16 AUG 2025 The Panama Canal will soon begin consultations with companies about launching a competitive tender in the first quarter of next year offering two new ports for construction and operation within its zone, a source involved in the preparations said on Thursday. The ports are part of a broad expansion plan being organized by the waterway’s administration. It aims to increase …
Read More »INDIAN COURT DETAINS MORE MSC SHIPS AS MSC ELSA 3 CLAIMS GROW
16 AUG 2025 The legal woes for MSC Mediterranean Shipping Company are continuing in India, with the Kerala High Court continuing to side with plaintiffs and attach MSC vessels as collateral for the growing number of claims. Twice this week, the court has ordered ships detained at the Vizhinjam Port …
Read More »MICHIGAN MARITIME TRAINING SCHOOL OWNER PLEADS GUILTY TO FALSIFYING CAPTAIN’S COURSE RECORDS
14 AUG 2025 A St. Clair County man has pleaded guilty to falsifying records for students seeking to become credentialed merchant mariners, potentially endangering safety on the Great Lakes. The case is the latest highlighting ongoing concerns about mariner credential fraud. Mel Stackpoole, 62, owner and lead instructor of Great …
Read More »MAERSK CONTAINERSHIP REPORTS BOX FIRE AND DIVERTS FOR ASSISTANCE OFF AFRICA
14 AUG 2025 One of Maersk’s largest containerships, Marie Maersk (19,076 TEU), has reported a container fire as it was sailing southward along the African coast. The company is reporting that the crew is safe and the vessel is in a “stable condition,” as they were receiving landside support. “On …
Read More »BULKER GROUNDS IN ST. LAWRENCE RIVER RAISING WATER LEVEL QUESTIONS
13 AUG 2025 The Canadian Coast Guard issued a warning that a large bulker had grounded early on August 12, north of Montreal on the St. Lawrence River. While the authorities were quick to say they did not believe it was due to falling water levels, many have questioned the …
Read More »U.S. THREATENS TO RETALIATE AGAINST BACKERS OF IMO EMISSIONS DEAL
12 AUG 2025 Two months before IMO is set to approve a hotly-debated agreement to tax excess greenhouse gas emissions – an agreement that has been panned by some climate advocates as “too little, too late” – the Trump administration has pledged to fight the proposal and retaliate against any …
Read More »TURKEY RELEASES CAPTAIN JAILED FOR 30 YEARS FOR COCAINE IN CARGO
11 AUG 2025 Turkish authorities quietly late on Friday, August 8, released the Croatian Captain Marko Bekavac, who had been previously sentenced to 30 years in jail after authorities found cocaine aboard the bulker he was commanding. The captain and his family were surprised by the sudden move, which they …
Read More »FINLAND FILES CHARGES AGAINST CAPTAIN, OFFICERS OF SHADOW TANKER EAGLE S
11 AUG 2025 The Deputy Prosecutor General of Finland confirmed on August 11 that charges have been brought against the captain and the first and second officers of the tanker Eagle S related to the damage to five undersea cables on December 25, 2024. Finnish media had reported for months …
Read More »IRELAND TRACKS SHADOW TANKER AS IT AVOIDS SAILING THE ENGLISH CHANNEL
08 AUG 2025 Ireland reports that an increasing number of shadow fleet tankers are opting to sail along its west coast to avoid sailing through the English Channel, where they could be challenged by UK authorities to produce insurance documentation. The Irish Times reports the vessels are taking this longer …
Read More »PANAMA IS FIRST REGISTRY TO ENFORCE RULES TO CRACK DOWN ON STS ACTIONS
07 AUG 2025 The Panama Ship Registry started its new rules as of August 6, requiring reporting of planned ship-to-ship (STS) offshore oil transfers as the latest step in a series of crackdowns targeting the shadow tanker fleet. Panama had announced plans for the new rules in May, and highlights …
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