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 TURKEY - BOSPHORUS 21 MAY 09
Waterway
‘ time
bomb'
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 USA - GREAT LAKES
21 MAY 09
Love
Potion 3-kPZS.
The
patented pheromone
has been more than a decade in the making. It's a copy of a scent
male sea lampreys, a highly destructive invasive species, send out
into streams during mating season to draw females to their nests.
Although
scientists
have copied and used pheromones in the insect world for pest control,
no one has ever used it on fish
 USA - ALL
WATERWAYS 21 MAY 09
USA.
Waterways Watch wants you to report suspicious activity
Within
the U.S.
maritime domain, there is approximately 95,000 miles of shoreline and
more than 290,000 square miles of water, dotted with thousands of
facilities and infrastructure vital to the lifeblood of our Nation.
Keeping watch over so much is an extraordinary challenge
 SRILANKA
-INDIAN OCEAN 21 MAY 09
Sri Lanka extends develompment deadline
The
Sri Lanka Ports Authority has extended the bidding deadline for its
proposed South Harbour container terminal project
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TURKEY - BOSPHORUS 21 MAY 09
Waterway ‘ time bomb
'Turkey’s
transport minister says, a steadily growing number of freight ships
and oil tankers passing through the Bosphorus has turned the waterway
in Istanbul into a “bomb waiting to explode” To avoid a potential
catastrophe such as an oil tanker incident in the middle of a city of
over 12 million people experts have turned to a new plan to dig a new
canal east of Istanbul. A tanker explosion on the 30 km long Bosphorus,
the narrow waterway that divides Istanbul into European
and Asian parts and connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara is a
nightmare scenario for Istanbulites. The Bosphorus sea, is only
a few hundred metres wide at its narrowest point, it is an important
export route for oil and gas especially from Russia and the Caspian
region. The waterway has also become a strategic pawn in the world
power play. In November 1979, the city came close to a catastrophe
when the Independenta, a Romanian tanker filled with 94,000 tonnes of
crude from Libya, collided with a Greek cargo ship at the southern
entrance to the Bosphorus. The Independenta exploded, killing 43 of
46 crew members. The ship ran aground near the eastern or Asian part
of Istanbul, and burning oil was pushed towards the shore by the
wind. The Independenta burned for almost a month. At the time
Istanbul had a population of 2.7 million. 56,000 ships pass through
the Bosphorus every year; that is more than 150 every day, 10,000 are
tankers. One hundred and forty five million tonnes of crude oil pass
through the straits every year..He said the government had already
taken measures to “prevent an accident with this freight, which
resembles a bomb ready to explode, from turning into a catastrophe in
Istanbul”, but that there was pressure from other countries to
increase traffic on the Bosphorus even further. The Bosphorus and the
Dardanelles, which connect the Sea of Marmara to the Aegean Sea, are
international waterways, Turkey has only limited powers to regulate
traffic on the straits.
Another good reason for a canal is the
cost caused by long waiting periods for ships that want to pass
through the needle’s eye of the Bosphorus. One possible solution is
the creation of a new waterway between the Sea of Marmara and the
Black Sea. a canal could be built to connect the Sea of Marmara to a
lake to the east and to use a river on the other side of the lake as
a waterway towards the Black Sea. A similar project had been planned
by the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century to make the transport of
wood from the Bolu Mountains east of the Sea of Marmara towards
Istanbul more efficient and easier, but it was never realised.
Studies about the potential of the Sakarya River as a shipping
route were made in the late 1990s but abandoned after a devastating
earthquake struck the region in August 1999, killing 20,000
people,The building of the new waterway could be finished within five
years at a modest cost of $670USD. There are critics to the plan in
the proposed region who claim it is being done to save the villas and
the palaces on the straits. There are also several projects put
forward for pipelines to transport oil from the Black Sea to the
Mediterranean over land.
service.
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IRELAND
INLAND WATERS 21 MAY 09
 Court win for Waterways Ireland 'whistle blower'
A
top civil servant who blew the whistle on alleged mismanagement at
the cross-border agency Waterways Ireland has won in the High Court.
Brian McTeggart, is claiming damages against alleged personal
injuries, loss and damage. An effort to dismiss the claim from the
High Court was rejected this week. McTeggart says he was sacked
after lodging complaints about recruitment to senior positions. He
has already won £50,000 as part of a compromise agreement at
an industrial tribunal. Waterways Ireland had argued that the
material being considered in the High Court was identical to that of
his tribunal case and therefore had already been dealt with, but the
original tribunal ruling in Belfast said it had settled all claims
apart from those in the High Court. He
joined Waterways Ireland, in 2000 and made allegations concerning
senior appointments, bullying and management of the organisation. He
also alleged a failure of leadership, patronage, political influence
from the Irish Republic and malpractice of appointments. The claims
were investigated for two years.
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EUROPE
- RHINE 21 MAY 09
Avalon
Waterways introduces new river cruise ship
Avalon
Waterways has launched its newest river cruise ship, Avalon Affinity,
at a recent ceremony in Holland. Affinity is the second of the five
new ships being built for the river cruise operator. It has the
largest accommodation of any European river cruiser ship. It has
staterooms with sliding glass doors and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Patrick Clark, the managing director of Avalon Waterways, said, 'The
delivery of Affinity reinforced the company’s position as the
world’s fastest-growing river cruise line, offering passengers the
youngest fleet, with the average ship only two years' He said, “When
travellers cruise with us, they not only enjoy the
destinations they visit, they fall in love with our modern ships
which feature all of the personal touches Australian travellers look
for in a boutique hotel.” The Avalon Affinity was built at the Den
Breejen Shipyard in Holland, and it departed on its sold-out maiden
voyage from Amsterdam on 11 May. Avalon Affinity will operate on
eight itineraries along European waterways this year. Its well worth
visiting the company website to see what is on offer. A great player
on the European scene. www.avalonwaterways.com
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BANGLADESH
– KAPTAI LAKE 21 MAY 09
 Drastic
Fall In Kaptai Water Level
A
prolonged dry season has led to a drastic fall in the water level of
Kaptai Lake in Bangladesh making it difficult for Navigation. The
bigger passenger launches have stopped operating for the last 20
days, There are also knock on effects as freight cant travel and it
has pushed up prices for essentials and produce. The man made lake
suffers landslides from the surrounding hills during the rainy season
every year and consequently silt deposition occurs. Kaptai, the
biggest artificial lake in Southeast-Asia was created to harness the
current of the Karnaphuli River for the Kaptai Hydroelectric Power
Project in 1960. It plays an important role in development of trade
and commerce in the area as it facilitates transport through the
waterways. The lake is also famous for sweet water fishes. Production
of fishes in the lake, especially of the large species including
ruhi, mrigel and katla, is gradually declining as deposition of silt
damages the natural breeding grounds. If the lake is not dredged as
an emergency there may be complete closure within a few years. The
problem of dumping in the lake is also impacting the overall
situation.
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EUROPE 21 MAY 09
European
ports warned to keep up with Asia
A
SENIOR CMA CGM executive has accused European countries of lagging
behind their Asian counterparts in preparing their ports to
accommodate the new ultra-large container ships that are starting to
come into service. CMA CGM deputy
director-general Kevork Hekimian said that the French port of Le
Havre was the only one in Europe able to accommodate such ships.
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MEXICO
CITY -GULF OF MEXICO 21 MAY 09
Mexico Flu Losses
see video
Mexico's
Ensenada port could lose as much as 10 million dollars this year as
cruise ships avoid docking amid fear of A/H1N1 flu Tourism is one of
the sectors in Mexico that is estimated to suffer most in the wake of
the flu as tourists are unlikely to revise travel plans a second time
if they have already cancelled their trips. Mexico's Tourism Ministry
said earlier this week that the flu pandemic could cost the nation
some 4 billion dollars. Mexico City is the region hit hardest by
A/H1N1 flu. More than half of the total 1,355 confirmed cases in
Mexico are in its capital
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CHINA
– NORTH EAST 21 MAY 09
12
Feared Dead As Sand Carrier Sinks In China
Rescuers
using two helicopters and 15 vessels were searching for 11 missing
people after a boat sank off the coast in northeast China' Divers
have searched the capsized boat, whose bottom is three to four meters
under the water, several times but found nobody. Rescuers said that
the missing people could still be inside the boat and already dead. The
boat was a sand carrier,and capsized on Thursday night. There
were 11 men and one woman aboard the boat. One body has been found
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GREECE
– AEGEAN SEA 21 MAY 09
 Greece
starts fuel cleanup of sunken Sea Diamond ship
The
merchant navy ministry in Greece has began a clean-up operation of
the remaining fuel in a cruise ship that sunk near the Aegean island
of Santorini in April 2007. Up to 113 tonnes of fuel will pumped from
the Sea Diamond by a special ship using three remote controlled
robotic submarines, Merchant navy minister Anastasis Papaliguras
visired the area to inspect the work. The ship's owner Cyprus-based
Louis Hellenic Cruises - LHC - will pick up the $5.9US million
dollars bill for the work, which is expected to last more than three
weeks, The ship sank to a depth of 140 metres with much of its fuel
still on board, near the Aegean island of Santorini after hitting a
reef. Two French passengers, a man and his daughter, are missing
assumed dead, but some 1,600 other passengers and the crew were
evacuated safely. At least two-thirds of the 400 tonnes of fuel on
board has already been pumped out of the ship, The owners paid for a
surface clean-up operation but refused to raise the ship because of
the depth, warning that the wreck could fall apart and spill the
remaining fuel over a wider area.
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LONDON
– SOMALIA – GULF OF ADEN 21 MAY 09
 London
links to Somali pirates
Some
maritime Security experts are speculating that well-placed informants
in London gather so much detail on targets that they know the ships
layout, route and cargo, and even practice the assault in advance. An
attack and capture of the Turkish ship the Karagöl was the
first sign that the pirates criminal business may have London links.
Haldun Dincel, general manager of Turkey's Yardimci shipping
company, who negotiated the release of their ship said, "They
made regular calls from the ship to London, on satellite phones the
pirates brought with them. Speaking from Istanbul, Dincel said that
London was one of a number of centres the pirates contacted regularly
after the tanker had been taken. He said, "Every day the chief
of the pirates got in touch with people from London, Dubai and the
Yemen," At least one of the four or five major pirate groups
that are now carrying out the attacks has London-based "consultants"
to help them choose their targets, according to a European military
intelligence report leaked to Spain's Cadena SER radio station. The
report has been circulated around those countries, including Britain,
that are involved in the European Union's Operation Atalanta to
protect ships against piracy in the area. It indicated that the
hijacking of at least three vessels, including the Karagöl, the
Greek cargo ship Titan and Spanish tuna trawler Felipe Ruano,
followed tip offs from the London-centred network of informers,
According to the report, the pirates had full knowledge of the cargo,
nationality and course of the vessel. Dincel believes they may work
inside the industry. "They knew the vessel, they knew the
cargo, they knew the loading ports, they knew the destination, they
knew everything," he said. "The knew their job."
Andrew Mwangura, who heads the East African's Seafarer's Assistance
Programme, a piracy monitoring group based in Mombassa, Kenya, said
negotiations over hijacked ships often involve Somalis in London.
The
national flag of the vessel was also taken into account when choosing
a target, with British vessels apparently being increasingly avoided,
the report said. An obvious move as it would not bring the wrath of
the British authorities on the organisers here. Graeme Gibbon-Brooks,
of Dryad Maritime Intelligence said "We have heard this a lot.
It strikes me as plausible," They are getting more sophisticated
because they are funded by criminal gangs from outside of Somalia."
He said, however, that while pirates might receive information on
individual targets from London and elsewhere it was still difficult
to locate a ship in mid-ocean. Pirates were more likely to receive
lists of potential targets so they could identify one if they came
across it, he said. Dincel said he suspected the pirates' informers
had also infiltrated the authorities who run the Suez canal, enabling
them to track the Karagöl's movements from the moment it left
the canal. Dincel himself spoke several times a day to one of two
pirate negotiators who had both lived in the US. "One said he
had lived there for 10 years," he said. "The other had
graduated from a US college. The ship's master also said they were
educated people." Dincel said the chief negotiator had told him
over the telephone that all young Somalis wanted to become pirates.
"He said that he had a car, money and a house. He has everything
and the young people see him, and naturally they ask to be pirates."
In January, Yardimci eventually airlifted money to the pirates to
secure the release of the Karagöl and its cargo.
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WORLDWIDE
21 MAY 09
Recession
delivers
boom in commodity storage
Owners
of tank farms, oil tankers and warehouses are cashing in on the
downturn in shipping. The raw materials sector is storing
near-record quantities of crude oil, refined products and non-ferrous
metals at ports, tank farms and on ships moored off the coast around
the world. Commercial stocks of crude oil and refined products, such
as gasoline and diesel are at near-record 2.745 billion barrels and a
whisker away from the previous peak of 2.8 billion barrels, set in
1998. As tank farms on land fill up a growing number of ships are
being used as "floating storage". Analyst estimate that
100-120 million barrels of crude is being stored on vessels moored in
the Persian Gulf, off the coast of Singapore, and at other locations
around the world. More
than 100 vessels moored outside Singapore harbour are full of surplus
oil and products. Smaller tanker parks have formed in other parts of
the world. Warehouses registered with the London Metal Exchange are
storing 4million tonnes of primary aluminium which is more than 50
percent higher than the previous peak in 1994 after the fall of the
Soviet Union. More then 1.1 million tonnes of other non-ferrous
metals, including copper, nickel and zinc are also in storage Rents
for the use of storage facilities have risen. Most investors would
make more money from owning a tank farm or a warehouse rather than
the commodities themselves.
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USA
21 MAY 09
 Nanotube boat
Washington-based
Strategic Composites is building a boat made entirely with carbon
nanotube (CNT) enhanced pre-impregnated composite fibres, The
boat is intended as a technology demonstrator to show what future
boats are capable of when built with nano-enhanced materials such
as Arovex. Using Arovex, the 16m boat will weigh less
than 3,630kg, fully equipped. This is approximately 75 per cent less
than fibreglass boats of the same size, and 33 per cent
less than conventional carbon fibre boats. The weight reduction
will allow the boat to require 75 per cent less horsepower,
considerably reduce emissions, and extend its range. The
boat will be powered by a pair of small diesel engines, typically
found on boats under 12m in length. These engines will still be
able to propel the hull to top speeds of over 80km/h. Offshore-capable,
and with a range of over 1,600km, the boat will
also feature a glass cockpit similar to those found in modern
aircraft. 'This nano-enhanced material will allow us to create the
boats of the future,' said Strategic Composites president Ron Jones.
'By being able to greatly decrease the weight of the structure, the
engine and fuel requirements are reduced as well. 'This boat will be
able to do things that other boats can’t. 'It could be carried and
air dropped by cargo aircraft, for rescue, deployment, or intercept
missions.' While designed with defence and security missions in
mind, the technology demonstrator will be a conventional
civilian/recreational boat. A recreational version using the same
hull and materials is also planned, and should be available in early
2010 through Synergy Yachts
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USA
21 MAY 09
 Ship
Christening Honours First Black Admiral in U.S. Navy
An
American military leader and pioneer was honoured a ship was
christened in memory of Vice Admiral Samuel Gravely Jr. - the was the
first African American admiral in the U.S. Navy. Vice Admiral Samuel
Gravely Jr. was widely known as a pioneer of leadership diversity in
the U.S. Navy. In nearly four decades, he rose from a volunteer
seaman in the wake of Pearl Harbour to become an honoured and
respected Navy commander. Now, a Navy ship bearing his name will be
a lasting legacy. Saturday's Pascagoula, Mississippi shipyard
christening was a very special one. The new ship, called the Missile
Destroyer 'Gravely', is named after the vice admiral. "He loved
the sea and he loved the ships," said Alma Gravely, the
admiral's widow. Alma Gravely, 38-year Navy career from seaman
recruit to the admiralty.the first African American to captain a Navy
warship and to command a fleet. Admiral Gravely, who died in 2004,
is now laid to rest in Arlington. Admiral Gravely served during World
War Two, Korea, and Vietnam. But many this day remembered him as
teacher and mentor, training those following in his footsteps in the
use of high-tech weapons that are now a crucial part of modern
warfare.
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WORLDWIDE
21 MAY 09
Rock
The Boat
A
growing trend in special theme cruises has inspired the music
industry to charter entire ships for major bands and their fans.
Already featured have been such names as John Mayer, Lynyrd Skynyrd
and other well-known tribute bands. Many more music cruises are
scheduled this year on Carnival, Norwegian and Royal Caribbean lines.
Coming shortly are, The third annual Elvis Cruise the only officially
licensed cruise by Elvis Presley Enterprises aboard the
2,052-passenger Carnival Inspiration. The tour features lots of Elvis
friends and original backing bands such as the Imperials, Sweet
Inspirations, D.J. Fontana, and the Dempseys. Elvis's movie co-stars
Celeste Yarnall from Live a Little, Love a Little, Cynthia Pepper
from Kissin' Cousins and Chris Noel from Girl Happy will also be
there. Guests also enjoy Elvis movies an Elvis fashion show and other
trivia. There is also The Ultimate Beatles Tribute Cruise aboard the
Norwegian Pearl from Miami to Samana. The look-alike, sound-alike
cast of former members from the Broadway hit show Beatlemania are
featured, performing more than 30 songs. The show begins with a
recreation of the Beatles' 1964 debut on the Ed Sullivan Show
performing early hits such as ``I Want to Hold Your Hand'' and ``She
Loves You'' in matching black suits. Changing into colourful satin
uniforms, the band then performs songs from the Sgt. Pepper era such
as "A Day in the Life'' and "Penny Lane.'' Their hippie
days are expressed with Abbey Road and Let It Be. Super Cruise III,
the largest jazz cruise at sea, is a week of concerts, parties, jam
sessions, comedy, activities, mixers and more. The cruise on the
2,400-passenger Royal Caribbean Grandeur of the Seas departs from
Baltimore and stops at Nassau, Coco Cay and Key West. It features a
lot of top Jazz names. Super Cruise III is a spinoff of the Capital
Jazz Fest held in Washington for about 17 years. These floating
concerts will bring whole new meaning to the term ``rock the boat.''
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USA
21 MAY 09
Magnolia
residents fed up with noisy cruise ships
Seattle's $72 million
cruise ship is driving its neighbours mad with noise pollution after
just days of operation. One resident said, "I thought someone
had turned the stereo system on in the house," He said cruise
ships have made a habit of cranking up the music as they get ready to
leave port, and it is loud enough to be heard for miles. It is he
said, "What I term is badly played Jimmy Buffett music, and
you're only hearing the drums and bass. The Port says it has heard
the complaints, and talked to cruise ship operators about toning it
down. It says the ships will no longer blare any music or
announcement until they are well out of harbour. A spokesperson
acknowledges there will be some growing pains, specifically with
traffic. Cabs and bus volumes. The port built the new cruise
ship terminal to accommodate hundreds of thousands of people expected
to cruise through Seattle this year. The Port has set up an e-mail
address and phone number to handle the complaints: 206-728-3337
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MEXICO
21 MAY 09
Carnival
Cruise Lines to Resume Port Calls in Mexico
Carnival
Cruise Lines will resume visits to Mexican ports of call based on the
latest guidance from the Centres for Disease Control, which is no
longer recommending against non-essential travel to Mexico. Once all
voyages with previously modified itineraries are completed, those
vessels will revert to their original routes featuring stops in
Mexico. Most itineraries were modified through mid-June with the
exception of the Holiday which was modified through late May. A
ship-by-ship listing including dates for when each vessel will resume
its original itinerary is available at
http://www.carnival.com/cms/fun/cruise_control/itinerary_updates.aspx.
"We
are very pleased to resume our previous itineraries to Mexico, one of
the cruise industry's most popular destinations, and we thank those
guests who were impacted by the modified schedules in recent weeks
for their understanding and patience," said Gerry Cahill,
president and CEO of Carnival Cruise Lines. Cahill
added, "The health and well being of our guests and crew is our
highest priority and we are returning to Mexico after careful
evaluation and consultation with the CDC. It is important to note
that the concentration of H1N1 flu cases in Mexico has been inland
rather than in the coastal resort areas where our ships visit."
Cahill
also noted that the cruise industry works closely with U.S. public
health officials in the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program in developing
and complying with extensive policies and procedures that are
effective in mitigating illness aboard cruise ships. Carnival will
continue to follow CDC guidelines for cruise ships which include
pre-boarding health questionnaires for all guests and crew, along
with secondary screening by shipboard medical professionals as
necessary. Additionally, all Carnival ships stock influenza test kits
and anti-viral medications for treating type A influenzas.
"Mexico
has so many wonderful sites and attractions and feedback from our
customers suggests that the majority support a resumption of port
calls in Mexico. We know that they and our port destination partners
are very much looking forward to our return," he added. Carnival
Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE: CCL)
(LSE: CCL) (NYSE: CUK) , is the largest and most popular cruise line
in the world, with 22 "Fun Ships" operating voyages ranging
from three to 16 days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican
Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Europe
and Bermuda. The line currently has two new ships scheduled for
delivery between now and 2011. The first of those, the 130,000-ton
Carnival Dream, is set to debut Sept. 21, 2009. |
SRI LANKA INDIAN OCEAN
21 MAY 09
Sri Lanka extends develompment deadline
The
Sri Lanka Ports Authority has extended the bidding deadline for its
proposed South Harbour container terminal project The
Sri Lanka Ports Authority has extended the bidding deadline for its
proposed South Harbour container terminal project, near Colombo, from
May 19 to June 16. The move came after prospective bidders requested
authorities allow more time to study tender documents. Officials said
nearly 15 international and domestic companies have already purchased
tender documents. Interested bidders include A.P. Moller-Maersk and
APL and Hutchison Port Holdings. The authority’s initial bidding
process in 2007 was cancelled after the government-appointed
committee failed to select a final bidder out of the four short
listed consortiums which included Singapore's PSA International and
Hong Kong-based Hutchison Port Holdings. Bids for the next two
phases, covering eastern and western terminals, will be invited at a
later stage. Colombo currently has three terminals; the state-owned
Jaya Container Terminal and Unity Container Terminal, and the South
Asia Gateway Terminal operated by Dubai's DP World,
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BRITISH WATERWAYS
21 MAY 09
 Old
Euston Arch saved from "act of barbarism"
Stones
believed to be
part of the 70ft Grecian arch that used to stand at Euston railway
station are being retrieved from an east London waterway currently
being dredged for the London Olympic games. The arch stood at the
front of the station for 123 years until its destruction in 1962. The
stones are being lifted from the Prescott Channel, where they were
used to fill a hole in the riverbed. Campaigners want to reconstruct
the arch using as much of the original stone as possible. The arch
was demolished by the British Transport Commission when the station
was redeveloped in the 1960s. British Waterways will lift the stones
from the channel, near Bromley-by-Bow, on Monday to enable barges to
use the lock to transport materials in and out of the Olympic Park
for the 2012 Games. Historian Dan Cruickshank described the arch as
"the first great building of the railway age" and said its
destruction was an "act of barbarism". He is a member of
the Euston Arch Trust, which wants to rebuild the arch between two
existing lodges on Euston Road. Mr Cruickshank said: "The
careful raising of a number of its stones - a magnificent gesture on
the part of British Waterways - moves the rebuilding campaign forward
significantly and means that a great cultural wrong committed in the
1960s can yet be put right." |
|
The State Government
and
the Gold Coast City Council are planning to increase access and
facilities for the extensive network of canals, rivers and other
waterways on the Australian gold coast. There are more than 480km of
navigable waterways more than Venice and Amsterdam combined. A 6-knot
speed limit is in place for most areas limiting enthusiasm to use the
waterways as an alternative mode of transport. Infrastructure and
secure moorings are other limiting factors. Supporters say creating
something similar on the Gold Coast will set the city apart from any
other in Australia. There is, of course, a long way to go before this
plan comes to fruition. It will need input and support from all
levels of government as well as private enterprise.
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WORLDWIDE - HUDSON RIVER/LAKE CHAMPLAIN
Vermont
& New York salute
400 years
along historic waterways . 11MAY
09
the states of New York and
Vermont are holding series of year long
festivities commemorating the explorations of Samuel de Champlain of
Lake Champlain and Henry Hudson of the Hudson River and New York
Harbour
Waterways News is running a full cover
feature
in a forth coming issue.
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WORLDWIDE
- BRITISH
WATERWAYS 11MAY
09
Olympic
Waterway
A
multi-million pound dredging programme to revitalise the Olympic Park
waterways is underway, improving water quality and opening up the
navigation to allow freight boats to carry construction materials
into the site. A 60-tonne craft has started dredging a 2.2km stretch
of water from Bow Locks on Bow Creek to the Waterworks River,
adjacent to the site of the Aquatics Centre. The craft is expected to
remove 30,000 tonnes of silt, gravel and rubble as well as tyres,
shopping trolleys, timber and at least one motor car. ODA Environment
Manager Richard Jackson said: 'The Olympic Park is characterised by a
series of waterways which act as green corridors running through the
heart of the site. Currently, they are polluted, neglected and
under-used, and have been treated as a dumping ground for everything
from shopping trolleys to cars. 'This dredging programme is an
important step in regenerating the waterways and will help improve
water quality, creating better habitats for wildlife and plants. The
clearing and cleaning of the waterways will enable freight barges to
carry construction materials in, and waste out, of the Park during
the construction phase. A wharf is being constructed on the
Waterworks River near the Aquatics Centre and will be used to receive
freight loads for the Olympic Park contractors. Work began on the
upper levels of the wharf this week and is due to be completed at the
start of June. Barges will then be able to travel into the Park by
water via the new lock and water control structure, Three Mills Lock,
at Prescott Channel. The £20m structure comprises twin water
control gates, a 62m-long tidal lock, footbridge, lock control
building, fish pass and fixed weir.
Richard Jackson added: 'This
is a crucial part of our logistics strategy as we plan to use the
waterways for the transport of construction materials into the
Olympic Park, cutting down on the amount of lorries travelling on the
roads.' Richard Rutter, Regeneration Manager, British Waterways said:
'Dredging the waterways of the silt and rubbish built up over the
years in and around the Olympic Park is an essential part of the
rejuvenation of east London’s rivers. The dredged aggregates will
be recycled and reused in construction works in the Olympic Park.'
These dredging works will help us to realise our dream of seeing both
commercial freight barges and leisure boats taking to the water once
again in east London.'
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NIGERIA
- NIGER DELTA
 MEND
orders blockade of waterways
WAR
OF THE WORDS
The
Movement for Emancipation of the Niger-Delta (MEND) has issued an on
line warning, effectively saying that they are putting a blockade on
key waterway channels used by oil industry vessels for the export of
crude oil, gas and importation of refined petroleum products.
According
to the militant group the blockade of the channels means that no
vessel should dare the routes, as anyone doing so would be at his
peril.
The Nigerian army responded by
saying, “It is a malicious propaganda
that MEND will block the waterways to stop oil tankers from loading
and departing the shores of the country”. “The Joint Task Force,
Operation wishes to inform the general public, that the security
outfit is on top of the situation and ready to defend every inch of
Nigerian waterways, including lives and property of innocent
citizenry against any group or individual.
MEND
had earlier in its statement, stated, “ Sunday, May 17, 2009
revealed the desperation of the Nigerian armed forces in a war it has
no way of winning when the world witnessed indiscriminate use of
missiles and bombs on several defenceless Ijaw communities in Delta
state. This is the height of cowardice”. ”At one point we began
wondering if the pilots had problems with the calibration of their
weapons. It is now evident that sheer resentment of a people waking
up to claim what has been stolen for five decades was the cause. “
To make matters worse, the Nigerian government, aware of the
consequences of its actions and with an existing National Emergency
Management Agency (NEMA), had no contingency plans for the displaced
persons
“ If
massive bombing can guarantee an early victory, then the United
States “shock and awe” bombings in the opening Iraq and
Afghanistan campaigns would have resulted in early victories, yet
today after over five years they are still grappling with an
unfinished war. “We anticipate the same thing here but worse for
the Nigerian State. Our fighters have started playing cat and mouse
with the army and the frustration is becoming evident in their
pattern of attack. They bomb non-combatant women, children and the
elderly and we come out at night to kill more soldiers.
As
long as the government cannot eradicate mosquitoes and malaria, they
will not be able to eliminate freedom fighters and the struggle.
“There is low morale and division amongst the soldiers from the
Middle Belt and South who are not in support of an unjust war. We
salute them. “Meanwhile, we have ordered the blockade of key
waterway channels to oil industry vessels both for the export of
crude and gas and importation of refined petroleum products. This
means vessels now ply such routes at their risk”, it asserted.
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