Minister Honours War Time Canal Queens

Study Says Bangladesh Largest Hotspot For Rare Irrawaddy Dolphins

New York-based Wildlife Conservation Society's (WCS) latest study on Bangladesh's coastal waterways, reports that the home to the largest known population of the rare Irrawaddy Dolphins is thriving. The WCS researchers estimate that nearly 6,000 Irrawaddy dolphins have been found living in freshwater regions of the country's Sundarbans forests at a time when they were believed to be only in the hundreds. Once abundant in South-East Asia, they were red-listed. Irrawaddy's are related to killer whales. They grow up to 8 feet long and frequent large rivers, estuaries, and freshwater lagoons. The study adds that in Myanmar's Ayeyarwady River, these dolphins cooperate with humans, helping to herd schools of fish toward boats and awaiting nets. The report says "The practice benefits the fishermen-increasing the size of their catches up to threefold-as well as the dolphins, which fill their own bellies with some of the cornered fish and those that fall out of the fishing nets," Local fishermen say this is a common occurrence. Scientists found that the dolphins must cope with declining freshwater supplies, caused by upstream water diversion in India and with sea-level rise. The Ganges River dolphin, which shares part of its range in the Sundarbans with the Irrawaddy dolphin faces the same circumstances. The recent likely extinction of the Yangtze River Baiji, dolphin shows how vulnerable freshwater dolphins are. The Ministry of Environment and Forests in Bangladesh is working with the WCS for ensuring a protected area network for both Irrawaddy and Ganges River dolphins in the Sunderbans

St. Lawrence Seaway's anniversary marred by invasive species

The St. Lawrence Seaway - celebrated its 50th anniversary as one of the world's most vital economic waterways -U.S. and Canadian officials kicked off a celebration of the waterway's opening in 1959. When the Seaway opened in 1959, the event was heralded as "a marriage of waters" between the salty ocean and the freshwater lakes that would bring economic benefits to the Great Lakes region. Researchers have said that nearly 60 aquatic species have been brought into the Great Lakes system since 1959 via ocean going vessels (which make up only 7 percent of the ships on the lakes each year). A 2008 U.S. EPA study identified 30 more species with a medium or high likelihood of reaching the lakes and 28 others already here with a potential to spread and cause harm. Representatives of Great Lakes United and the National Wildlife Federation, called for Lawrence Seaway officials, shipping companies and ports in Great Lakes cities to stop future aquatic invaders from damaging the lakes. Experts have estimated the annual U.S. cost of dealing with invasive species at between $97 billion and $137 billion. Those costs include clean up of zebra mussels covering water intake pipes, and loss of sport and commercial fish, whose food is consumed by invasive species.

Pirates' Shock As They Pick On The Wrong Ship

Pirates fired at the FGS Necessary in the Gulf of Aden, thinking it to be a Merchant Man but were met with return fire from the German naval ship, which then pursued the pirate boat along with Greek, Dutch and Spanish naval ships as well as a Spanish marine aircraft and US marine choppers. A Nato spokesman said: "Poor judgment by the pirates turned out to be a real opportunity for seven nations representing three task forces to work together and strike a momentous blow for maritime safety and security." Greek sailors reached the pirates after five hours of pursuit and boarded the pirate boat and seizing their weapons. The seven pirates on the ship were transferred onto the German frigate Rheinland-Pfalz. Nato says they will remain there until a decision has been made about prose

Harsh economic winds whip French port

Marseilles France's biggest port has been hit hard by the economic downturn. One of the oldest ports in the world and France's biggest port by volume, it stretches for miles along the Mediterranean shore. General cargo has fallen 31%, container trade is down 31% and deep-water East-West trade down 21%. Imports of raw materials for the steel industry were down in January by 77%.

All eyes on China as port activity falls 20pc

THE volume of shipping at Irish ports slumped to 2005 levels in the second half of 2008 as exports and imports tumbled, according to new figures from the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO). Freight and passenger traffic fell a combined 20pc as the world economy slowed. The IMDO estimates that laden imports from Asia fell by more than 13pc for the full year. Sales of cars have tumbled by two-thirds since the beginning of this year, dropping to 24,835 from 71,569 in the same period last year. Exports of timber, steel and raw materials from China slid as the construction boom ended. Passenger volumes at peak periods of the year also declined, resulting in an overall decline of 6pc in both passenger and car traffic numbers, the organisation said. Shipping volumes are an early indicator of economic performance and are closely watched by experts to gauge how the economy is doing.

Long Beach port expansion moves closer to passage

The Port of Long Beach is expected to release the final environmental impact report on a 10-year, $750-million harbour expansion that would accommodate the world's largest ships, reinforce the nation's Pacific Rim trade and create 14,000 permanent local jobs. If all goes according to plan, work on the massive Middle Harbor project could begin as early as December. Environmentalists are demanding a number of revisions and compensation for the project's side effects: heavy truck traffic, excessive noise and light, air pollution and higher rates of respiratory disease and cancer. With unemployment hitting nearly 11% in Los Angeles County, supporters of the project believe that in upcoming debates the prospects of large-scale industrial growth will carry more weight than the potential environmental impacts. In phases, it would combine two terminals that are too old, inefficient and dirty to meet the port's goals for pollution reduction and enhanced production. It would deepen waters to handle large cargo vessels and would provide on-dock rail service. In addition, ships would be able to turn off their auxiliary diesel engines and plug into dockside electrical power.

Jaisu Shipping wins contract to deepen Mumbai port channel

Mumbai port has awarded a channel deepening contract to dredging firm Jaisu Shipping Co. Pvt. Ltd, in a move to start developing a new terminal that can handle 1.2 million standard containers a year. As part of the deal, Mumbai port must fulfill the channel deepening.
The dredging is funded by the government. Jaisu Shipping, based out of Kandla, Gujarat, will have to deepen the water channel in parts from its existing 4m to 16.5m. Jaisu is also deepening channels at state-owned Cochin and Kandla ports on India’s western coast. Lack of adequate channel depth and poor infrastructure drove container shipping lines in the 1990s to the nearby Jawaharlal Nehru Port, just seven nautical miles ahead on the same channel. Mumbai port authorities are counting on the new terminal with a deep draft (depth) of 16.5m to restore its stature as a major port.
The container business of Mumbai port was hit by the arrival of P&O Ports now DP World Ltd at Jawaharlal Nehru Port in 1998. Until then, Mumbai port had been handling about 700,000 standard containers a year. In the year ended 31 March, Mumbai port handled a mere 100,000 standard containers at its terminal now run by the Gammon-Dragados venture. In comparison, Jawaharlal Nehru Port, now India’s busiest container port, handled 3.95 million standard containers in the same period.

Port of London Authority exhibition opens

A three-week exhibition on the history of the Port of London Authority (PLA) was opened by UK shipping minister Jim Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick said  the exhibition “is not only a celebration of the PLA’s achievements, but an important reminder that ports, like the Port of London, bring great benefits to us all. “For the younger generation who may not know much about what came before the regeneration of Docklands, this exhibition will provide a fascinating insight to the PLA’s history and the evolution of the Port.  But for many of my constituents it is living history and I hope that as many of them as possible will be able to come and visit the exhibition as well.” Port of London Authority: A Century of Service runs until 19 April 2009 at Museum of London Docklands.

Sea Dragon On Show

Mainland China's Antarctic scientific expedition team and the Antarctic scientific ship Xue Long ("Snow Dragon" arrived in Taiwan's Kaohsiung Port and launched scientific exchanges between the two countries for the first time. The 80 scientists and 40 crew are going home after successfully completing the 25th Antarctic scientific expedition. During it's time in Port, the ship is open to the Taiwan public. The expedition team will also hold relevant polar region science popularization activities, including different types of seminars, science lectures and exhibitions. Taiwanese researchers are expected to join China's icebreaker and research when it sets off for Antarctica in later this year. Wang Wei-hsien, director of Taiwan's Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium said, "We hope to draw on China's experience in Antarctica to research topics such as the environmental impact of global warming and sustainable resources.

Historic shipyard equipment sails for India

UK’s Port of Tyne preparing for the final departure of the Swan Hunter floating dry dock, on board a heavy lift vessel. The iconic Swan Hunter cranes will go to India to work. During its 145 year existence, Swan Hunter built more than 1,600 ships, including the record breaking ‘Mauritania’
Much of the equipment from Swan Hunter will be going to operate in India. Vanguard Shipping are project managing the transfer of equipment to Bharati Shipyards. Ted Scurr, director at Vanguard Shipping said, ‘This project began in 2007 and has involved dismantling, packing and shipping all of the associated items from the Swan Hunter shipyard to Dahbol in India.’  Transferring the remaining cranes, equipment and floating dry dock at Swan Hunter is no mean feat and requires the specialist heavy lift vessel the ‘Osprey’
The Osprey is a semi-submersible heavy lift vessel and the operation involves submerging the main deck of the vessel some 3m below water level. The ship’s staff, assisted by a team from Offshore Heavy Transport & Fairstar, will position the deck of the semi-submerged Osprey which will then raise with the cargo on it.

Cracked tanker moved to Port Angeles

The 780-foot S/R Baytown oil tanker has been sent to Port Angeles for repair of a small crack on its main deck. Baytown crew members discovered a four-inch-long fracture on the port side of the vessel's main deck as the vessel was preparing to take on a load of crude oil in Valdez, Alaska.
Coast Guard and Shipping officials determined the vessel was safe to proceed to Port Angeles without cargo. Coast Guard inspectors must approve the permanent repairs before the ship will be allowed to load. Built in 1984, the S/R Baytown is a double-bottomed, but not fully double-hulled, oil tanker. It is scheduled to be retired from service in August 2012. The tanker is owned and operated by SeaRiver Maritime Inc., the shipping affiliate of ExxonMobil Corp.

New CEO at Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore

Chief executive of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Tay Lim Heng is moving on to become deputy secretary at the Ministry of National Development from May 1. According to Business Time, Lam Yi Young, who has held a position of the director of manpower at the Ministry of defense since 2005 and several positions and the Ministries of Finance and Education, will take over this post. Currently the port of Singapore is the world’s busiest transshipment and shipping tonnage port and the world’s second busiest cargo throughput port.

London River Thames Commuters Merge With Land

In the latest drive to make better use of London's waterways, passenger services on the River Thames are to be improved and more integrated with the rest of the capital's transport system. The Mayor of London Boris Johnson announced the scheme after the signing of a agreement between river boat operators, business groups, London boroughs along the river and Transport for London, the mayor's transport organisation. Under the agreement Thames Clippers the biggest boat operator, will accept payment for tickets with TfL's popular Oyster card electronic payment system starting November 2009. Passengers with a TfL travel card season ticket on their Oyster card will pay two-thirds of the normal price. Thames Clippers use fast catamarans along the river, and offer a 10-minute frequency service between London Bridge and Canary Wharf at peak times. TfL is spending £1.5m to expand Tower Millennium Pier, one of the river's busiest, to improve capacity. There have been been problems with organising river services in London, partly because the Thames is subject to large tidal variations, imposing operational restrictions on river boats. TfL and the Olympic Delivery Authority hope river services can play a significant role in delivering spectators to some Olympic venues, including the O 2 in Greenwich.

Greece tender canceled

Greece has canceled a tender competition to privatize and upgrade facilities at its second-largest port in Thessaloniki after the top bidder withdrew because of the global downturn, Greece launched tender competitions last year to turn two of its ports, among the largest in the eastern Mediterranean, into regional hubs to boost competitiveness. Piraeus Port sealed a deal with China's Cosco Pacific The top bidder, Hutchison Port Holdings pulled out citing difficulties in financing the project. HPH, which has operating rights in 45 ports around the world, had offered 3.1 billion euros ($4.13 billion) for the project in Thessaloniki. It had also pledged to invest 489 million to upgrade the port's facilities. OLTH, 74 percent state-owned, said it has started upgrading the facilities using its own funds. On Monday the company reported a 62 percent drop in 2008 profit as dock hands have refused to work overtime since January last year in a protest over the privatisation. Dockworkers ended their strikes this month on reports the tender competition would be canceled.

Controversy haunts $1bn port development project

Controversy surrounds a billion dollar plus port development project in Tanga Region Tanzania.  Experts fear that the proposed harbour project at Tanzania's Mwambani Bay threatens the survival of Coelacanths - a rare, prehistoric fish once considered extinct, but now found in Tanzanian waters. Tanzania Ports Authority (TPA) plans could result in the wipe out of the remaining species of one of the world’s rarest deep-water fishes. Mwambani Bay, located eight kilometers south of Tanga, has long been proposed � together with Bagamoyo - as a location for a new port under the Port Master Plan (PMP). Up to September 2005, a total of 25 Coelacanths had been caught in the country, a figure that one international marine science expert described as ’’the greatest number of Coelacanths caught in the shortest time in any one part of the world.’’
According to Chikambi Rumisha, former manager of the Marine Parks and Reserves Unit (MPRU) and member of the Tanzania National Management Committee of the African Coelacanth Ecosystem Programme (ACEP), the high rate of capture of Coelacanths had alarmed national and international authorities alike. It is understood that pending further studies to determine the current status of the Coelacanth population, ecology and habitat, authorities have placed a moratorium on deep water trawling while fishermen have reduced their use of deep set shark nets near Tanga.
Members of the local marine science community say that the destruction of coral reefs by dynamite fishing has made traditional fishing grounds unproductive, and that this is the main cause of the sudden regular capture of Coelacanths from 2003, as fishers have now to go further offshore and set deeper nets to catch anything. ’’Trawlers operating in the area may also have also stirred up the deep habitats of the Coelacanths,’’ observe the marine scientists.

EPA head announces new port emissions proposal

Lamu Port Extension Plans Face Critics

New Caledonia Acid leak kills thousands of fish

Amphibious Coach Orders Start

European Crew Seized In Boat Hijack

Pirates in the busy Gulf of Aden waterway seized a tugboat with 16 crew, now hostage. The Italian-owned MV Buccaneer tugboat issued a distress call before communications went silent six minutes later, according to NATO officials on a warship in the area. A spokesman for the Mombasa-based east African Seafarers’ Assistance programme says the crew, 10 Italians five Romanians and one Croat are believed to be unharmed. Recently one Frenchman and two pirates were killed in a rescue operation by French troops on another ship taken off Somalia. Four others, including a child, were freed from the yacht, Tanit, which pirates also seized. Despite heavy presence of Many Navies in the area Pirates have stepped up the incidents of Hijacking.

Bahamas port to host world's biggest ships

A Dutch marine engineering company has won the contract to dredge 1.53 million cubic meters of sand and mud from a Nassau harbour to accommodate the world's largest ships. Robert Garraway an engineer with the Ministry of Works and Transport says Royal Boskalis West-minster NV has been awarded the US$45-million contract. He said that harbour dredging should be completed by November enabling the Port to handle Royal Caribbean's Project Genesis mega-cruisers, including the Oasis of the Seas, a 5,400-passenger ship due to arrive in December. Boskalis is best known for dredging, but also builds harbours and waterways and provides terminal transport services

Strategic Agreement For Tourism Sought For Antartic Tourism

British officials are seeking to establish a "strategic agreement for tourism" around the south pole. They want treaty members to introduce new measures to improve the safety of tourist trips, and reduce the impact that visitors will have on the environment. They want to limit the number of ships and landings, restrictions on how close they come to shore, a ban on building tourist facilities and hotels on the continent, and rules on waste discharges from ships. The British resolution has been tabled at the fortnight-long 32nd Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, in Baltimore, USA. Held to mark the 50th anniversary of the Antarctic Treaty. The British proposal has  received support from US Secretary for State Hillary Clinton who opened the meeting on Monday. The US has tabled its own resolutions on managing tourism. More than 400 diplomats will be there. Many of the tourist ships that operate in Antarctica are registered in countries that are non members and are not subject to any decisions made. Officials have asked the International Maritime Organisation, which regulates global shipping, to draw up new guidelines for shipping around the Antarctic, including new rules on the use of heavy fuel oil, which could cause widespread damage in the event of a leak.. Also proposed are new requirements for lifeboats on tourists ships to make sure they can keep passengers alive until rescue comes under Antartic conditions. Antarctica has no indigenous human population despite bing nearly one and half times the size of the USA. Humans first began to live there in 1897 when a winter station was established by explorers. There has been a big increase in human activity since then. Tour operators now offer the chance to see the stunning wilderness to “ecotourists”. In 1990 Antarctica was visited by just 5,000 tourists, but by 2008 the number has increased to 46,069. Experts argue that this is a dangerous practice for tourists who payup to 15000 dollars. They say it is too far for rescue helicopters to easily reach. In 2007, 154 passengers and crew,  were forced to abandon ship after an iceberg ripped a hole in the side of their 2,400 ton cruise ship the M/S Explorer. The passengers spent six hours  in lifeboats in temperatures of -5C. The   Liberian-registered cruise ship sank leaking oil. This February the cruise liner MV Ocean Nova, ran aground carrying 64 passengers, who had to be rescued. Another ship, the Panama-registered MV Ushuaia  also ran aground with 122 passengers aboard,These accidents fortunatly involved small ships with specially strengthened hulls, however larger cruise liners without such protection, often carrying up to 3,000 passengers, also go into Antarctic waters. Scientists fear that the rise in tourism to Antarctica, which harbour many rare wildlife species, may introduce invasive foreign pests and diseases such as rats, insects and plants that could destroy the present ecosystem.

Flash Flood Singapore - from 04/05/2009
Flash floods in various parts of Singapore, including Marine Parade and Chai Chee Road, on Sunday 05 April 09. The Public Utilities Board’s (PUB’s) director of catchment and waterways, Tan Nguan Sen, said PUB is investigating the cause of the flash floods. Most affected were the MacPherson area and the Upper Paya Lebar Road. The flash floods subsided within 30 minutes. According to data collected by the National Environment Agency (NEA), the highest rainfall recorded on Sunday was 97.6 mm, which is more than 50 per cent of the monthly average rainfall in April alone. But this is not unusual during the inter-monsoon season

Climate Change Anttica. Wilkins Ice Shelf - from 04/04/2009
An ice bridge which held a vast Antarctic ice shelf in place shattered on Saturday. A leading scientist said. "It's amazing how the ice has ruptured. Two days ago it was intact," David Vaughan, a glaciologist with the British Antarctic Survey, told Reuters of a satellite image of the Wilkins Ice Shelf. "We've waited a long time to see this." The satellite picture, by the European Space Agency (ESA), showed that a 40-km long strip of ice believed to pin the Wilkins Ice Shelf in place snapped at its narrowest point of about 500 meters. The break left huge flat-topped icebergs in the sea. The loss of the ice bridge, which was almost 100 km wide in 1950 could allow ocean currents to erode the Wilkins. Temperatures on the Antarctic Peninsula have risen by up to about 3 Celsius in the past 50 years, the fastest rate of warming in the Southern Hemisphere. Nine other shelves have receded or collapsed around the Antarctic Peninsula in the past 50 years, often abruptly like the Larsen A in 1995 or the Larsen B in 2002 further north, and shrinking maps of the frozen continent. The trend is widely blamed on climate change caused by heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels.

Tropical Storm Tonga State wide -from 04/04/2009
A Category Two storm, with winds of 100 kilometres an hour and gusts of 150 kilometres an hour. Experts say Cyclone Lin will cause a storm surge, with very large waves and very high tides. Fiji's Meteorological Office says flooding is likely

Tornado USA State of Nebraska Beatrice -from 04/04/2009
Possible tornado damage reported in the Beatrice area Nebraska. The storm downed power lines and damaged the roof of a house. A blizzard warning has been in effect for much of the state into Sunday morning. Most major roads in western and north-central Nebraska have been closed due to blowing and drifting snow.

Extreme Weather Bangladesh Districts -from 04/04/2009 
A tropical storm hit Jamalpur and Sirajganj in the early hours of Saturday 50 people were injuried, and hundreds of homes and trees were destroyed. The effected villages are Sarishabari Upazila, Jamalpur, Upazila Nirbahi Kazipur Upaila, Sirajganj No immediate aid could be given to the storm victims as Saturday was a government holiday.

Flash Flood Malasia - Brunie - 12/04/09
Flash floods caused by continuous rain. Between the resort city of Miri and the northern part of Sarawak, including the the dual-carriageway connecting to Brunei. Especially affected Motorists passing the stretch leading to the Pujut flyover

Ship Incident Yemen/Abyan Coast
17 African Refugees haveso far died trying to reach Yemen. 30 of the refugees mostly Ethiopians survived as the boat sank off the Abyan coast. Local sources said 17 bodies, which were washed up on shore, were buried with representatives from the UN. 13 are still missing. U.N. officials say, African displaced people, mostly from Somalia and Ethiopia, choose Yemen as destination when fleeing deteriorating conditions in their homelands.They reach the country via sea where many drown when overcrowded boats capsize or when human smugglers force them to swim in deep waters. On April 7, eight people drowned and 22 others were missing and presumed dead, after two boats sank off Yemeni coasts. Some refugees sometimes make it to shore when boats sink. In January, two ferries carrying over 300 Somali and Ethiopian refugees sank in the Red Sea. Many were rescued while dozens were reported missing.Nearly 30,000 Somalis and Ethiopians reached Yemeni territories last year. Waves washed up about 700 on Yemeni shores and 700 people went missing,