to assist with the implementation of the Yaoundé Code of Conduct (YCC). The shipping industry has provided Best Management Practices (BMP) West Africa (WA) to assist companies and seafarers to assess the risks associated with voyages through the Gulf of Guinea and mitigate any potential threats to their safety and security.

Based on reports submitted to IMO, in 2020, the number of incidents taking place in the Gulf of Guinea (West Africa) increased to 90 (up by 20 compared to 2019), with a total of 112 crew members reported as kidnapped/missing. This represented a significant proportion of the total 226 incidents of piracy and armed robbery against ships occurred or attempted in 2020 globally. To date, in 2021, 23 incidents have been reported in the West Africa region.

 

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

 

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WHARF TALK: AMDERMA – small, weather-beaten landing craft

Story by Jay Gates
Pictures by ‘Dockrat ‘& Wikipedia Commons

Not all vessels that are visitors to Cape Town are big, and not all vessel visitors to Cape Town arrive under their own power, and at least one vessel recently arrived from a destination that most folk would not even come close to guessing, even if given clues.

The recent visit to Cape Town by the Russian Antarctic resupply vessel Akademik Federov took place between 14 and 16 May, where she offloaded some stores and equipment before heading home to St. Petersburg and Mother Russia. One of the things she left behind had been loaded at her last stop in Antarctica, namely the Russian Antarctic Base of Bellingshausen.

A few days later an unusual looking vessel turned up at A berth in the Duncan Dock. It was a small, weather beaten, landing craft with Russian Cyrillic writing on it. Its origin became obvious when you transliterate the Russian characters and you end up with the vessel’s name being AMDERMA and her port of registration being Bellingshausen.

The Russian base of Bellingshausen was the last Antarctic base that was set up by the old Soviet Union. Named after their great 19th century Naval Admiral and Antarctic Explorer Thaddeus von Bellingshausen, it was commissioned in 1968, and is located at Maxwell Bay, on King George Island in the South Shetland Islands. At 62 degrees South and 59 degrees West, it is the only Russian base not to be located within the Antarctica continent proper, i.e. at or below the Antarctic Circle, and is technically a Sub-Antarctic station.

Its location, and the fact that the summer in this location is both majority ice-free, and in a shallow bay, means that resupply ships cannot approach Bellingshausen station too close and offloading has to take place in the bay, over the ship’s side into pontoon or barges. The Amderma was built to do exactly that. As a 10 metre landing craft she is able to take a standard 20 foot TEU off the resupply vessel and simply drive herself up the beach where the cargo can be offloaded, and vice-versa when cargo is destined to be removed from the base and returned for disposal.

She is supplied with both Marine VHF radios and a small craft radar to assist her in her role. The only problem is that there is nowhere to house her, and for her to be protected from the harsh winters in Antarctica and she lives ‘outside’ the whole year round. Having been working at Bellingshausen for over 20 years, she is very much a hard worked vessel and very much in need of a bit of TLC.

Helix Marine in Cape Town will be overseeing the overhaul, maintenance and refurbishment of Amderma over the Cape winter. When the next Antarctic season gets underway in late 2021, Akademik Fedorov will return to Cape Town, pick up Amderma and take her back home to Bellingshausen to continue her important work of offloading and onloading the annual resupply ship, or any other vessel that requires her when they visit Maxwell Bay.

For those shipping enthusiasts who seem to think that the name Amderma rings at least one bell, you would be correct. Back in 2010 the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) had their new Halley Base built and tested in Cape Town. The SA-15 class, 1983 built, vessel Amderma (IMO 8119144) was chartered by BAS to carry down the new base module frames and much of the construction and support materials.

Owned by the Far Eastern Shipping Company (FESCO) of Vladivostok, Amderma called at Cape Town in December 2010, and then proceeded to Halley in the Weddell Sea to offload the new British base. One of many Russian SA-15 vessels that called into Cape Town on Antarctic charters in the 1990s and 2000s, Amderma was scrapped back in 2011.

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IN CONVERSATION: Kenya launches Lamu port. But its value remains an open question

The first container ship to dock in the new Lamu Port.  Official image from LAPSSET / Kenya Ports Authority

Jan Bachmann, University of Gothenburg and Benard Musembi Kilaka, University of Gothenburg

Kenya’s newest mega infrastructure project, the Lamu port, has received its first ship. Moina Spooner, from The Conversation Africa, asked Jan Bachmann and Benard Musembi – who study the environmental, socio-economic and security dynamics along the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport Corridor – to provide insights into the history of the port, the opportunities it presents and the concerns around it.

When and why was the Lamu port project initiated?

The Lamu port is part of an ambitious transport corridor between Lamu – a small archipelago north of Mombasa in Kenya – South Sudan and Ethiopia.

Kenya already has one deep-water port in Mombasa. Plans for a second one to diffuse economic dependency on Mombasa go back to the mid-1970s. However, it only materialised in March 2012. The occasion was marked when the then East African heads of states – Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki, Ethiopia’s Meles Zenawi and South Sudan’s Salva Kiir – laid the port’s foundation stone.

In its early ambition, the Lamu port figured as connecting the landlocked East African economies to global trade routes. More specifically, it was envisioned as an alternative outlet for South Sudan’s oil, which is currently pumped via the Greater Nile Oil Pipeline to Port Sudan.

With South Sudan mired in continuous war and Ethiopia upping its stakes in the ports of Djibouti and, most recently, Berbera, the international ambitions of the transport corridor shrivelled somewhat.

Yet, as a cornerstone of the Kenyan government’s Vision 2030 development plan, it is now branded as a “game changer” project.

Its new aim is to integrate marginalised northern Kenya into the Kenyan economy and the nation. Plans for the corridor include a pipeline, a railway line, a road network connecting Lamu, Garissa, Isiolo, Moyale and Turkana, a dam along Tana river, airports and resort cities. There are also plans to establish numerous industrial areas along the corridor.

We show in our research that most of the plans are real on paper and government websites only. Nevertheless, the implications for communities across northern Kenya are very concrete. Beside the completion of the 500km Isiolo-Moyale road, the official opening of Lamu port marks the project’s most salient achievement so far.

Constructed by the China Communication Construction Company, the first three of the planned 32 berths come at a cost of US$367 million.

What opportunities does the port present?

Mobilising projections about future trade, the Kenyan government has persistently argued that the Lamu port will become a viable and necessary complement to the hub of Mombasa. Local authorities specifically invest their hopes in plans for a special economic zone, though to date these have rather been illusive. This promises significant investments in the port and the creation of hundreds of jobs.

Since the port will primarily serve as a transshipment hub, it’s expected to attract key shipping lines by competing with the ports of Djibouti on the horn of Africa and Durban in South Africa. In addition it would serve key markets in southern Ethiopia and South Sudan.

So far, around 19 shipping lines have inspected the port. The Kenya Ports Authority anticipates many will use it and take the generous promotional offers currently in place.

On the positive side, road works connecting Lamu to Nairobi via Garissa are well under way. And the new road between Lamu and Garsen has already reduced transport costs as trucks and travellers no longer need to go via Mombasa.

Once the project’s highway towards Garissa and Isiolo is completed, the former northern “frontier” region may benefit from the connection to the port.

But there are big question marks when it comes to the overall economic value of a second Kenyan deep-water port. This concern is driven by the deficient infrastructural integration of Lamu and Northern Kenya.

Logistics experts also warn that Lamu port has formidable potential to become a white elephant project because of the immense uncertainties about its core use.

What have been the big issues around construction?

Planning and construction of the port have yielded a wide range of concerns and contestations, particularly on land rights, the environment, local livelihoods and security.

Different rights groups have documented numerous complaints by residents about compulsory land acquisition. One study found that the government had taken more land than it paid compensation for.

Another major concern touches on the environmental impact of the port’s construction, some of which came to light in a 2018 High Court ruling.

And local protests against the project have been met with harassment by Kenyan security forces.

The economic livelihoods of hundreds of local fishermen will be disrupted by the port because its extensive restricted area restrains access to viable fishing grounds. And in contravention of a court ruling that awarded fishers about KSH1.7 billion (US$ 18.4 million) compensation for their economic losses, the government has delayed the payments over disagreements about the list of beneficiaries and the mode of compensation.

Concerns about employment opportunities to residents are also growing. So far, around 100 youths from Lamu have secured employment at the Lamu port.

Lastly, there are security concerns. In the last 15 years or so, Lamu has become a highly volatile region. Attacks by the al-Shabaab militant group have brought violence to the area and turned it into a highly securitised region. Security operations have significantly reduced insecurity incidences. But periodic al-Shabaab attacks have affected construction activities.

How should these concerns be handled?

The concerns from the community are weighty and require serious attention since they affect many aspects of their daily lives.

Our ongoing research shows that many of the concerns could have been averted if due process had been followed from the project’s inception. This includes timely and adequate compensation to everyone affected by the project. It also includes proper and robust environmental and social impact assessments as well as considering qualified residents for employment opportunities. Finally, there’s the issue of addressing the perennial problems of land rights in Lamu.

It’s vital that Lamu residents are treated as direct stakeholders and partners to the project. Their voices, concerns and aspirations should be taken seriously.

Jan Bachmann, Senior Lecturer , University of Gothenburg and Benard Musembi Kilaka, Doctoral Student, University of Gothenburg

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

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VIDEO: COOL EAGLE departing & COOL SPIRIT arriving at port of Durban

This past week has seen the arrival and departure of two of the world’s largest reefer ships. The first film shows the departure of Cool Eagle after having loaded around one million cartons of citrus fruit for Europe. The second film shows Cool Spirit, which arrived in Durban shortly ahead of her big sister’s departure and is currently loading as of Friday, 21 May 2021.

Both videos were filmed during the afternoon of Thursday, 20 May 2021

Enjoy now these short scenes of both ships, courtesy of FPT Terminals.

COOL EAGLE

COOL SPIRIT below

 

Added 21 May 2021

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GENERAL NEWS REPORTS – UPDATED THROUGH THE DAY

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EXPECTED SHIP ARRIVALS and SHIPS IN PORT

Port Louis – Indian Ocean gateway port

Ports & Ships publishes regularly updated SHIP MOVEMENT reports including ETAs for ports extending from West Africa to South Africa to East Africa and including Port Louis in Mauritius.

In the case of South Africa’s container ports of Durban, Ngqura, Ports Elizabeth and Cape Town links to container Stack Dates are also available.

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CRUISE NEWS AND NAVAL ACTIVITIES

QM2 in Cape Town. Picture by Ian Shiffman

We publish news about the cruise industry here in the general news section.

Naval News

Similarly you can read our regular Naval News reports and stories here in the general news section.

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THOUGHT FOR THE WEEK

“I quote others only in order the better to express myself.”

― Michel de Montaigne, The Complete Essays

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