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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

Week commencing 2 May 2023.  Click on headline to go direct to story : use the BACK key to return 

FIRST VIEW:   Zululand’s Jewel – Port of Richards Bay

• Portuguese submarine NRP Arpão (S161) to call Cape Town 4 June
• WHARF TALK: Asian Distant Water Fishing Fleets and Cape Town Pt 2
• Djibouti’s floating dock fitted with ShibataFenderTeam (SFT) Wheel fenders
• ‘Inclusive, sustainable trade will allow Africa to realize full potential’ – Botswana President
• CMA CGM’s CEVA Logistics adds four dual-fuel hybrid RORO car carriers
• MedPort Tangier (APM Terminals) takes delivery of first two of eight new STS cranes
• WHARF TALK: Asian Distant Water Fishing Fleets and Cape Town Pt 1
• Three seafarers abducted by pirates from US bulker off Gabon
• Go-ahead given for new Mozambique port at Chongoene
• Port Maputo truck staging area opened
• Sierra Leone receives patrol vessel donated by China
• New multi-purpose terminal to be developed at Pointe Noire port by AD Ports
• WHARF TALK: MR2 products tanker – MINERVA JOANNA
• Jesser Point Lighthouse completes 37 years of coastwatch service
• Suez Canal Authority orders six new tugs and a floating dock
• HM The King presents RN with new colours
• Maersk lays plans for landmark green methanol ship arrival
• Tanzania to sign contracts for three new lake ships
• WHARF TALK: seismic survey vessel – SW DUCHESS
• Large WW Ocean roro car carrier calls at Durban
• TotalEnergies hesitates over Mozambique LNG restart: contractors told to be reasonable
• TotalEnergies hesita sobre o reinício do GNL em Moçambique: empreiteiros aconselhados a serem razoáveis
• Gordhan finally leaves for China: hoping to unblock deliveries of Transnet locos and spares
• Satellite technology: Transformation of African agriculture
• Xeneta rates alert: long-term ocean freight rates slump over 10% in April Update
• In Conversation: Africa’s oceans are being protected to serve the interests of big foreign corporates
• TNPA stages another roadshow for Transkei Grade 12 pupils
• Where Climate Harms Fisheries, Piracy Prospers

• EARLIER NEWS CAN BE FOUND UNDER NEWS CATEGORIES…….

Masthead:  PORT OF CAPE TOWN

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FIRST VIEW:   Zululand’s jewel – Port of Richards Bay

The general cargo area of Richards Bay port, consisting of the breakbulk and dry bulk terminals.  Away to the upper left and out of view is the area for the liquid bulk terminal and the huge Richards Bay Coal Terminal

Picture: TNPA

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Portuguese submarine NRP Arpão (S161) to call Cape Town 4 June

The Port of Cape Town will play host to an unusual naval visitor next month when the Portuguese Navy submarine, NRP Arpão (S161) arrives on a short visit.

NRP Arpão, a Tridente-class attack submarine, will be accompanied by the patrol ship NRP Setúbal which first entered service with the navy in 2019.

This will be the first time a Portuguese Navy submarine has crossed the equator. The boat is on an extended 13,000 mile deployment taking her to Cape Verde, Brazil, South Africa, Angola, and Morocco, which is the longest ever Portuguese submarine deployment.

While in Cape Town the Portuguese ships will celebrate the Day of Portugal, Camões, and the Portuguese Communities, which is normally held on 10 June each year. This will apparently be attended by South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Portugal of course has long ties with South Africa, with her sailors having been the first Europeans to round the Cape of Good Hope and to enter the Indian Ocean in this fashion. Portugal also held historically close ties with South Africa during the former’s colonial era, with Portuguese East Africa (Mozambique) and Angola bordering South and South West Africa.

NRP Arpão has a crew of 35 and was commissioned in 2010. She is commanded by frigate captain Taveira Pinto.

The submarine was built by HDW and was laid down in 2005. The boat displaces 1,700 tons surfaced (2,020 tons submerged), has a length of 67.7 metres, a width of 6.35m and draught of 6.6m.

Her propulsion consists of two AIP Siemens Sinavy (BZM-120) generators, two MTU 16V396 TB-94 diesel engines, one Siemens Permasyn electric engine, and has a speed of 20 knots submerged and 10 knots surfaced. Her range is 12,000 nautical miles at 8 knots with an endurance of 60 days.

The submarine has a test depth of 300 metres. Her armament includes 8 x 533mm torpedo tubes, 12 × Alenia Marconi Systems IF-21 Blackshark torpedo reloads, and 6 x Sub-Harpoon UGM 84 capable.

NRP Arpão left Lisbon Naval Base on 4 April 2023.

Offshore Patrol ship NRP Setúbal

The Portuguese Navy offshore patrol vessel NRP Setúbal (P363) was commissioned into the navy in 2019, the fourth ship of the Viana do Castelo-class. All were built in Portugal by the consortium WestSea/Edisoft.

Her armament consists of a 30mm Oto Melara Marlin gun, two 7.62 mm lmg gun mounts as well as two launching systems for MK55 Mod 2 mines.

The OPV’s are designed to operate unmanned systems and are equipped with a single Sagem SA Vigy 10 MKIII naval surveillance and observation platform, three water cannons, and two rigid inflatable boats. Each ship is capable of accommodating a Super Lynx MK95 light helicopter.

NRP Setúbal has a length of 83 metres, a beam of 12.95m, and a draught of 3,8m. Powered by two Wärtsilä diesel engines rated at 3,900kW/5,200HP and two electric engines, she has a maximum speed of 21 knots.

YouTube of NRP Arpao [15:27]

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WHARF TALK: ASIAN DISTANT WATER FISHING FLEETS and CAPE TOWN

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Part Two

It is not always obvious that the tuna fishing industry is internationally governed, rather than just being left to the vagaries of individual nation states. Such an approach allows changes to fisheries policy that takes into account the views of environmentalists, researchers and NGOs.

Whilst there are International Commissions set up all around the world to regulate tuna fishing, for South Africa it is fishing in the Indian Ocean and Atlantic Ocean that affects the arrivals in Cape Town. The organisations that control and manage the fishery, of which Japan, Taiwan, South Korea and China are signatories, or participating nations, and which also includes South Africa, are the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), which was established in 1994, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC, which was established in 1996, and the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which was established as long ago as 1969.

All of these organisations issue licenses for longline fishing vessels to fish in those waters that they regulate. In some cases, such as with ICCAT, the vessel has to display its license information on a readily visible board, to enable inspectors to see it on approach to the vessel.

These organisations are also extremely environmentally responsible, and have gone to great lengths in recent years to reduce accidental by-catch, especially that of seabirds that follow the vessels in the hope of catching an easy meal when the lines are both deployed, and recovered. The birds used to be hooked, and drowning was the inevitable result. This was having a devastating result on the populations of the great pelagic albatrosses.

Since 2006, Tori Lines are mandatory on tuna longliners. The fishing lines have additional bird scaring cage lines, flying above the surface, to keep birds away from the vessel when the lines are being recovered. Since 2014, all vessels have been required to utilise a second method to prevent by-catch, which is line weighting, which ensures that the line sinks rapidly on deployment, to prevent a bird trying to grab the baited hooks. These methods have been so successful that they have almost removed all reports of seabird by-catch in reported statistics.

The other distant water fishing industry that sees Cape Town receiving dozens of vessels per year, but only at two specific points in the year, are those of the Squid Jigger. The squid industry takes place in the waters around the Falkland Islands, and the vessels transit from their home ports in the Far East at the start of the season, around November time, and return through Cape Town in April and May, at the close of the squid catching season, and en route home.

The squid jiggers are very distinctive, when compared to tuna longline vessels. Their decks are lined with deployment line machines, they are all connected to folding arms that are deployed away from the vessel when fishing, and the vessel is ringed with a lighting matrix that is also deployed when fishing at night, which is when squid are attracted to the surface lights. Unlike Tuna longliners, the squid jiggers are licensed by the Falkland Islands government, and not an international commission, and they do not use Cape Town as an operational base. Their calls at Cape Town are purely for bunkers and stores, whilst in transit.

The provision of a synchrolift at Cape Town, attracts many of the longline vessels owners to conduct annual maintenance, drydocking, and refitting there. Throughout the year, the casual maritime observer is likely to see at least one such vessel up on the synchrolift receiving care and attention from local engineering companies.

Cape Town also provides a large, out of the way, lay-up quay within the harbour. This is out at the 700 berths, at the far ocean end of the Ben Schoeman Dock, and known locally as ‘The Graveyard’. Some vessels spend just weeks there, whilst others spend months in lay-up. In some cases, the lay-up stretches to a period of years, and eventually the vessel is sold for demolition, as is. There is currently one being broken up for scrap on the berth.

Sadly, there are also some instances of the vessel being abandoned by her unscrupulous owners, with the crew aboard left to fend for themselves, and seek solace from local charitable organisations. There is currently one famous vessel in this predicament tin Cape Town, and lying in the Duncan Dock at M berth.

What is often not considered, but are very much a major reason for the use of Cape Town, and Durban, for these distant water fishing fleets, are not hard services and facilities, such as world class marine engineering support and workshop facilities, but rather soft services and facilities that are not at the forefront of the thoughts of the casual maritime observer.

These soft services and facilities include the complete gamut of ship chandlery companies. There is nothing that is not available that would be required to keep a vessel running whilst it is out at sea, such as administrative products, sanitary products, cleaning products, medical equipment and husbandry items such as paint.

South Africa has the most developed agricultural industry in Africa, and its fruit sector produces every type of fruit that vessels may require. The same goes for the market gardening sector which produces fresh vegetable of all descriptions. Any foodstuffs that are specific to the nationality of the fishing fleet, such as Kim Chee, Ramen Noodles, and the like, are readily available, and can be easily imported due to regular shipping services from the Far East, and daily flights from the region.

Community services in both Cape Town and Durban are readily available, with full medical services being of first world standard, and any crewman who needs medical attention relating to any injury, or illness, will find it available in local hospitals. It also includes the ability for sick, or injured, crewmen to be airlifted, or taken off the vessel by SA Air Force or NSRI search and rescue services, that are not available anywhere else is sub-Saharan Africa.

Should the need arise, both Cape Town and Durban have full Diplomatic or Consular services available for every nation that is represented by the distant water fishing fleets. Not only do they assist crew who require protection, or legal assistance, but these services were a godsend during the Covid-19 pandemic when travel arrangements had to be negotiated for arriving, and departing, crew.

Finally, Cape Town and Durban both have major international airports, and offer flights that are either direct, or via a one stop connection, to the home nations of these fleets. Such easy connections allow for the safe, and efficient, movements of crews, either inbound or outbound, depending on the needs of the vessel owners in Asia.

All of these first class services and facilities, both hard and soft, as mentioned above, and crucially available under one roof, are perfect for the vessel owners, and remove any anxiety they have for adopting ‘arms length’ management of their fleets. Even the smallest of the distant water industry players, the krill fishery, whose number only numbers around a dozen vessels worldwide, choose Cape Town as their overwinter base for their larger Antarctic trawlers.

Recently, with all the furore of plastics being discovered way out in the ocean, floating around and affecting marine life, there was a report from Ascension Island, out in the tropical mid-Atlantic Ocean of the recovery of plastic items that were of Japanese, Chinese and South African origin. This led to anguish of the distribution of plastic waste via the ocean current systems, and how such waste from the countries mentioned could travel so far.

The truth of the matter is that it really isn’t about ocean currents, or issues of how far this rubbish has travelled. Cape Town, as reported throughout this article, is the port where virtually every single licensed tuna longline vessel, which is licensed to fish in the tropical waters of the South Atlantic Ocean, will call into.

Every single tuna longliner that calls at Cape Town will stock up on stores, fresh produce and foodstuffs, the majority of which is purchased locally, and delivered by a local ship chandler. As mentioned earlier, the proliferation of these vessels means that local ships agents, mostly Asian owned, are focused solely on these vessels, and imported Japanese and Chinese foodstuffs are loaded on the vessel to ensure the crew enjoys meals that are of their culture.

Now, after a while, when you are fishing in the waters around Ascension Island, of which many will do, there is a tendency to do the wrong thing, and throw your accumulated packaging and rubbish over the side of the vessel. We all know that it happens. From this, the detritus floats gaily along on the prevailing local wind and current, and fetches up on an isolated beach on Ascension Island. This pollution is a locally produced phenomenon, and nothing to do with the similar problem of the vast mid-Pacific gyre plastic dump.

Reputationally, in the end, this vast international fishing industry is another reason why Cape Town is colloquially known as ‘The Tavern of the Seas’, and is all the better for it, due to the appearance of the tuna vessels that use it, and for the international tuna organisations that mandate its use.

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Djibouti’s floating dock fitted with ShibataFenderTeam Wheel fenders

The port of Djibouti, strategically located at the southern entrance of the Red Sea, has a small floating dry dock, which has been fitted with eight ShibataFenderTeam (SFT) Wheel fenders – four double WF 250×75 and four single WF 250×75.

The Wheel Fender is more complex than the simply constructed Roller Fender. They are designed with maintenance-free bearings, typically from stainless steel, and composite material. Due to the Wheel Fender’s design, using additional backrollers and a sliding shaft, they provide a higher energy absorption.

The floating ry dock, which measures 50 metres by 20 metres, is provided for repair and maintenance of small craft which are common in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The port also sits on one of the most important gateways and hub to the African continent, with benefits to not only commercial shipping but also naval ships belonging to NATO, the EU, USA, China and several other global players.

Resulting from that strategic importance, the Port of Djibouti has made significant investments in the recent years to provide fast and safe vessel handling and berthing. The dry dock is one of these.

A spokesman for SFT explained that the eight fender systems were engineered by their in-house team and manufactured at the SFT facility in Rechlin, Germany.

Welding as per ISO15614 was one of the key aspects of the manufacturing process, and was performed by SFT’s certificated and trained welders. Hired by the client, Lloyd’s Register as an independent 3rd party supervised the process and conducted periodic inspections to ensure compliance with project regulations.

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‘Inclusive, sustainable trade will allow Africa to realize full potential’ – Botswana President

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

The World Trade Organization (WTO) should work towards creating a more inclusive trading system that ensures all members of society can benefit from the opportunities that trade provides, Dr Mokgweetsi E K Masisi, President of Botswana, said on 2 May at an event held at the WTO HQ in Geneva as part of the Presidential Lecture Series.

In the run-up to the 13th Ministerial Conference to be held in February 2024, President Masisi called on WTO members to ensure that the concerns and interests of all developing countries, particularly those in Africa, are adequately addressed.

The event was opened by Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and attended by WTO ambassadors, Swiss authorities, heads of inter-governmental organizations, representatives of non-governmental organizations, business and academia.

In her opening remarks, DG Okonjo-Iweala underscored that the aim of the WTO’s Presidential Lecture Series is to “Bring leading voices from around the world to the WTO to share ideas, experiences and policy proposals and to bring fresh thinking to policymakers which they may draw upon in our efforts to use trade to deliver for people and for the planet.”

DG Okonjo-Iweala warmly welcomed President Masisi. She said: “Since taking office in 2018, President Masisi has emerged as an outstanding and thought-provoking leader, recognised far beyond his country’s borders.”

She also underscored the success achieved by Botswana, a country with less than 0.2% of Africa’s population but 1.3% of the value of Africa’s merchandise exports.

DG Okonjo-Iweala noted that Botswana — like most African countries — still faces serious challenges in terms of export diversification, creating jobs, improving skills for new generations and achieving growth that is both socially equitable and environmentally sustainable.

In his speech, President Masisi stressed the historic outcome of the WTO’s 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in June 2022, which in his words: “Brought about a revitalised sense of trust among members.

“It is evident that this renewed spirit of collaboration is essential for the successful functioning of the organization, and I would like to emphasize the importance of implementing MC12 decisions in a manner that is acceptable to all members.”

He added: “Botswana — and I believe Africa at large — recognises the significance of these outcomes in shaping the future of global trade. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure that the implementation process is transparent and inclusive, taking into account the diverse needs and concerns of all members. Only by doing so can the WTO build a sustainable framework for global trade that benefits all nations, particularly developing countries.”

President Masisi underlined the numerous challenges that have hindered Africa’s economic development, noting in particular the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, which saw an unequal distribution of vaccines, leaving many developing countries struggling to secure enough doses for their populations.

He continued: “To address these challenges, there is a need for a coordinated global response. The WTO can play a crucial role in assisting developing countries to prepare for future pandemics.”

Underlining that Botswana graduated from least-developed country (LDC) status in 1994, President Masisi stressed that LDC graduation is a complex issue that demands a sensitive and nuanced approach to ensure that the concerns and needs of these countries are adequately addressed.

The event closed with a vote of thanks by Ambassador Athaliah Lesiba Molokomme, Chair of the General Council, who expressed the hope that “the conversation held today will stimulate the discussions at the WTO that are critical to shape the future of global trade and trade relations between Africa and the rest of the world.”

An unedited YouTube recording of the event is available here [1:23:50]

The WTO’s Presidential Lecture Series

Launched in 2022, the lecture series provides a platform for distinguished speakers from all walks of life, ranging from presidents, prime ministers and high-level politicians to business leaders, scientists, authors and philanthropists, to discuss multilateral cooperation and global governance issues, including trade-related matters and sustainable development goals.

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CMA CGM’s CEVA Logistics adds four dual-fuel hybrid RORO car carriers

CEVA Logistics has signed a ten-year lease with its parent company, CMA CGM, for four LNG dual-fuel hybrid roll-on roll-off (RORO) ships.

The agreement will enable CEVA to transport approximately 140,000 vehicles annually between the global markets.

The roro ships are currently under construction by China Merchants Jinling Shipyard (Weihai), with the first vessel expected to be delivered in December and the three subsequent ships coming in 2024. Under the lease agreement, CEVA Logistics will manage and operate the vessels with full commercial control over the RORO capacity.

Each of the 200-metre long vessels will have the capacity to transport 7,000 vehicles, thanks to nearly 59,000 square metres of effective deck surface spread across 12 levels.

With a width of 38 metres, the ships will have a gross tonnage of 72,000 tons and move at a max speed of 19.5 knots. The RORO vessels’ hybrid power systems will include both LNG and electric battery capabilities.

“As the automotive supply chain continues to stabilise from numerous shocks over the past several years, we have remained close to our customers to understand their challenges and growth opportunities,” said Emmanuel Cheremetinski, global FVL leader, CEVA Logistics.

“The decision to operate four deep-sea ROROs is a clear example of our promise of responsive logistics. With such a large need for additional capacity, we found a solution that allows us to co-create long-term value with our customers in the global economy by improving the go-to-market conditions for their finished vehicles.”

Cars in Containers Solution for smaller volumes

CEVA is also strengthening its Cars in Containers solution to offer a more flexible option for shippers that need to transport small quantities of finished vehicles to strategic ports or in-land locations not easily served by its own RORO vessels or other carrier partners.

With lower shipping rates and limited RORO capacity, carmakers can take advantage of this solution for reduced lead times and increased flexibility in terms of shipping schedules.

Finished vehicle volumes rebounding, EVs on the rise

New light vehicle sales are expected to reach nearly 83.6 million units globally in 2023, a 5.6% increase year-over-year, according to a recent forecast by S&P Global Mobility.

With global 2022 production up approximately 6.0% over 2021 levels, estimates place 2023 production at 85 million units for a 4% increase from 2022.

Production levels are not expected to reach pre-pandemic numbers before 2024 or 2025, according to various industry estimates. In 2022, China exported 3.1 million vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 54.4%, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM).

The International Energy Agency estimated that 13% of 2022 car sales would be electric, a number expected to reach 13.3% in 2023, according to S&P. With the European Fit for 55 plan, China’s EV policy and the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act’s tax credit, EVs are being more widely integrated into public policy, encouraging further growth in the segment.

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MedPort Tangier (APM Terminals) takes delivery of first two of eight new STS cranes

The first two of an order of eight dual Ship-to-Shore (STS) cranes for the APM Terminals MedPort Tangier in Morocco, have arrived for commissioning at Africa’s busiest container port complex.

The new STS cranes will continue to arrive in batches of two until all eight have been installed for commissioning.

They represent a major investment of 117 million EUR.

With an impressive outreach of 82 metres, these dual STS cranes can handle cargo vessels of 26 containers in width (or container vessels of up to 24,000 TEUs in terms of container capacity).

This equipment addition is set to significantly increase the capacity and turnaround efficiency of terminal operations, enabling better service to customers and improving overall customer experience through more efficient operations, according to APM Terminals.

The new equipment comes on top of other investment aimed at improving operational efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of the facility.

“We are committed to meeting the growing demand for container handling services and providing our customers with state-of-the-art equipment to improve their supply chain operations,” said Magnus Lundberg, Chief Operating Officer at APM Terminals MedPort Tangier.

“The two new cranes will be deployed and fully operational after the summer, to support the operations of our terminal and cater for our future ambitions,” he said.

New STS cranes join a list of other initiatives at the terminal that jointly contribute to APM Terminals’ decarbonisation targets.

These include the addition of 23 hybrid shuttle carriers to the existing fleet of 42, the auto-mooring system which stabilises vessels at berth increasing safety of operations, as well as the shore power initiative the terminal has launched jointly with the Tangier Port Authority.

Shore power allows vessels fitted with hybrid mode to connect to electric power while at berth in a port.

The semi-automated APM Terminals MedPort Tangier (part of the Tanger Med 2 port complex) is one of the most technologically advanced, efficient and safest container terminals in the world. Located on the primary East/West shipping route through the Mediterranean Sea, the terminal provides a natural transshipment location for cargoes moving on vessels to and from Africa, Europe and the Far East.

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WHARF TALK: ASIAN DISTANT WATER FISHING FLEETS and CAPE TOWN

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Part One

One tends to overlook some of the most abundant of vessels that sail into and out of South African ports. They say that size matters, and in this case, it seems to ring true. Most casual maritime observers will spot a container vessel, bulk carrier, or other major merchant vessel when it passes their eyeline. They will note down every detail about the vessel as it glides by, but they will not even notice the small fishing vessel passing by just before, or just after, the big one has passed by.

South Africa has a varied, and vibrant, fishing industry where the vast majority of the fishing fleet are small, and to be found in the myriad of small fishing harbours dotted along the entire coastline. That is one good excuse as to why they are not reported on much in the local maritime press, unless they are involved in a sinking, which always makes the local news!

However, for the relatively small fishing vessels of the Asian distant waters fishing fleets, they are forced by convention to use one of only three South African harbours. Even so, their arrival, and departure, is overlooked and rarely gets a mention unless, just like their local equivalent, they get involved in a sinking on the South African coast.

Even so, there are times when these distant water fishing vessels, all operating a long way from home, call in at Cape Town in numbers that actually outnumbers the amount of commercial merchant vessels that are in port at the same time. There are good reasons why these vessels sometimes all seem to arrive at the same time.

Other than the big krill trawlers that specialise in fishing in Antarctic waters none of the small fishing vessels are of the pelagic, or demersal, trawler types, and which utilise nets to catch their target fish species. Absolutely none of them operate in South African waters, but rather they are either specialised longliners, going after oceanic tuna and associated species, such as swordfish, or they are squid jiggers going after a single type of prey, such as the name implies.

These fishing fleets come from just four Asian nations, namely Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and the Peoples Republic of China. It is because they operate so far from home, that many of them utilise Cape Town as their home from home and operating base. It includes having remote operations offices in the city, and resident shipping agents that hail from their home country.

Cape Town is also the nominated port city, along with Port Louis in Mauritius, as the only place where the distant water fishing vessels are allowed to legally land their catch, so as to save them the expense of a long voyage back to Southeast Asia to offload their catch, and then sail all the way back again. The offload of their frozen catch in Cape Town takes one of three options, all of which are strictly controlled under agreed international protocols.

The first is either to simply offload the frozen catch into local cold storage facilities, of which some is fed into the local market and sold in supermarkets, fishmongers, or restaurants. In the case of South Africa, the local marketing of Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT), which is the most expensive and most sought after of the tuna species, is so miniscule as to be almost unnoticeable.

Annual figures from Cape Town show that 1,150 tons of frozen SBT was landed at Cape Town for local cold storage. Of that total, only 1.2 tons was purchased for the local market. This constitutes only 0.1% of the landed catch. The rest is re-exported back to the Far East at a later date, using the second, or third, agreed methods. As I said, miniscule!

On arrival in port, a ready chilled reefer container is brought alongside the vessel and the frozen catch is transshipped directly into the container. Within days, it has been loaded onto a container vessel, normally on one of the scheduled container voyages to the Far East, where it arrives in less than 28 days, and is immediately offered out on the local markets of China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

The third method is a ship to ship transfer. Whilst some transfers take place out at sea, there are numerous times per year when a Far East based fish reefer vessel arrives in Cape Town, and the transfer takes place in the safe confines of the Duncan Dock. The casual maritime observer normally gets a clue that a reefer is en route, and very near to her arrival ETA date in Cape Town, by the sudden arrival of large numbers of longliner fishing vessels, normally of three of the nations involved in the industry.

On one day in April, in Cape Town, there were no less than fifteen longliners from Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, all in port and awaiting to offload their catch. It included five Japanese vessels, namely Matsuei Maru No.3, Matsufuku Maru No.18, Matsufuku Maru No.28, Fukusei Maru No.35, and Taiyo Maru No.88. There were three South Korean longliners, including the 638 Dongwon, 373 Oryong, and 805 Oryong.

By far the majority of the longliners were those from Taiwan, which numbered seven, and included Hung Chuan 212, Hung Chuan 336, Hung Yu 122, Hung Yu 212, Chien Jui 102, Kuang Ying 3, and Yuh Yeou 136. These numbers in port do not include those vessels that are in port, and are either in long layup, or on the synchrolift undergoing maintenance, or simply abandoned, or in one case, being broken up for scrap.

The reputation of the Far East long fishing industry gets a bad press locally, and their vessels are often referred to as ‘Cockroaches’. There may be an element of racism involved in how they are perceived, but their industry is heavily regulated, more so than South African fisheries, and includes not only regulations emanating from international agreements, but also legislated by their own national governments, and passed under statute law in their own country.

To ensure that these international, and national, provisions are carried out, many of the vessels carry independent observers who report back on fishing operations, positions, catch make-up and by-catch. The agreements that make them land their catch only at Cape Town, in a South African context, means that Fisheries Inspectors are on hand in port to monitor the offload, to check documentation, record details, and ensure that the catch is that as licensed by the vessel.

The use of Inspectors is also conducted by having them carried on fish reefers that are licensed to conduct ship to ship transfers out at sea, and away from prying eyes. By and large, based on their national codes of honour, the Asian crews follow these strict rules to the letter, thus reducing any instance of Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing being reporting from within these fleets. Any transshipment at sea must first be requested seven days in advance, irrespective of it taking place out on the ocean, or within the confines of Cape Town harbour, or Port Louis harbour.

To ensure that the vessels are ‘visible’ at all times, they are all required to carry a Vessel Management System (VMS) aboard. The VMS, which is tamperproof, transmits continuous real time information, via satellite, back to either a Fisheries Monitoring Station in their home country, or to their head office. Not only does the transmission include time and position, it also includes course speed, and in some cases, the time that the fishing gear was deployed, when it was recovered, and at what depth fishing took place.

An example of the strictness of the rules concerning the carriage of VMS onboard, The Taiwan Fishing Agency, which is quasi-Government, mandates that all Taiwanese flagged fishing vessels carries such a system onboard at all times. If the VMS fails, for whatever reason, and cannot be reinstated, or repaired within fourteen days, then the vessel must return to port.

Under the terms of the Distant Waters Fisheries Act of 2017, as enacted in Taiwan, any transgressions of the act can result in fines, suspensions, revocations, and confiscations. If a vessel remains out at sea for 30 days after a VMS failure, then that vessel will have its license suspended, the vessel owner will be fined, and the vessel skipper is liable to both a fine, and a potential prison sentence, and the catch will be confiscated.

Under this law, VMS has been mandatory since 2002, and the carriage of Inspectors has been mandatory since 2009. If the vessel is recalled to her home port in the Far East, only four ports are nominated for the landing of tuna catches. Since 2009 these are Kaohsiung in Taiwan, Busan in South Korea, and two ports in Japan, Shimuzu and Misaki. This strict landing policy further reduces reported instances of IUU fishing. This applies also to fish reefer vessels that are returning to their local Asian markets with transshipped fish for offload.

In the second part of this storyline, we will see that it is not only the Tuna fleets that choose Cape Town to a greater extent, and Durban to a lesser extent, to be the best locations for shipowners to base their fleets, and utilise them as a home from home port, some more than six time zones from head office, and up to 7,500 nautical miles from home. One might ask why that is. The answer is simply two words… Services and Facilities.

End of Part One….. Part Two follows tomorrow

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Three seafarers abducted by pirates from US bulker off Gabon

Three seafarers, the Russian captain and two Georgian ships officers, have been abducted off a US-owned bulk carrier, the GREBE BULKER (IMO 9441312), which was moored outside the Gabonese capital of Libreville.

The 57,809-dwt bulk carrier had arrived the previous day from Port Harcourt and was moored off Owendo, a port on the southern end of Libreville when on Monday night a group of pirates approached and boarded the ship.

Details of the pirate attack are sketchy but when they left the vessel they took away the captain as well as the second and third officers.

It seems the pirates left the ship on the approach of a Gabon patrol vessel, though this hasn’t been confirmed.

The remaining 17 members of the crew remained on the ship and are reported to be safe and unharmed.

Although registered in the Marshall islands, Grebe Bulker is owned by Eagle Bulk Shipping of Stamford in the USA.

The ship is currently in ballast and was expecting to pick up a cargo in Gabon, possibly manganese.

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Go-ahead given for new Mozambique port at Chongoene

According to a Mozambique report, the government has given the green light to the construction of a new port at Chongoene in Gaza province.

The project has been in the pipeline since it was first announced in August 2022.

The decision by the Council of Ministers which was announced last week says the concession for the new port is in favour of a company established by the Chinese company Desheng Port in partnership with Mozambican Ports & Railways (CFM), who will build and operate the port terminal.

Funding will come from the Chinese company Dingsheng Minerals, which since 2018 has been mining heavy sands nearby in Chibuto.

Praia do Chongoene (Chongoene Bay) is close to the town of Xai-Xai.

Dingsheng Minerals holds a 25-year concession to mine the heavy sands and expects to extract one million tons of ilmenite (titanium and iron oxide) annually, in addition to heavy sands.

The nature and description of the proposed new port has not been revealed but may consist of a simple quay or jetty.

A number of new ports have been touted over the past 15 or 20 years, with none so far having gone any further than reports and speculation. Whether Chongoene sees the light of day remains to be seen.

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Port Maputo truck staging area opened

Monday 1 May saw the opening of the Port of Maputo’s temporary staging area for road trucks arriving at the port.

The additional and temporary staging area became necessary as a measure of relieving some of the pressure on the national N-4 road between the South African border and the port.

The staging area, located in the Luís Cabral neighbourhood and accessed by gate 1, is able to accommodate 50 trucks on a 1.25 hectare enclosed area equipped with a service network and lighting, according to the Maputo Port Development Company (MPDC).

Phase 2, which is still under development, involves support services and is scheduled for completion within 76 days.

The report says additional interventions are underway on the access road to the port, involving a widening of the entrance and exit lanes to four and three lanes respectively.

In addition there is a truck inspection point at the entrance to the port and dedicated access for abnormal loads. The project is scheduled for completion in August 2023.

It is believed these interventions will allow for a greater and more orderly flow of traffic as well as improved working conditions for truck drivers. Source: Notícias

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Sierra Leone receives patrol vessel donated by China

Sierra Leone has taken delivery of a patrol vessel donated by China which will be used for the protection of the West African country’s coastal fishing interests.

The donation comes at a time when Sierra Leone, together with other West African nations, is registering concern over the number and activities of Chinese distant fishing fleets operating in West African waters and depleting fish stocks.

According to a report in South China Morning Post, the 26.7 metre long patrol vessel, named MADAM YOKO (PB106), comes equipped with a 14.5mm calibre weapon.

Apart from its fishing fleets operating offshore, China has strong iron ore mining and timber interests in the country.

In a speech during the commissioning of the patrol vessel, Sierra Leone’s President Julius Maada Bio acknowledged his country has been struggling to control illegal, unreported and unregistered fishing in its territorial waters.

The patrol ship will help monitor the situation, he said. The gift from China was “significant” because it strengthened Sierra Leone’s offshore capacity.

The report quoted Francois Vrey, a research coordinator at the Security Institute for Governance and Leadership in Africa at Stellenbosch University, as saying Sierra Leone was subject to a dire illegal fishing threat in its waters and Chinese trawlers were among illegal fleets entering the country’s waters.

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New multi-purpose terminal to be developed at Pointe Noire port by AD Ports

AD Ports Group has engaged in follow-up talks with the President of of the Republic of Congo in Congo-Brazzaville regarding future co-operation on the development of the ‘New Mole Port’ at Pointe Noire.

A month ago AD Ports and Congo authorities signed a Heads of Terms agreement for a new multi-purpose terminal in Pointe Noire.

This gave AD Ports the exclusive right to invest in the development, operation, and management of the ‘New Mole Port’, which will handle containers, general cargo, break-bulk and other types of cargo.

The Abu Dhabi group will also provide the new facility with digital services and technology solutions to enhance its efficiency, including design, implementation, and operation of a single window, software development, digital architecture, business analytics, digital operations support and digital transformation.

The Heads of Terms agreement is valid for one year from the date of signing and could lead to a concession agreement subject to technical, legal, commercial, and environmental due diligence.

Pointe Noire is the main commercial centre of the Republic of the Congo, and its port plays a key role in the economy and development of the nation and wider region.

The multi-purpose terminal is set to become a hub for trade and commerce in the region, enhancing job creation, providing knowledge transfer and connecting the Republic of Congo to global markets.

This will stimulate trade for the Central African country, which is pursuing a new National Development Plan (NDP) focusing on economic diversification and resilient, inclusive growth.

“It was a privilege to meet the President and have the opportunity to present our plans for the new multipurpose terminal in Pointe-Noire Port,” said Capt. Mohamed Juma Al Shamisi, AD Ports Group Managing Director and Group CEO.

“By working together, we can contribute to the growth and prosperity of both our nations in line with the directives of our wise leadership. We are confident that with the right resources and support, and with our expertise, we can support the ambitious development plans of the Republic of Congo.

“Our company is committed to working with the Government and the people of Congo to ensure the success of this project,” he said.

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WHARF TALK: MR2 products tanker – MINERVA JOANNA

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Over the past two years, local oil refinery owners have shown themselves to be incapable of rebuilding the explosion and fire damaged infrastructure of their refineries, in an acceptable timeframe for what they like to think of as a developed and industrial nation. As a result of the causes of them shutting down, we have seen the necessary import of fuel products into South Africa grow exponentially, and which has seen product tankers arriving daily from almost every corner of the globe.

When I say arriving from almost every corner, that statement is not entirely true. One of the corners of the world that sees virtually no tanker arrivals in South Africa, also happens to be the biggest producer of fuel products in the world. It is also further away than the Middle East, Southeast Asia, India and Europe, where most of the arrivals come from, which might explain why that is.

That place is the USA, and South Africa doesn’t seem to register much on their fuel export table. So any arrival of a tanker from the USA, for discharge in a South African port, is both novel, and unusually exciting. Can an arriving tanker actually produce excitement, I hear you cry?

On 23rd April, at 17h00 in the late afternoon, the MR2 products tanker MINERVA JOANNA (IMO 9380386) arrived off Cape Town, from Garyville in the USA, and immediately entered Cape Town harbour, proceeding into the Duncan Dock and alongside in the Tanker Basin to begin her discharge of much awaited fuel products.

Built in 2008 by the Hyundai Mipo dockyard at Ulsan in South Korea, ‘Minerva Joanna’ is 183 metres in length and has a deadweight of 46,924 tons. She is powered by a single Hyundai MAN-B&W 6S60MC-C 6 cylinder 2 stroke main engine producing 12,880 bhp (9,500 kW), driving a fixed pitch propeller for a service speed of 14 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes three Yanmar 6N21AL-EV generators providing 970 kW each, and a single Sisu 645DSBIG emergency generator providing 240 kW. She has a single Kangrim EM11DC1ZA1 exhaust gas boiler, and a single Kangrim PB0302 oil fired boiler.

She has a total of 12 cargo tanks, with a cargo carrying capacity of 51,910 m3. For loading, and discharge, requirements she has 12 cargo pumps capable of pumping at 600 m3/hour.

She is nominally owned by the Dinan Corporation, of Athens in Greece, and is both operated and managed by Minerva Marine Incorporated, also of Athens. She proudly carries the modern Minerva Marine houseflag design on her funnel, and the company name on her hull, together with the Company logo of a Little Owl.

The scholars of ancient Greek and Roman mythology will recognise that Minerva is the name of the Roman Goddess of Wisdom. Her equivalent in Greek Mythology is the Goddess Athena, who was always accompanied by a Little Owl, hence why in modern times we all consider the Owl to be wise, especially their depiction in children’s books, and in children’s films.

The connection of the company name and the Owl logo, of ‘Minerva Joanna’, becomes obvious when those mythological facts are made known. As a note of caution in regard to Owls, in Roman folklore they were also considered to be harbingers of death. If any Owl hooted, whilst perched on your rooftop, a death within that household was not very far away.

After just over 36 hours discharging in Cape Town, which indicated that she was carrying a multi-parcel cargo, destined for more than one South African port, ‘Minerva Joanna’ was made ready to sail and, at 08h00 in the morning of 25th April, she departed Cape Town, bound for Port Elizabeth.

On arrival in Algoa Bay, at 04h00 in the early morning of 27th April, ‘Minerva Joanna’ was sent to the anchorage, where she was kept for over three days. On 30th April, at 08h00 in the morning, she finally entered Port Elizabeth harbour, to go alongside the single tanker berth, and commenced her second South African port discharge.

This is the second time this year that ‘Minerva Joanna’ has called in to South Africa, on a similar itinerary. In January she completed a two port discharge voyage, also at Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, before ailing in ballast for the USA, and for Houston in Texas. After completion of two voyages to destinations in the Caribbean Sea, she loaded in Garyville, in Louisiana, for her current voyage to South Africa.

The loading port of Garyville, is actually a river port, located up the Mississippi River, and located at 30°03’ North 090° 37’ West, some 105 miles upriver from the point that a vessel enters the Mississippi River delta, at the Southwest Pass. The refinery is just north of the great city of New Orleans. For those folk who never know how to pronounce the name of New Orleans properly, the locals pronounce it as N’Awlins.

The Garyville refinery is also the newest refinery in the USA, and was completed in 1976. It is owned by the Marathon Petroleum Company, and is the third largest refinery in the USA. It is capable of processing a total of 596,000 barrels of oil per day, and produces petrol, diesel, propylene, butane, propane, asphalt, sulphur and pet coke.

Marathon Petroleum Company operates a total of 16 refineries in the USA, processing an astounding total amount of 2,913,000 barrels of oil per day. To put that into context, that amount is more than double the daily total production output of every single oilfield in Angola.

In March 2018 ‘Minerva Joanna’ had a major boiler malfunction, whilst off the Greek port of Kalamata. She entered the port, where the maritime authorities placed a Restriction of Navigation on her. This prevented her from sailing until such time that confirmation had been received that full repairs to the boiler had been carried out, and that the boiler malfunction had been rectified. She was allowed to sail from Kalamata after five days of undergoing repairs.

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Jesser Point Lighthouse completes 37 years of coastwatch service

Jesser Point Lighthouse marked 37 years of service at the end of April. It is situated along the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) coast at Sodwana Bay within the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

It is the most northerly light on South Africa’s east coast.

Jesser Point Lighthouse was first lit on the night of 30 April 1986, making it the country’s second youngest lighthouse after Groenriviermond on the Northern Cape coast. The 11-metre cylindrical concrete tower is painted white with a red lantern house, and the optic produces four flashes every 40 seconds.

It is connected to the mains supply and has a standby diesel generator.

Jesser Point Lighthouse is fully automated and is not manned. Scheduled maintenance is performed by teams from Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) in Richards Bay, some 200 kilometres way.

Maintenance visits are scheduled every three months, and teams spend up to a week on site checking and servicing the optic and lantern house glazings, the tower, and the standby diesel engine. The area is world-renowned for its pristine beauty and wildlife. Maintenance teams remain on high alert for the potential risks posed by the resident crocodiles, hippopotamuses, and Black Mambas.

Jesser Point is one of 44 operational lighthouses along the coast, from Port Nolloth in the west to Sodwana Bay in the east. TNPA is mandated by the National Ports Act, 2005 (Act No.12 of 2005) to provide, operate and maintain lighthouses and other marine Aids to Navigation (AtoNs) to assist the navigation of vessels within commercial port limits and along the coast of South Africa.

A marine AtoN is defined as: ‘A device, system or service, external to vessels, designed and operated to enhance safe and efficient navigation of individual vessels and/or vessel traffic.’

This definition emanates from the International Association of Marine Aids to Navigation and Lighthouse Authorities (IALA), the international body that sets the global standards, recommendations, and guidelines for marine AtoNs. South Africa, represented by TNPA, is a founder member of IALA and has been an elected council member since 1994.

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Suez Canal Authority orders six new tugs and a floating dock

The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has placed orders for six new tugs and a large floating dock for delivery by the end of 2023.

Three of the tugs are being built at the Port Said Shipyard in Egypt, while the other three are under construction in China.

Names for the six tugs have been announced, they are Mohamed Negm, Mohamed al-Ghamry, and Galal El Dib which are being built in Egypt, and Amin Zeid, Mohamed Beshir, and Nabil al-Helaly for the Chinese-built vessels.

Each are of the same design, with a length of 32 metres and beam of 12.8m and bollard pull of 75 tons and equipped with ASD propellers.

The announcement states that construction is well underway with testing due to commence in the second half of this year.

The floating dock, described as a ‘floating port’ will have a length of 260 metres and width of 62m and a load capacity of 35,000 tons. This is due for completion and handover next month in June 2023.

The dock will apparently carry the name ‘Pride of the Canal’

It is not stated where this dock will be situated.

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HM The King presents RN with new colours

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

In an historic ceremony at Buckingham Palace on 27 April, a unique flag – bearing the King’s Royal Cypher and touched by his hand – was entrusted to the Royal Navy, at the sane time as similar presentations were made to the Army and Royal Air Force.

A 56-strong Naval Guard of Honour, comprising three officers, one warrant officer and 52 ranks and rates, accompanied by musicians, including the Band of HM Royal Marines Portsmouth, attended the 45-minute ceremony.

The King’s Colour replaces the flag His Majesty’s late mother presented to the Senior Service two decades ago. It features the sovereign’s monogram featuring the initials of their name and title, rex (king), alongside a representation of the crown.

The old Colours were marched off before The King and Queen Consort arrived at the North Lawn of Buckingham Palace’s garden where Royal Navy personnel, The King’s Company of the Grenadier Guards and The King’s Colour Squadron of the Royal Air Force assembled with the Band of the Royal Marines Portsmouth and the Band of the Royal Air Force Regiment.

Following a Royal Salute and the National Anthem, the three Colours were blessed by the Bishop of the Forces, Hugh Nelson, in the presence of First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Ben Key and Chaplain of the Fleet The Reverend Andrew Hillier, the respective heads and senior chaplains of the Army and RAF, and Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin.

The King then presented the new Colours, before returning to the dais to address those on parade, followed by a final Royal Salute and the march off of the parade.

Admiral Key said: “It was an honour to be presented with new Colours today by The King in a ceremony that reflected the deeply-personal nature of His Majesty’s life-long relationship with all three Services.

“The Royal Navy is particularly proud of His Majesty’s time spent in the service in the 1970s that included flying helicopters with 845 Naval Air Squadron and commanding the minesweeper HMS Bronington*.

“We are very much looking forward to playing our part in the Coronation celebrations next week, and continuing to serve His Majesty and the Nation.”

The Colours comprise a double folded silk White Ensign with a hand-embroidered crown and new Royal Cypher. It took 400 hours to produce by Essex firm Wyedean Weaving.

Measuring 44in by 36in (111cm x 91cm) with a gold and blue silk cord and gold tassels, the Colours are carried on a staff of ash which is 7ft (213cm) in length.

* Of the same Ton-Class is SAS Durban M1499 currently part of the Port Natal Maritime Museum’s collection of historic ships.

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Maersk lays plans for landmark green methanol ship arrival

In anticipation of the arrival in Copenhagen of the world’s first container vessel sailing on green methanol, A.P. Moller – Maersk is planning a week of festivities, including the name giving event and other activities.

This takes place between 18 and 21 September in Copenhagen, Denmark, when the 2,100 TEU feeder vessel becomes a small piece of history in the shipping industry.

The dual-fuel engine vessel will pause in Copenhagen right outside the Maersk headquarters on its way to the Baltic Sea, where she will be operating going forward. The feeder vessel will bring real experience for Maersk seafarers in operating the new type of fuel, as the company prepares to receive a fleet of new, large ocean-going dual-fuel engine powered ships from 2024.

Maersk aims to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions in 2040 across the entire business. To get there in time, the company aims to transport a minimum 25% of ocean cargo using green fuels by 2030 compared to a 2020 baseline. Receiving the landmark dual-fuel engine feeder vessel is a major step toward the long-term objective of gradually renewing the entire Maersk fleet to operate solely on green fuels and making a tangible impact in the industry’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The 172-metre-long vessel will leave the Hyundai Mipo Dockyard in Korea this Northern Hemisphere summer to embark on her maiden voyage to Copenhagen. The vessel will have a container capacity of 2,100 TEU and she sails at a designed speed of 17,4 knots.

During her week in Copenhagen, the vessel will formally receive her name during a ceremony at Toldboden, next to the company’s headquarters. A.P. Moller – Maersk will host events for employees, partners, investors, students and the area will be open for the public to take a closer look at the new vessel from the dock and learn more about the efforts to decarbonise the shipping industry.

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Tanzania to sign contracts for three new lake ships

The Tanzanian government expects to sign contracts for the construction of three ships to operate on Lakes Tanganyika and Victoria.

This was announced in parliament last week by the deputy minister for Works and Transport, Mr Atupele Mwakibete, who said the contracts will be issued before the end of this fiscal year.

In addition, the government is preparing to sign another contract for the refurbishment of the Lake Tanganyika ship, the mv LIEMBA.

The deputy minister said two of the new vessels will operate on Lake Tanganyika and one on Lake Victoria.

Tanzania has shown renewed interest in lake shipping in recent years which has included improvements to harbour facilities at Mwanza.

This has come about as the standard gauge railway now under construction between Dar es Salaam and Mwanza on Lake Victoria advances further inland.

Although there has been talk of extending the SGR as far as the Rwanda and Uganda borders, the initial contracts will see the line ending at Mwanza on the south of Lake Victoria, with lake travel then taking over for the onward journey toward the neighbouring countries.

The SGR will also extend further west to the port city of of Kigoma although, as with Mwanza, this is already reached by Tanzania’s older metre gauge railway.

In order for Tanzania to encourage more custom to the port at Dar es Salaam from its neighbouring countries, both the railway and lake transport networks have required upgrading.

In response to a question from the MP for Muleba North, Minister Mwakibete said the government was aware of the need for transport in the Muleba region, particularly for the people living in the islands. He said the Marine Services Company Ltd (MSCL) has therefore allocated the mv CLARIS to provide services among the Godziba Islands in the Muleba District and for the Ukerewe District’s Gana Islands.

Although the Claris had commenced these services on 3 March, the ferry experienced technical problems on 22 March and was undergoing repairs, with a return to service expected in early May.

The deputy minister said that with regard to lake services to Uganda and Kenya, MSCL will commence these services using the mv MWANZA HAPA KAZI TU as soon as its construction is completed.*

“MV Victoria will not be able to be used as it is the only ship that is reliable in the provision of transport services between Mwanza and Bukoba through Kemondo and is a great help to the residents of the area,” he said. source: Daily News, Tanzania

* See related article in Africa Ports & Ships by CLICKING HERE

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WHARF TALK: seismic survey vessel – SW DUCHESS

Pictures by ‘Dockrat’
Story by Jay Gates

Despite the recent history of local environmental activists able to stop one of the more prominent offshore seismic survey on the South African east coast, using evidence that was considered flimsy at best, and fanciful at worst, it has not stopped other seismic surveys around the Southern African coast taking place.

Not long afterwards, a seismic survey on the West coast was completed with little activism being displayed against it, which simply highlighted the selective nature of these demonstrations. Just north of the Orange River, in Namibian waters, there have been a number of seismic surveys taking place, and currently there are two seismic survey vessels working, on surveys that have been underway for more than six months, and with no press coverage.

One of the seismic survey vessels operating in Namibia belongs to the same company that operates the ‘Amazon Warrior’, which was the vessel that caused all the furore back in December 2021. The company is Shearwater Geoservices, and they are very active worldwide in the oil and gas industry. As one would expect, whenever seismic survey vessels are transiting from one contract to another, especially between the eastern and western hemispheres, that you are likely to see one turn up in a South Africa port as part of that transit voyage.

On 22nd April , at 05h00 in the early morning, the seismic survey vessel SW DUCHESS (IMO 9378216) arrived off Cape Town, from Singapore, and entered Cape Town harbour and, unusually for such a vessel, was taken into the Duncan Dock to go alongside the Passenger Terminal at E berth. Despite her background, her arrival was not linked to any South African oil and gas survey requirement, but rather one for an uplift of bunkers, stores, and a crew change.

After two days alongside at E berth, where she took on bunkers from one of the Cape Town resident bunker tankers, she shifted across the Duncan Dock, and went to the Repair Quay, which gave a strong indication that she required some local engineering support, and the need to fix a technical problem prior to her sailing on to her next destination.

Built in 2011 in two phases, with her hull being built by the Astillero Juliana shipyard at Gijon in Spain, ‘SW Duchess’ was then towed to the Factorias Vulcano shipyard at Vigo in Spain for completion and outfitting. She is 107 metres in length and has a deadweight of 2,978 tons. She is powered by two MAN-B&W 9L32/40CD 9 cylinder 4 stroke main engines producing 6,035 bhp (4,500 kW), driving two Kamewa-Ulstein controllable pitch propellers which allow her to operate in two modes, one at a transit speed of 17 knots, and one of a towing speed of 5 knots.

Her auxiliary machinery includes two MAN-B&W 6L32/40CD generators providing 3,000 kW each, a single Mitsubishi S12R-M(P)TA harbour generator providing 1,130 kW, and a single MAN D2866 LXE20 emergency generator providing 200 kW. She has a single Vulcano Sadeca exhaust gas boiler, and a single Vulcano Sadeca oil fired boiler.

For added manoeuvrability she has an Ulstein Aquamaster UL2001 bow azimuth thruster providing 1,500 kW, a Kamewa-Ulstein TT2400 DPN bow transverse thruster providing 1,200 kW, and a Kamewa-Ulstein TT1650 DPN stern transverse thruster providing 750 kW.

One of three sisterships built to a design type ST-321, ‘SW Duchess’ has accommodation for 60 persons. She has an endurance of 25 days, and has a stern helideck, 21 metres in diameter, to allow operations by helicopters up to the size of the largest offshore helicopter, the Sikorsky S-92A. Her onboard power production gives her an impressive bollard pull of 210 tons, and this high bollard pull is required as ‘SW Duchess’ is designed to tow up to 16 seismic streamers arrays on 3D Broadband surveys.

Her towing array has a 1,400 metre spread, and uses Sentinel streamer cables, and Nautilus streamer positioning systems. She carries an astonishing 290 km of Sentinel streamer cable onboard, and her Nautilus streamer positioning systems provides both individual streamer steering, and streamer positioning, using a Trinav 6 positioning system.

As its name implies, Trinav utilises positioning data from three separate positioning systems, namely the American GPS, the Russian GLONASS, and the European GALILEO navigation systems. As well as accurate latitude and longitude data, it provides speed, heading, roll, pitch and yaw data to onboard recording systems, which result in super accurate seabed data maps.

The seismic gun array is provided by a Gunlink 4000 Acoustic Source system, and each shot collects 500MB of seismic data. The data received back from the 16 cable seismic array is capable of onboard storage, with 300TB of data storage available, using 192 cores.

Owned by Shearwater Geoservices Assets AS, of Bergen in Norway, ‘SW Duchess’ is operated by Shearwater Geoservices Ltd., of Horley in England, and she is managed by Reflection Marine (UK) Ltd., also of Horley. The owning company is the largest marine seismic company in the world, and currently operates a fleet of 23 seismic survey vessels.

The ‘SW’ prefix in the name of ‘SW Duchess’ does not indicate a compass heading of South West, but is an abbreviation of ‘Shearwater’. The casual maritime observers, who also have an interest in ornithology, will know that the Shearwater is a species of seabird, so named because they fly extremely close to the surface of the sea, and seemingly shear off the tips of the oceanic waves.

Shearwater was formed in 2016 as a joint venture (JV) between the Rasmussengruppen AS, of Kristiansand in Norway, and G.C. Rieber Shipping ASA, of Bergen in Norway. G.C. Rieber are well known as the owners of both polar exploration, and offshore support vessels, with many of their polar vessels calling at Cape Town en route to and from Antarctica. Vessels such as Polar Circle, Polarbjørn, Polar Queen, HMS Endurance, HMS Protector, and RRS Ernest Shackleton have all called at the Mother City, and all of them are from the Rieber stable.

The arrival of ‘SW Duchess’ in Cape Town was after a period of layup and refit in Singapore. Prior to this she has been carrying out survey work in Vietnam, Southeast Asia, Australia and India, which included surveys off the east coast in the Bay of Bengal, and off the west coast in the Arabian Sea. Prior to this she operated in the North Sea, Norwegian Sea and Barents Sea.

Shearwater Geoservices are also heavily involved in providing seismic surveys off the coast of Brazil for the state owned Petrobras company. In this coming year they are contracted to conduct multiple surveys for Petrobras, including Ocean Bottom Node (OBN) surveys for the Grand Iara project, which takes in the Berbigão, Sururu, and Atapu field reservoirs in the Santos Basin. They are also conducting 4D seismic surveys on the Jubarte, Baleia Anã, and Tartaruga Verde field reservoirs in the Campos Basin.

After spending just over three days alongside the Repair Quay in Cape Town harbour, the maintenance issue for ‘SW Duchess’ was resolved satisfactorily, and she ready to sail for her next survey contract, which was not to be in South Africa. On 27th April, at 16h00 in the afternoon, she sailed from Cape Town, bound for Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, where she will be prepared, and outfitted, to take up one of the Petrobras seismic survey requirements.

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Large WW Ocean roro car carrier calls at Durban

One of the larger roro car carriers afloat today, the 265-metre long, 32m wide SALOME (IMO 9515412), called at Durban last week to discharge and load cars at the port’s car terminal on the Point.

The ship’s stern ramp has a load capacity of 505 tons, a width of 12 metres and a main deck height of 7.1 metres.

Although capable of carrying up to 6,004 motor vehicles, the ship, owned by WWL Shipowning Singapore Pte and managed by Wallenius Marine Singapore Pte, was carrying a ‘mere’ 2,813 cars, 465 high and heavy units, and 93 breakbulk pieces. These latter items can be earthmoving equipment or other heavy industrial machinery.

A spokesperson for the TNPA at Durban called the ship’s arrival a ‘milestone’ for the port.

“We are hoping to attract more vessels of this magnitude and are ready to handle their associated growth in volumes,” said Durban Port Manager, Mpumi Dweba-Kwetana.

Salome was built in 2012 at the MHI Nagasaki Shipyard & Engine Works in Nagasaki, Japan. Although her dimensions are impressive her car carrying capacity of 6,004 ceu is surprisingly lower than many other large car carriers, including WW Ocean’s Hero class which are capable of loading 8,000 motor cars.

The fleet includes other car carriers that have a capacity of 7,934 ceu, one of which carries a local name of TUGELA.

Niran Sheoprosad, Head of WW Ocean South Africa, explained that the Mark V vessels (Salome) are uniquely designed to have more roro decks than car decks and the ability to drive up to the weather deck to load cargo.

“Even with heavy loads, she still manages to keep a light draught to call most ports,” he said.

WW Ocean’s fleet incorporates 5 classes of roro vessels, with each class differing in terms of dimensions, capacity, deck configuration and cargo carrying capabilities.

Salome arrived in Durban on 28 April at 17h33 from Santander in Spain and before that, Southampton. Having completed her cargo working, the ship departed for Melbourne on 29 April at 20h30.

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TotalEnergies hesitates over Mozambique LNG restart: contractors told to be reasonable

‘Mozambique begs Total again’
Total CEO: ‘We are not in a hurry’
No aid for reconstruction

by Joseph Hanlon
Mozambique News Reports and Clippings

Three contradictory statements in the past week highlight the failure to reach agreement on a resumption of the Cabo Delgado gas project. This points to very difficult negotiations continuing, which will require serious concessions from Frelimo. It appears that TotalEnergies is moving toward a security and development enclave of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia districts, where both insurgents and greedy elites are kept at a distance.

The first of the three statements was on Wednesday (26 April) by President Filipe Nyusi. This gained the headline “Please Come Back, Mozambique Begs Total Again” in the industry newsletter Africa Oil+Gas Report (27 Apr). It was reporting Nyusi’s keynote address at the Mozambique Mining & Energy Conference in Maputo, where he said “The working environment and security in northern Mozambique makes it possible for Total to resume its activities at any time.”

The next day, TotalEnergies rejected Nyusi’s plea. “We are not in a hurry” to return to Mozambique, Patrick Pouyanne, Total Energies Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, told an “earnings telephone call” with investors. He added that it is “premature” to talk about a return to Cabo Delgado. See transcript HERE

The third statement was on 23 April by Thibault Lemaire, the economist from the African department of the IMF. He told Lusa that he expects the consortiums led by TotalEnergies of France and ExxonMobil of the US to start gas production n 2027 and 2029, respectively. That would only be possible if work had already started at the Afungi terminal site.

Contractors

There are three reasons for Pouyanne’s lack of haste. First he insists that contractors can only return if they charge the same price as when the project was halted two years, and do not raise their prices. Pouyanne told investors that “I commented recently that we need to have contractors on board. Some of them are not, so we will rebid some of the packages,” he said. “We don’t see why we should pay more”. Second, he is convinced he can sell that gas even with a delay (see more below).

Corruption & Human Rights

But there is a third reason. Pouyanne has repeatedly stressed that a return is conditional on security, and on the return to normal life in Palma and Mocimboa da Praia districts with an end to corruption and human rights violations and resumption of government services. This was clearly not happening. Since the beginning for the year, Pouyanne has had his personal representative Jean-Christophe Rufin in negotiation with the government. Total has had significant on-the-ground involvement in helping the return of displaced people and businesses, particularly in Palma.

Nothing has been said publicly, but the issue appears to be of control of money and development and what portion of any money goes to the Frelimo elite.

Indications are that TotalEnergies is keeping a tight control over its money and spending in its reconstruction project, and trying to keep Frelimo at arms length. Frelimo leaders and local officials are losing power and money, while local people are gaining a voice.

Jean-Christophe Rufin has talked to many people in Cabo Delgado and elsewhere in Mozambique. It appears that he and TotalEnergies CEO Patrick Pouyanne have realised there can only be peace and security for the gas project if local people and companies also benefit, and not just key people in Frelimo.

What appears to be emerging is a mixed security and development zone, covering all of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia districts. Rwanda forces will maintain security and keep insurgents out the enclave. TotalEnergies will oversee a return to normality and then development, where people feel that are profiting from the gas project. Frelimo, the Mozambican military, and South African and other military forces – and probably the insurgents – will continue to play a role in the rest of Cabo Delgado. But if the Frelimo oligarchs agree, gas will go ahead in a development and security enclave of Palma and Mocimboa da Praia, where Frelimo’s writ will not run.
source: Mozambique News Reports and Clippings, with permission

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TotalEnergies hesita sobre o reinício do GNL em Moçambique: empreiteiros aconselhados a serem razoáveis

‘Moçambique volta a implorar à Total’
CEO Total: ‘Não temos pressa’
Sem ajuda para a reconstrução

por Joseph Hanlon
Reportagens e Recortes de Notícias de Moçambique

Três declarações contraditórias na semana passada destacam o fracasso em chegar a um acordo sobre a retomada do projeto de gás de Cabo Delgado. Isto aponta para a continuação de negociações muito difíceis, que exigirão sérias concessões da Frelimo. Parece que a TotalEnergies está se movendo em direção a um enclave de segurança e desenvolvimento dos distritos de Palma e Mocímboa da Praia, onde tanto os insurgentes quanto as elites gananciosas são mantidos à distância.

A primeira das três declarações foi na quarta-feira (26 de abril) do Presidente Filipe Nyusi. Isso ganhou a manchete “Por favor, volte, Moçambique implora total novamente” no boletim da indústria Africa Oil+Gas Report (27 de abril). Foi relatando o discurso de abertura de Nyusi na Conferência de Mineração e Energia de Moçambique em Maputo, onde disse “O ambiente de trabalho e segurança no norte de Moçambique permite que a Total retome suas atividades a qualquer momento.”

No dia seguinte, a TotalEnergies rejeitou o apelo de Nyusi. “Não temos pressa” para regressar a Moçambique, disse Patrick Pouyanne, presidente e CEO da Total Energies, num “telefonema de resultados” com investidores. Acrescentou que é “prematuro” falar em regresso a Cabo Delgado. Consulte transcrição AQUI

A terceira declaração foi em 23 de abril de Thibault Lemaire, economista do departamento africano do FMI. Disse à Lusa que espera que os consórcios liderados pela TotalEnergies de França e ExxonMobil dos EUA iniciem a produção de gás em 2027 e 2029, respetivamente. Isso só seria possível se já tivessem começado os trabalhos no local do terminal de Afungi.

Empreiteiros

Há três razões para a falta de pressa de Pouyanne. Primeiro, ele insiste que os empreiteiros só podem voltar se cobrarem o mesmo preço de quando o projeto foi interrompido por dois anos e não aumentarem seus preços. Pouyanne disse aos investidores que “comentei recentemente que precisamos ter empreiteiros a bordo. Alguns deles não, então vamos refazer alguns dos pacotes”, disse ele. “Não vemos por que devemos pagar mais”. Em segundo lugar, ele está convencido de que pode vender esse gás mesmo com atraso (veja mais abaixo).

Corrupção e Direitos Humanos

Mas há uma terceira razão. Pouyanne sublinhou repetidamente que o regresso está condicionado à segurança e ao regresso à vida normal nos distritos de Palma e Mocímboa da Praia com o fim da corrupção e violações dos direitos humanos e retoma dos serviços governamentais. Isso claramente não estava acontecendo. Desde o início do ano, Pouyanne mantém seu representante pessoal, Jean-Christophe Rufin, em negociação com o governo. A Total teve um envolvimento significativo no terreno para ajudar no regresso de pessoas e empresas deslocadas, particularmente em Palma.

Nada foi dito publicamente, mas a questão parece ser o controlo do dinheiro e do desenvolvimento e que parte do dinheiro vai para a elite da Frelimo.

As indicações são de que a TotalEnergies está mantendo um controle rígido sobre seu dinheiro e gastos em seu projeto de reconstrução e tentando manter a Frelimo à distância. Os líderes da Frelimo e autoridades locais estão perdendo poder e dinheiro, enquanto a população local está ganhando voz.

Jean-Christophe Rufin conversou com muitas pessoas em Cabo Delgado e em outros lugares de Moçambique. Parece que ele e o CEO da TotalEnergies, Patrick Pouyanne, perceberam que só pode haver paz e segurança para o projeto de gás se as pessoas e empresas locais também se beneficiarem, e não apenas pessoas-chave na Frelimo.

O que parece estar a emergir é uma zona mista de segurança e desenvolvimento, abrangendo todos os distritos de Palma e Mocímboa da Praia. As forças de Ruanda manterão a segurança e manterão os insurgentes fora do enclave. A TotalEnergies vai supervisionar o regresso à normalidade e depois o desenvolvimento, onde as pessoas sentem que estão a lucrar com o projecto de gás. A Frelimo, os militares moçambicanos, e sul-africanos e outras forças militares – e provavelmente os insurgentes – continuarão a desempenhar um papel no resto de Cabo Delgado. Mas se os oligarcas da Frelimo concordarem, o gás irá avançar num enclave de desenvolvimento e segurança de Palma e Mocímboa da Praia, onde o mandato da Frelimo não será executado.
fonte: Reportagens e Recortes de Notícias de Moçambique

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Gordhan finally leaves for China: hoping to unblock deliveries of Transnet locos and spares

The Minister of Public Enterprises, Pravin Gordhan has left for China in an effort to unblock the delivery of locomotives and spares.

This is over a month after President Ramaphosa announced that Gordhan would go to China in early April where he would meet with his counterparts and representatives of the Chinese state-owned CRRC e-Loco company.

The Chinese company cancelled further deliveries of both locomotives and urgently needed spares after a dispute over the pricing and commissions of these and other locomotives. The dispute arose after the findings of the Zondo Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of State Capture, Corruption and Fraud in the Public Sector including Transnet.

This led to the deliveries of locos out of an order for 1,064 from several manufacturers, being cancelled by CRRC e-Loco, which also included the cancellation of spare parts.

This has effectively crippled Transnet Freight Rail which has several hundred locomotives stranded in workshops for want of new spare parts. Also crippled are the mining companies unable to rail vital export commodities,coal and iron ore in particular, to the ports such as Richards Bay and Saldanha.

Mainly a result of this, the Richards Bay Coal Terminal last year exported a little over 50 million tonnes of coal – down from the mid 60 million tonnes it had expected to handle.

According to the Department of Public Enterprises, Minister Gordhan “is leading a delegation to the People’s Republic of China to meet with his counterparts in the Chinese government as part of efforts to fast- tract the delivery of locomotives and spare parts by the Chinese state owned CRRC e-Loco supply to Transnet.

“Minister Gordhan is hopeful that talks with his Chinese counterparts will yield positive results in the interest of both state-owned companies and in particular to ensure the effective and efficient South African logistics and network services for the benefit of country’s economy.”

Following his return, the Department will confirm the date for the Minister’s appearance before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (SCOPA) on a date to be agreed with the committee.

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Satellite technology: Transformation of African agriculture

Edited by Paul Ridgway
London

In 2022, heavy rains and severe floods ravaged Nigeria, damaging thousands of hectares of land. The country’s annual maize and rice production fell by an estimated 12% and 21%, respectively.

With such destructive weather events on the rise globally, Nigeria – home to more than 200 million people – is turning to technology to better prepare its farmers and agricultural sector. It has found satellite-based crop monitoring solutions particularly useful. This was reported by UNCTAD on 28 April.

CropWatch

Africa’s most populous nation is part of the CropWatch innovation cooperation programme launched in 2021 by UNCTAD, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Alliance of International Science Organizations – a non-profit and non-governmental entity.

In the words of Rakiya Babamaaji, an assistant director at Nigeria’s national space research and development agency (NASRDA): “Stable crop monitoring using remote sensing data provides powerful information for planning and significantly improves the quality, efficiency and technical depth of decision-making in our agricultural sector.”

Nigerian experts trained through the programme are customizing the CropWatch platform to the local context. The system uses satellite data to monitor crop growth and other climate-related conditions, such as biomass, temperature and precipitation, to improve farm management.

Powerful tool by and for developing countries

Earth observation and crop monitoring technologies hold huge potential for agriculture, but using them – especially on a massive scale – can be challenging and costly for developing nations.

The CropWatch programme harnesses the power of South-South cooperation to overcome many of the hurdles. It allows participating countries to access much-needed technology, along with training on adapting the system to specific local requirements.

“Through training and hands-on practice, pilot countries can do the monitoring by using the CropWatch platform, without additional investment on storage and computation in the long run,” said Bingfang Wu, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Science.

The programme currently bolsters agricultural monitoring in 14 developing countries across Asia and Africa, accelerating progress towards zero hunger – a key ambition outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The work was the result of discussions at the United Nations Commission on Science and Technology for Development (CSTD), to which UNCTAD provides substantive support.

Mauritius

Another country that is part of the programme is Mauritius, a small island developing nation that imports 75% of its food.

To ensure food security, the country seeks to urgently boost local agriculture production and must overcome challenges from a changing climate that has brought more droughts, flash floods and cyclones in recent years.

Mauritius uses CropWatch to help enhance early warning mechanisms, quickly assess crop damage after a disaster and get assistance to affected farmers. The system also helps the country trade more strategically thanks to the data it gathers on the supply of and demand for different crops.

Micheline Seenevassen Pillay, CEO of Mauritius’ Food and Agricultural Research and Extension Institute, commented: “This will mitigate price fluctuations due to erratic supply on the market and reduce food waste in case of surplus production. Moreover, with storage and distribution improvements, Mauritius will be able to reduce its food import bills.”

Regional workshops

Two regional worships are planned for 2023 – in Mauritius in July and China in November. They will gather from participating countries policymakers, scientists and technical experts aspiring to tap satellite technology for agricultural transformation.

To join CropWatch

More information is available online for countries interested in joining the CropWatch programme HERE

YouTube video, introducing Satellite-based crop monitoring [3:19]

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Xeneta rates alert: long-term ocean freight rates slump over 10% in April Update

The container shipping industry endured a torrid time in April, with global long-term ocean freight rates diving 10.6%, according to the latest data from Oslo’s Xeneta.

A raft of newly negotiated contracts, with prices reflecting the low market demand and high capacity, dragged rates down across the board – with all regional trade lanes registering month-on-month declines. Xeneta’s Shipping Index (XSI®), which crowd-sources container rates data to track real-time developments, shows prices have now slumped 13.6% in 2023 alone.

Shifting sentiment

“This is now the eighth consecutive month of falls and, at over 10%, certainly one of the most noteworthy,” comments Xeneta CEO Patrik Berglund.

“This demonstrates, as explained at the time, that March’s dip of just 0.5% was somewhat misleading. It was basically the quiet before the storm as new contracts, at significantly lower prices, were waiting to take effect in April. We can now see the dramatic impact of that.”

He continues: “The carriers are in a tight spot, with global economic and geopolitical factors hitting demand and putting shippers in the driving seat when it comes to long-term negotiations. That said, year-on-year rates are still 5% up. But, to demonstrate the sea change in market sentiment here, they were up a huge 118.5% between April 2021 and April 2022. So, given the fact that fundamentals remain weak, it looks unlikely that year-on-year growth will be maintained much longer. We can very likely expect further falls ahead.

Turning down the volume

April’s XSI® makes for grim reading for carriers. After over two years of spectacular rates growth, they’re now watching both volumes and margins steadily dissolve. Every one of XSI®’s regional sub-indices reflected that reality.

In Europe, the import XSI registered its largest ever decline, with long-term rates falling by 19.5% month-on-month. The story wasn’t much better for exports, with the sub-index dropping 15.8%. Both inbound and outbound container volumes for the region have dried up in 2023, with outbound falling 10%, while inbound volumes sank 9.1% in the first two months alone (February saw the lowest import volumes in three years for the trade).

Double digit dips

The Far East corridors fared no better. The export sub-index dropped 10% from March, having now shed 18.2% of its value since the start of the year. Carriers are working hard to reduce capacity, through a mixture of removing services and blanking sailings, which is helping elevate the average filling factor (from 84% in Q4 2022 to 87% in Q1 2023 for the Far East to Europe, the US and the East Coast of South America) but failing to arrest rates falls. Volumes, meanwhile, have dropped by 14%.

Far East import rates also slipped through April, with the backhaul sub-index ending the month 15.5% down.

Predicting problems

It was a tale of two trades in the US. The import XSI saw the smallest month-on-month decrease of all the regional sub-indices, dipping by 1.5%. However, with 1 May looming as the date when a raft of new contracts enter validity, this minor shift may mask true long-term contracted reality. As such, Berglund expects next month’s falls to “accelerate”. However, he also notes that spot rates actually increased into both US coasts in April, as carriers successfully pushed through GRIs.

In contrast to US imports, the XSI for US exports saw the largest month-on-month drop of all the sub-indices, collapsing 18.9%. This is now the trade with the lowest levels of increase since January 2017.

“The picture is complex,” Berglund concludes, “and, as with wider market drivers and geopolitical maneuvering, problematic to predict. But it’s difficult to see signs of upswing on the horizon in Q2 as we leave behind a challenging Q1. The carriers look to have a fight on their hands if they hope to protect their all-important long-term contracted rates. Our data will show just how well they manage in the months to come.”

To learn more, visit www.xeneta.com

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In Conversation: Africa’s oceans are being protected to serve the interests of big foreign corporates

Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, University of St Andrews and Freedom C. Onuoha, University of Nigeria

Africa’s valuable ocean resources have drawn the interest of foreign nations, particularly those in the West and Asia.

How they exploit these resources can be problematic because these oceans offer a wide range of important resources – from fish to minerals and hydrocarbons – that are also crucial to the continent’s economy and food security.

But, in some countries, foreign interests dominate. For instance, the continent’s oil exploration, shipping, ports infrastructure, and industrial fishing sectors are sometimes dominated by foreign companies.

Angola’s oil production, for example, is dominated by the major international oil exploration and production companies including Total (France) with a 41% market share, Chevron (US) with 26%, Exxon Mobil (US) with 19%, and BP (UK) with 13%.

And so, despite these waters being vital to African countries and their citizens, foreign actors will act in a way that’s in their best interests – at times to the detriment of African countries and citizens.

One illustration of this relates to maritime (ocean) security. The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) stipulates that coastal countries are responsible for managing the security of their territorial waters (up to 12 nautical miles from their shorelines) and that of their exclusive economic zones, between 12 and 200 nautical miles from their shoreline. This includes protection against unlawful acts at sea, such as illegal fishing, piracy and armed robbery, terrorism and other related crimes.

However, the same convention allows other countries to act, against piracy, for example, in the exclusive economic zones.

Drawing on our expertise on African maritime governance and security, we reviewed literature, databases of policy documents and maritime security reports, to explore how non-African countries selectively frame what constitutes threats. How these threats are framed determines the response to them and how those response are resourced. The effect is that it undermines a holistic notion of maritime security that would benefit the African people.

We argue that the focus by non-African countries is on piracy and armed robbery at sea which threaten resource extraction, transportation and safety. They hardly focus on the protection of Africa’s marine resources, in particular from pollution and illegal fishing caused by foreign powers.

This approach is illogical. It fails to recognise that there’s a link between deprivation and maritime crimes, including piracy and armed robbery at sea. African coastal communities, many of whom are already marginalised and deprived, are highly dependent on marine resources. The depletion of these resources only worsens their situation. Failure to prioritise the protection of African marine resources will push people further into poverty and continue the cycle of insecurity at sea.

Fighting piracy

The foreign focus on piracy is clear. Over 20 United Nations Security Council Resolutions or presidential statements have been issued on piracy in the Gulf of Aden (East Africa) and the Gulf of Guinea (West and Central Africa).

Piracy is a problem. It can involve kidnap for ransom and, in extreme cases, can lead to the death of crew members. Between 2005 and 2012, pirates in the Gulf of Aden received an estimated US$500 million ransom. Almost 2,000 sailors were kidnapped and many were killed.

At the heights of piracy in the Gulf of Guinea, pirates accrued about US$4 million every year.

The first UN resolutions on piracy in Africa were introduced in the Gulf of Aden in 2008 and in the Gulf of Guinea in 2011. Since then, piracy incidents have reduced in both Gulfs.

Fish and the environment

But the problem is, the focus of African nations needs to be on the protection of fish stocks and the environment which affects the livelihoods and food sources of African citizens. Some threats – like oil pollution and illegal fishing – are often perpetrated by foreign entities.

Fish is a source of food and income for millions of Africans. When there’s less fish catch, poverty increases as do the number of out of school children and poor health.

Yet, as we found during our research, no UN resolutions exist for environmental degradation or marine resource plunder. This is typically caused by pollution and illegal fishing perpetrated by foreign companies and distant water vessels.

An agreement to put an end to harmful fisheries subsidies, which enable overfishing and illegal fishing, was adopted at the World Trade Organisation’s ministerial conference in 2022. But, to date, only four countries have accented to the agreement.

Along with pollution, overfishing and illegal fishing are key factors that contribute to the depletion of Africa’s fish stocks, pushing people into poverty. In West Africa, for instance, the income of small-scale fishers decreased by up to 40% between 2006 and 2016. Reduced catch also led to a decrease in the availability, and an increase in prices, of fish for local consumption.

Illegal fishing

Illegal fishing, perpertrated largely by foreign fleets, exacerbates the depletion of fish stocks. It has a massive impact on economies. In West Africa it costs six countries an estimated US$2.3 billion every year.

Despite the international coalition’s success in neutralising piracy in the Gulf of Aden, illegal fishing by foreign vessels continues to pose a significant threat to the food and economic security of millions of Africans.

What’s ironic is that illegal fishing has been cited as a major contributory factor to piracy in the Gulf of Aden. And in the Gulf of Guinea, historical pollution by foreign oil companies, and resulting deprivation, gave way to militancy which morphed into piracy.

Conceivably, as more people are pushed into poverty, more people are pushed towards criminal activities, including piracy-related activities.

Shifting focus

Focusing mainly on piracy isn’t the solution. Its root causes – depleted fish stocks, loss of livelihoods and poverty – need to be addressed.

Maritime safety and security in Africa will only be achieved when the same level of attention and resources that are given to countering piracy by African governments and their foreign counterparts is extended to sustainable fisheries and curbing of marine pollution.

Achieving this balance requires several clear actions.

5 steps to be taken

First, the African Union and Regional Economic Communities must take collective action to push for an end to exploitative relationships in the continent’s ocean resources. This includes urging the UN to recognise illegal fishing and associated crimes as grave security threats.

International partners must go beyond rhetoric and stop financing the exploitation of the continent’s resources through subsidies that allows for legal exploitation of depleted species and illegal fishing.

Secondly, African states should adopt a holistic approach to maritime security that encourages cooperation and collaboration across sectors, as outlined in the AIMS 2050 and Lomé Charter. This approach should use piracy countermeasures to combat illegal fishing and associated activities.

Third, to understand the impact of threats to maritime security and resource extraction, African voices (at the community level) should be reflected in the formulation of policies and strategies.

Fourth, while successful in reducing piracy, the current approach to maritime security in Africa is not sustainable. The root causes of insecurity, such as youth unemployment and environmental degradation, should be addressed. This requires urgent attention with a focus on social and ecological well-being.

Finally, the reduction in incidents of piracy and armed robbery at sea, especially in the Gulf of Guinea, is due to cooperation, collaboration and coordination between regional navies and their partners. This approach is widely recognised as sustainable. It should be maintained, and indeed extended to address other security threats at sea.

Taking these steps will ensure that no one is left behind and that the continent’s prospects for future prosperity are not undermined.

Ifesinachi Okafor-Yarwood, Lecturer, University of St Andrews and Freedom C. Onuoha, Professor of Political Science, University of Nigeria

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

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TNPA stages another roadshow for Transkei Grade 12 pupils

Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) recently held a Bursary Activation Roadshow targeting Grade 12 pupils studying science and mathematics.

The activations, which took place in Mbizana and Mthatha on 24 and 25 April 2023, provided valuable information to learners on maritime career opportunities.

During the two-day roadshow, TNPA met with over 1200 pupils who engaged in discussions and presentations, including a-day-in-the-life of-a –mariner sessions.

“This is an opportunity to provide learners with access to information so they can learn more about maritime-related careers,” said Simlindele Manqina, TNPA’s Senior Manager for Stakeholder Relations and Sustainability.

“The maritime industry offers exciting and challenging career opportunities, and these activations will assist in increasing awareness about available bursaries within TNPA.”

The career awareness and bursary drives are part of TNPA’s nationwide roadshow, targeting youth across the country, especially those within previously disadvantaged communities in rural and remote areas who have limited access to information.

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Added 2 May 2023

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Where Climate Harms Fisheries, Piracy Prospers

Rising temperatures have opposite impacts on piracy in East Africa and the South China Sea

A study published online last week (27 April 2023) in the American Meteorological Society journal Weather, Climate, and Society (WCAS) suggests that climate change is a key factor driving trends in maritime piracy off the coast of East Africa and the South China Sea. Rising sea surface temperatures affect regional fisheries differently, leading to changes in the timing and success of pirate attacks.

The study, by Bo Jiang, assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Macau, and Gary LaFree, distinguished university professor of criminology and criminal justice of the University of Maryland, College Park, illustrates the complex links between climate change and crime on the seas. The authors found that rising sea surface temperature had opposite effects in two of the world’s piracy hotspots: years with warmer seas have negatively impacted East African fisheries, leading to increased piracy, and positively impacted South China Sea fisheries, leading to decreased piracy in those waters.

Piracy in coastal East Africa and the South China Sea poses a major security threat and costs the shipping industry billions of dollars per year. “About 90% of the world’s traded goods are transported by sea,” notes LaFree. “It’s a huge part of international and global commerce.” Yet, Jiang says, “Pressing issues such as the connection between … piracy and climate change, have been basically a research vacuum because very few people have the expertise in both of these specialized areas.” He called for more interdisciplinary research in the future.

Illustration from Jiang and LaFree’s study, showing the frequency distribution of pirate attacks worldwide between 2006 and 2015.

‘Part-Time Pirates’ and Climate Change

Jiang and LaFree are among the first to establish a firm link between rising sea temperatures, fisheries, and pirate attacks (namely, the time between attacks and the likelihood of each attack’s success) — even when controlling for other influences like economic stress, private security guards on board, and local political corruption. The authors examined decades worth of pirate attacks ranging from the late 1990s to the early 2010s to show the significance of the relationship.

“In a timeline of roughly 20 years, we’re picking up statistically significant, measurable differences,” LaFree says. “I was somewhat surprised by how rapidly those changes are occurring, especially when you think of climate change most likely accelerating in the future.” This is likely due in part to how temperature-sensitive fish are, with the slightest change leading them to migrate to more hospitable areas.

Previous studies have shown that fishermen, who already possess the required seafaring skills, may resort to piracy when economic conditions are bad. “I grew up in Singapore,” Jiang says, “There are a lot of fishermen in nearby waters who are known as ‘standby pirates.’”

He adds that this is one of the first criminological studies to look at the economic decisions involved when fishermen turn to piracy and when they desist from it. It provides a direct test of rational choice theory, showing that piracy levels are affected by cost-benefit analysis on the part of local fishermen.

Dangerous Seas

Based on the trends they uncovered, Jiang and LaFree are sounding the alarm about maritime security trends, especially in East Africa. “If our arguments are correct, and sea temperatures continue to rise into the foreseeable future, the struggle against piracy in East Africa will become increasingly difficult,” they write in the WCAS paper.

“The big question here is, how do we diversify a fisherman’s income profile?” says Jiang. “For the governments of Somalia and Kenya and coastal states in East Africa, this is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed.”

LaFree adds that, like climate change, “The crime problems facing the world are increasingly global. … Having strong international participation is really going to be critical.” \

He also notes that the wealth of new insights from satellite technology and big data approaches are revolutionizing fields like criminology.

“While the problems we’re facing are getting worse, I think our scientific tools for exploring them and perhaps fashioning solutions are getting better. I see the next 20–30 years as a race between how bad things are going to get in terms of the social problems and how good our technologies for dealing with these social problems are.”

Read the study: Jiang, Bo, and Gary LaFree. 2023. ‘Climate Change, Fish Production, and Maritime Piracy’ – Weather, Climate, and Society (WCAS)

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Added 2 May 2023

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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

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