by Katharine Houreld (Reuters) - The M/V Aegean II, a Panama-flagged ship boarded by Somali police, is safe and underway, the EU Naval Force said on Saturday, after conflicting reports two days earlier about whether it had been hijacked by Somali pirates. The Aegean II had originally altered its course due to a damaged hull and after local police had boarded it, “there had … [Read more...]
What Went Wrong? Back-to-Back Casualties Kick Off 2019
It’s been an active beginning to 2019 in terms of maritime casualties. The phone at the Panama Marine Accident Investigation Department was likely ringing off the hook with three major incidents on Panama-flagged vessels in the first two days. The first three weeks of the year have produced a wide range of serious casualties...and they are likely just the tip of the … [Read more...]
In Venezuela Pirates Now Rule
By Jonathan Franklin (Bloomberg) Their industry all but destroyed, former fishermen now run guns one way, diapers another. On the sea with the desperate and ruthless. Venezuela and the island of Trinidad are separated by only 10 miles of water and bound together by the most lawless market on Earth today. Playing out at sea and on the coasts, it is a roiling arbitrage—of … [Read more...]
The Tankship Triangle: Southeast Asia’s Illegal Oil Market
by Henning Gloystein (Reuters) - An alleged oil heist in Singapore that has already led to 20 arrests, the seizure of at least one tanker and allegations that thieves siphoned thousands of tonnes of fuel from Shell’s biggest refinery is shining a spotlight on an illegal trade worth tens of billions of dollars worldwide. Working routes in a triangle of sea anchored by … [Read more...]
Nigeria Probing Abduction of Polish Crew
By Dulue Mbachu (Bloomberg) -- Nigeria is investigating the abduction of five Polish crew members after their vessel was attacked by gunmen in the country’s territorial waters, the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency said. The Cyprus-flagged vessel MV Szafir was attacked on Friday while “approximately seven nautical miles” from the coastal town of Brass, … [Read more...]