In Venezuela false flag shadow tanker detained
The Maritime Authority in Guyana is confirming media reports that a tanker being detained in Venezuela was flying a false flag and not legitimately linked to Guyana. The Venezuelan military authorities reportedly detained the vessel over the weekend for sailing in the country’s waters without permission.
According to the Venezuelan newspaper Ultimas Noticias, the incident occurred on January 12 at the port of Guamache on Margarita Island, which sits about 25 miles off the coast of Venezuela. The authorities inspected the vessel and ordered the detention claiming the vessel was “not authorized to navigate” in Venezuela.
News reports published pictures of the vessel identified as four plus, a 45,000 dwt product tanker built in 2000. The reports said the ship has a crew of Chinese nationals aboard.
Black sea containerized freight rises
The Black Sea container terminals of Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine handled 979,000 TEU in the first nine months of 2024, including empty containers and transshipment. This is an increase of 14 percent compared to the same period last year, and the jump reflects the revival of containerized trade to and from Ukrainian ports. Laden container turnover increased in all these countries, and the highest growth was achieved by Ukraine (79 percent). During this period, 53 percent of full containers handled were imported, with 47 percent of the volume being exported. It is estimated that the share of laden containers was 77 percent and empty containers made up 22 percent. Import volumes to the aforementioned countries increased by 19 percent compared to 2023. The highest import volume increase was shown by Ukraine – 116 percent, a record rate of growth. In Romania there was an increase of 23 percent, while in Bulgaria there was a decrease of about three percent. Exports from these countries increased by nearly 10 percent, mainly because of Ukrainian and Bulgarian export volume growth of 64 percent and 14 percent (respectively). There was a slight increase in laden export volume in Romania.
By intermanager, issue of seafarer criminalization highlighted in new effort
InterManager is concerned by the increasingly harsh treatment of ships’ crew in some parts of the world. The trade association for the ship management sector is starting an effort to collect data and highlight to the IMO and other industry stakeholders the harsh treatment of seafarers including the number of cases where seafarers are being “criminalized” for events involving their ships.
“There is a concern within the shipping industry that seafarers are being unfairly detained when authorities find something wrong with their ship, often when drugs are found onboard but also in other circumstances. Most frequently senior officers are detained, although the whole crew can be, and held without charge for long periods of time and often without any proper legal representation or assistance,” said Captain Kuba Szymanski, Secretary General of InterManager.
The initial data compiled by InterManager identified 118 cases of criminalization but it suspects there are many more. The limited initial data it reports shows that the number of cases has increased, peaking in 2023 at 23 cases, with a further 17 in 2024.
China wins release of fishing boat
The Chinese Embassy in Somalia announced that the fishing vessel seized by pirates in November has been released. They said the crew was unharmed and the vessel was moving into “safe waters.”
The incident involving the fishing boat was reported at the beginning of December by EUNAVFOR Atalanta, the EU mission to monitor security off the Horn of Africa. The report said Atalanta had been notified and investigated but they classified it an armed robbery because the vessel remained in territorial waters. In present statement, the Chinese Embassy said attempts to sabotage the China-Somalia cooperation are in vain citing the “profound traditional friendship.”
Details of the release were not provided with the embassy only speaking of the “unremitting efforts of the Chinese government.” Atalanta had reported it was monitoring the vessel and in contact with the authorities in Somalia and China.
In Philadelphia, self-unloader goes aground on delaware river
The U.S Coast Guard is formulating a plan to safely refloat a Supramax self-unloader that grounded in the Delaware River near Philadelphia on Wednesday evening.
The Algoma Verity was northbound from the Port of Philadelphia when it went aground outside the main shipping channel on Wednesday night. The pilot of the 50,000 dwt self-unloader notified the Coast Guard of the incident at 6:30 p.m Wednesday, prompting a response to try and refloat the bulker.
A team from Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay and the vessel’s representatives are on board and formulating a plan to safely move the vessel to a nearby terminal, the Coast Guard said Thursday. So far, no injuries have been reported and there have been no reports of pollution. The cause of the grounding is under investigation.
Ambrey combined salvage with security and politics
Maritime security firm Ambrey has released the first detailed recounting of the operation to save the tanker Sounion, which was attacked and burned by Houthi forces last fall. In Ambrey’s recounting, it may rank among the most challenging salvage operations since the Costa Concordia or the Deepwater Horizon, with the unique risk of operating next to a hostile armed militia.
The Greek-owned tanker Sounion was attacked by Houthi forces three times on August 21, disabling the engine and leaving the ship adrift. After withstanding small arms fire, a possible shoulder-launched grenade, multiple projectiles, and a (thwarted) suicide drone boat attack, the crew of the Sounion asked for help abandoning ship. On August 22, a French frigate carried them to safety.