In brief
SINGAPORE SUPPORT FOR FEDERATION The Nautilus Federation now has a base in Singapore thanks to a cooperation agreement between Nautilus International and the local officers’ and ratings’ unions SMOU and SOS. Nautilus general secretary Mark Dickinson is pictured with Singapore Maritime Officers Union (SMOU) president Captain Robin Foo and industrial relations assistant manager Alvin Cheong following the opening of the new office. Under the terms of the agreement, the SMOU and SOS will have two representatives available to undertake ship visits upon request from Nautilus or its members and to provide local
assistance with any problems. ‘Singapore is an increasingly important maritime centre and it is excellent to have a presence in the city so that members can benefi t from local knowledge and expertise,’ said Mr Dickinson. ‘The agreement is a great example of practical solidarity and the growing strength of the Nautilus Federation.’ The office is at 75 Jellicoe Road, 04-01 Wavelink Building, Singapore 208738 and can be contacted by email: singapore@ nautilusint.org
Automation ‘may ease criminalisation threat’ Insurers highlight need for regulations to match technology Autonomous or remote-controlled ships may reduce the risk of masters and officers being criminalised after accidents, marine insurers have suggested. Speaking in London last month, International Union of Marine Insurance (IUMI) president Dieter Berg said the shipping industry faces a challenge to ensure the regulatory regime keeps pace with the rapid advances in technology. The International Maritime Organisation needs to produce a reliable framework of rules which will answer such questions as where the liability for autonomous or remote-controlled ships will lie, he added. IUMI secretary-general Lars Lange said regulations will need to be adapted so that responsibility may move from the master to those controlling the ship from shore-based operations centres.
Frédéric Denèfle, chair of IUMI’s legal and liability committee, said shipping is being transformed by IT, artificial intelligence and robotics. ‘We have to make sure the crew onboard and the people ashore that are using these technologies are trained to use it properly,’ he added. Mr Berg said marine insurers have to ‘think the unthinkable’ in years ahead as the market faces a new set of risks. ‘In many ways we are in extreme times,’ he added. ‘The rise of emerging technology and digitalisation, something we highlighted at last year’s conference, will have an impact, coupled with the events of last year in terms of natural catastrophes and the impact of climate change.’ He said insurers are also increasingly concerned about the ‘huge aggregation of risk’ posed by the growing size of cruiseships, containerships and car carriers.
Scrap case: a Dutch shipping company is facing a fine of up to €2.35m on charges of breaching regulations governing the export of hazardous waste. Three senior managers from the Groningenbased Seatrade group face up to six months in jail for their roles in the breaking up of four ships in India, Bangladesh and Turkey in 2012. Lawyers for the company argue that the ships fell outside of EU regulations once they reached their final destinations to be demolished. Connected port: the Port of Rotterdam Authority has announced a collaboration with the IT giant IBM to become ‘the world’s most connected port’. It will use Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to share and analyse critical data from sensors being installed along 42km of the port’s length, including tides and currents, wind speeds and directions, water levels, visibility and berth availability. Crewman killed: the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) opened an investigation into the death of a seafarer in an accident on a Liberian-flagged general cargoship in the port of King’s Lynn last month. The East of England Ambulance Service said the crewman had died as a result of a ‘traumatic injury’ onboard the 1,882gt SMN Explorer. Bourbon sells: the French offshore shipping giant Bourbon is set to cut several hundred seafaring jobs and has put 41 platform supply vessels up for sale as part of a restructuring plan. The company is also planning to spend €75m on a programme to use digital technologies for 132 ‘smart’ ships in its fleet.
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