Lockout ends with tentative deal reached between BCMEA and ILWU

After a month of negotiations with a conciliator appointed by the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services (FMCS) and week with targeted strike action by the ILWU and a three-hour lockout by the employers, a tentative agreement has been reached. While details of agreement won't be released until after the ratification vote. Both parties were asked to return to the bargaining table less than 24 hours before the lockout would take effect. We are pleased that a tentative agreement was reached a look forward to a period of labour stability in our ports.

Port of Québec announces new $775 million container terminal development

The Québec Port Authority has announced the signing of a long-term commercial agreement with Hutchison Ports and CN to build and operate the new container terminal called Laurentia. The $775 million project will be financed primarily through the joint investment of the three partners. Laurentia terminal is strategically placed, and it will be able to play a unique role in the continent’s supply chain. As the major inland deep-water terminal in North America, it is the only facility in the St. Lawrence which could accommodate the new generations of very large ships. It also benefits from a direct railway and highway connection and has all the necessary space to handle efficiently thousands of containers per year. The project is currently under an environmental assessment process with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.

BC Ferries seeks help in reducing underwater noise

BC Ferries has been seeking experts in reducing underwater noise as it builds new vessels and assesses reducing underwater noise from existing vessels. This is following a call by the National Energy Board in February for BC Ferries to take steps to reduce underwater noise to help the orcas. Although BC Ferries does not have an in-house expert team for underwater noise, it has accumulated more data than any other commercial fleet in the world. Help is being sought in how to ensure new vessels, equipment and on-board systems come together to ensure that noise mitigation targets can be reached.

Malaysia to ship waste back to Canada

In the aftermath of China banning plastic waste, Malaysia has claimed that there is an influx of waste containers being smuggled into the country to illegal processing plants. Malaysia will be sending around 3,000 metric tons of nonrecyclable plastic waste back to several countries, including the U.S., U.K., Canada and Australia. The government has clamped down on dozens of illegal plastic recycling facilities that have popped up around the country, shuttering more than 150 plants since last July.

3 more grey whales wash ashore in Haida Gwaii

Five grey whales have now washed ashore dead in B.C. in the last 2 months. Three of them have been found on the shores of Haida Gwaii. Proving to be a significant issue along the west coast, more than 60 grey whales have been found beached and dead along the West Coast between California and Alaska this year. Marine mammal experts are on Haida Gwaii working to determine the whales' causes of death.

BC Ferries announce resignation of three board members

BC Ferry Services has announced the resignation of Chair Donald P. Hayes, P. Geoffrey Plant, and Brian G. Kenning, effective May 22, 2019, following the introduction of a newly enacted amendment to the Coastal Ferry Act that sets term limits of board members to a maximum of eight consecutive years. As a result, these three board members have tendered their resignations.

Canadian Coast Guard welcomes first icebreaker in 25 years

The Canadian Coast Guard has welcomed the CCGS Captain Molly Kool to its fleet in St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador. The vessel is the first of three that will be added to the fleet. To support future shipbuilding and attract more jobs to our communities, the Government also announced the intention to add a third Canadian shipyard, to be selected through a competitive process. The CCGS Captain Molly Kool will provide essential icebreaking services to ensure safe navigation, prevent ice jams and flooding, and maintain shipping routes. It is equipped to respond to search and rescue calls, and to provide aids to navigation and environmental responses.

GOC issues signs agreement with whale watching association to help SRKW

The Government of Canada has announced several new measures that will help address the key threats to the SRKW, including the lack of prey, and acoustic and physical disturbance. The Government has issued an Interim Order, effective from June 1, 2019 to October 31, 2019, to protect whales from vessel disturbance. As of June 1, 2019:

• Vessels must maintain a minimum distance of 400-metre from the whales within the SRKW critical habitat.
• Commercial whale watch operators and eco-tourism companies may apply for an exemption, allowing them to a distance of 200-metres.
• Vessels are prohibited from entering areas newly designated as Interim Sanctuary Zones, located at Swiftsure Bank, off the east coast of Saturna Island, and south-west of North Pender Island.
• Vessel operators are asked to respect a "Go Slow" zone around whales by reducing speed to less than 7 knots when within 1,000 metres of a whale in the Enhanced Management Areas, and to reduce noise by turning echo sounders off when not in use and turning engines to neutral idle when within 400 metres of a whale.

Legislation to Protect Canada’s Oceans & Coasts Receives Royal Assent

Governor General has granted Royal Assent to changes to the Oceans Act and the Canada Petroleum Resources Act (Bill C-55). These changes allow the federal Government to put interim protections in place, stopping potentially harmful activities from taking place in at-risk marine ecosystems until the permanent designation of a Marine Protected Area is made. The freeze on new activity can be applied for up to five years in areas where there is an urgent need to provide environmental protection, giving enough time to conduct research and consultations, and determine the path forward.

US Coast Guard warns cyber attacks aimed at shipping

The US Coast Guard has issued a safety bulletin warning of renewed phishing and malware attacks targeting commercial shipping. Hackers are attempting to gain sensitive information including the content of an official Notice of Arrival (NOA) using email addresses that pose as an official Port State Control authority. Additionally, the Coast Guard has received reports of malicious software designed to disrupt shipboard computer systems. The Coast Guard has urged vessel owners and operators to be on alert for suspicious messages. See the full bulletin here: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/DCO%20Documents/5p/MSIB/2019/MSIB_004_19.pdf

Humpback revival may lead to more vessels strikes

A young humpback whale was struck by a ferry in Seattle as it was coming up for air. With both whale migrations and ship traffic in the Salish Sea increasing, this may become a more regular issue moving forward. After being virtually eradicated from the Salish Sea by Vancouver Island whalers in the early 1900s, humpbacks have rebounded in the Northwest. Last summer, about 200 humpbacks entered the inland waters, mostly near Sekiu in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, while only a half-dozen or so continued to Puget Sound.

New Cyber Security Clause From BIMCO

BIMCO’s Documentary Committee has agreed on a new standard Cyber Security Clause, that requires the parties to implement cyber security procedures and systems, to help reduce the risk of an incident and mitigate the consequences should a security breach occur. The clause is drafted in broad and generic language which allows for it to be used in a wide range of contracts and it is hoped that the clause will assist parties in obtaining affordable insurance for their cyber security exposure, as the clause introduces a cap on the liability for breaches.

ICS releases guidelines on Maritime Labour Convention

Responding to changing regulations the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has launched of the third edition of its essential Guidelines on the Application of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, the only fully up to date guide to the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) for all involved with the employment of seafarers.

New in Edition 3

• Mandatory arrangements for the provision of financial security to address cases of seafarer abandonment.
• Changes to employment agreements to address piracy.
• Measures to prevent harassment and bullying.
• New ICS/ International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) welfare guidelines.
• Implementation of health and safety provisions.

European ports play significant role in building a sustainable, competitive and smart Europe

European ports have prepared a memorandum on the role of port authorities and managing bodies as facilitators of the port ecosystem. The ESPO memorandum identifies ten priorities, ten fields of action and importance for the next five years. The memorandum explains how ports can contribute to Europe’s competitiveness by engaging with port-based industries and operators to influence and assist in the significant changes that we are being faced: climate change, sustainability, digitalisation and the volatile global trade and geopolitical environment.

Trans-Pacific carriers begin blanking sailings

The Ocean Alliance will skip two Asia-US West Coast sailings in June in an effort to maintain rates as the US-China trade war takes a toll on volume.

Maersk investments in Traxens

Maersk has announced that it will be investing in Traxens, a ‘smart container’ tracking product. They will be joining existing investors CMA CGM and MSC, with each taking an equal shareholding in Traxens. Maersk has agreed to order up to 50,000 Traxens devices, a similar order to those placed earlier by CMA CGM and MSC. The device creates visibility into the condition and location of containerised cargo.

Ocean Cleanup to Redeploy Its System in June

The Ocean Cleanup’s plastics collecting system is set to be redeployed in June after undergoing upgrades. During the last campaign, The Ocean Cleanup confirmed many key assumptions of the design, but also encountered two opportunities to improve the system – the system did not maintain a sufficient speed, allowing plastic to exit the system, and a stress concentration caused a fatigue fracture in the HDPE floater. The design has now been adapted to address these issues.

Wärtsilä Leads New Clean Shipping Fuels Initiative

A group of six Nordic companies has come together to develop new infrastructure for green fuels for ships. Lead by the technology company Wärtsilä, the group is called Zero Emission Energy Distribution at Sea (ZEEDS). Member of the group include DFDS, Grieg Star, Aker Solutions, Equinor, and Kvaerner. ZEEDS will work together to assess and address the supply, storage and distribution chain in order to accelerate the switch to cleaner shipping fuels. The partners will present their most promising ideas in Oslo at Future Innovation Day – Horizons on June 3 and during Nor-Shipping maritime event on June 4.

Containership explosion in Thai port

An explosion and fire onboard the container ship KMTC Hong Kongat on the weekend has caused up to 200 people to be hospitalized. The vessel was at berth at Laem Chaebang. The public was warned to take shelter indoors to avoid breathing smoke and Laem Chabang port staff were evacuated. The local area was also officially declared to be “danger zone”. the cause of the explosion and fire is currently unknown and is still under investigation.

Freighter lost 30-mil euro super yacht in Balearic sea

A luxury superyacht has slipped from a cargo ship and sunk into the sea. My Song, a 40-meter Baltic 130 Custom sailing yacht was owned by Italian billionaire Pier Luigi Loro Piana, was being transported between Mallorca Genoa when the incident occurred. The yacht held several awards and titles, including Best Yacht at the World Superyacht Awards, and set a speed record during last year's RORC Transatlantic Race. An investigation into the cause of the incident is underway, and initial assessment have concluded that the yacht's cradle "collapsed" during the voyage, causing the loss of the boat overboard.

APL bows out from Asia-Europe tradelane

APL is officially bowing out from the Asia-Europe boxship tradelane. As of October 1st, CMA CGM will be the only carrier within the group’s stable of brands in the transatlantic, Asia-Europe, Asia-Mediterranean, Asia-Caribbean and Europe-India/Middle East markets. APL will focus on the transpacific, Asia-Indian Subcontinent where it will be the group’s only brand, intra-Asia, with sister company CNC, Asia-Oceania, and the US flag services.