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The Asian Gypsy Moth has been given a new name

ALERT
31 MAR 2023

A new common name, Flighted Spongy Moth Complex, will now be used to refer to the group of moths formerly known as Asian Gypsy Moth, or AGM. However, individual country’s requirements for pre-departure inspection and certification prior to departing ports in the Asia Pacific between May and October remain largely the same.
Piracy trends and high risk areas

ALERT
23 FEB 2023

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Despite reports of global piracy declining for the second year in a row, the number of robbery incidents in the Singapore Strait reached a seven-year high in 2022 and vessels anchored in South American ports continue to be attacked by violent perpetrators.
Enforcement of California’s new At-Berth Regulation began on 1 January 2023

ALERT
13 FEB 2023

Updated 15 February 2023

Whilst container, reefer, and passenger vessels are so far the only vessel types required to control their emissions while berthed in California, all vessels must submit a report to the authorities within 30 days after visiting one of the state’s ports.
US VGP and VIDA: What ship operators need to know for 2023 and onwards

ALERT
01 FEB 2023

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The US Environmental Protection Agency has indicated that new federal discharge standards for vessels will be published in autumn 2024, some four years after its original deadline. In the meantime, the agency has seemingly strengthened its inspection and enforcement efforts to ensure compliance with the extended Vessel General Permit scheme and warns that non-compliance can result in significant penalties.
Prepare for low sulphur fuel operation in the Mediterranean Sea

ALERT
04 JAN 2023

Having been adopted by the IMO, the Mediterranean Sea Emission Control Area for sulphur oxides and particulate matter is set to come into effect on 1 May 2025.
Beware of custom fines in Senegal

ALERT
20 DEC 2022

Updated 9 March 2023

Ship operators continue to be fined for alleged inaccuracies when filing customs declarations at Senegalese ports, with the port of Dakar a particular hotspot. The grounds on which fines are levied have become increasingly diverse and the fines’ monetary value can be substantial.
Seafarers detained in Egypt for carrying prohibited items

ALERT
14 DEC 2022

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Our local correspondent in Egypt reports an increase in cases where seafarers have been detained for carrying prohibited items, such as drones and other “suspicious” electronic devices, in their luggage when embarking or disembarking ships in the country.
The importance of ensuring navigation bridge visibility

ALERT
24 NOV 2022

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Has your ship been exempted from complying with parts of the navigation bridge visibility requirements of SOLAS Regulation V/22 when carrying specialized cargoes such as wind turbine blades and towers? Beware that such exemption documents may not be accepted for compliance purposes in Australia.
The stink bug season is here again!

ALERT
06 OCT 2022

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September marks the start of the risk season for Brown Marmorated Stink Bugs in Australia and New Zealand and this year, China and the United Kingdom have been identified as ‘emerging stink bug risk countries’. This means that vessels carrying certain goods shipped from the two countries will be subject to random onshore inspections when they arrive in Australia.
US MARAD updates its security warning for the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Western Indian Ocean region

ALERT
04 OCT 2022

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Updated 10 March 2023

While the Indian Ocean piracy ‘High Risk Area’ was removed on 1 January 2023, regional conflicts, heightened military activity, and increased political tensions continue to pose threats to merchant vessels operating in this geographic area, warns US MARAD.
Slow down for killer whales off the North American west coast

ALERT
02 SEP 2022

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In an effort to help the endangered southern residence killer whale recover in numbers, commercial ships trading to Vancouver, Canada, Seattle, US, and other ports in the Salish Sea area are encouraged to slow down when crossing the defined seasonal critical whale habitats and when killer whales have been spotted near their planned route.
PSC inspection campaign on STCW

ALERT
24 AUG 2022

Casualty investigations continue to show that there is a clear link between fatigue and accidents at sea. Recent years has also seen a growing concern regarding the difficulties in implementing and enforcing provisions related to seafarers’ hours of work and rest, and fatigue. This year’s joint concentrated inspection campaign by the Paris and Tokyo MoUs on Port State Control aims to raise the awareness of the requirements in the STCW Convention and the Principles of Minimum Safe Manning. The campaign starts on 1 September 2022.
Mpox declared a global public health emergency

ALERT
10 AUG 2022

Updated 29 November 2022

All six WHO Regions have reported cases of mpox and although the number of new reported cases may be decreasing in some regions, we encourage ship operators to follow the evolution of the outbreak and keep seafarers informed about the risks of infection.
Black Sea Grain Initiative - Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) procedures for merchant vessels with cargos from Ukraine

ALERT
09 AUG 2022

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On 22 July the Republic of Turkey, Ukraine, the Russian Federation and the United Nations signed the Initiative on the safe export of foodstuffs and fertilizers, including ammonia, from the Ukrainian ports of Odesa, Chernomorsk and Yuzhny.
Military exercises by China in waters off Taiwan

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04 AUG 2022

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Updated 5 August 2022

China has announced that military and gun firing will be carried out in certain areas off Taiwan. Shipping traffic along regular routes may be impacted as a result.
Be careful with lines under tension

ALERT
28 JUL 2022

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Mooring deck fatalities as a result of snap-back continue to occur despite well published guidance on the hazard, warns the UK MAIB.
Do you know the safe passages through the Bohai Strait in China?

ALERT
21 JUL 2022

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The Bohai Strait in China is the only entrance and exit for vessels to the Bohai Sea. In recent years, there have been frequent reports of ships being fined by the authorities for crossing the areas with restricted navigation in the Bohai Strait.
Polar Code on the PSC agenda

ALERT
22 JUN 2022

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Paris MOU has launched an inspection campaign to verify compliance with the requirements of the Polar Code. The campaign will be run over two periods, the first inspection period started on 13 June and will last until 1 July 2022, the second period will run from 1 to 19 August 2022.
Having an abandon ship drill anytime soon?

ALERT
01 JUN 2022

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Make sure the ship’s crew conduct a thorough visual inspection of the lifeboat and davit installation and a ‘test lowering’ prior to operating the lifeboat with crew onboard.
Update on Covid-19 restrictions in Chinese ports

ALERT
18 MAY 2022

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China is still adhering to its Covid-19 dynamic clearance policy as the Omicron variant is spreading across the country. Following a recent politburo meeting, the central government has received clear instructions to continue its Covid-19 control policy. Since the strict measures to contain the virus are unlikely to relax in the short term and one key aspect of such measures is to prevent the import of cases from abroad, the Covid-19 restrictions in Chinese ports are likely to remain in place for some time.