Latest posts
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Flag-Hopping at Record Highs: Is Maritime Safety at Risk?
Flag-hopping is the practice whereby a ship owner or an operator frequently and strategically changes their vessel’s flag state (or registry) to circumvent legal, regulatory, or economic obligations. According to the latest data from maritime analytics company Windward, flag-hopping is now a standard operating procedure for a parallel shipping network designed to circumvent international sanctions.…
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Nuclear Power in Commercial Shipping — Could It Happen? And When?
In 1959, the United States launched the NS Savannah, the first nuclear passenger-cargo vessel, followed by Germany’s Otto Hahn in 1964, Japan’s Mutsu in 1969, and the Soviet Union’s Sevmorput in 1986, which remains in operation today. Although these ships proved the technical feasibility of nuclear propulsion, they failed commercially due to high costs, small…
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Shipyard Accident Causes Fatality: Prevention Tips
A routine maintenance operation turned tragic at Istanbul’s Tuzla Shipyards when the roro vessel Elmes suddenly rolled over on Thursday 9th of October. The capsizing, which happened around 14:30 local time, threw several workers into the water and triggered a large-scale emergency response. One worker, 46-year-old Ukrainian Vlasyuk Yevgen, was fatally trapped under an evacuation ramp hatch.…
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International Bodies Address Rising Criminalization of Seafarers and Safety Concerns
London, July 2025 — The International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO), alongside industry stakeholders, recently convened in London to address pressing challenges facing seafarers, including growing incidents of criminalization and ongoing safety risks. Criminalization of Seafarers: A Call for Fair Treatment A key focus was the conference “Protecting Seafarers Against Criminalization: What…
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Panama Canal Water Levels Stabilize After Drought
After facing severe drought conditions in 2023 and 2024 due to El Niño, the Panama Canal has successfully maintained operations with a maximum draft of 15.24 meters (50 feet) during this year’s dry season. Canal Administrator Ricaurte Vásquez Morales expressed optimism, stating that the upcoming rainy season is expected to replenish water levels, ensuring stable operations ahead of the…
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Piracy Incidents Reach Five-Year Peak, Driven by Surge in Singapore Strait
The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) has reported a sharp 50% increase in piracy and armed robbery incidents against ships in the first half of 2025, marking the highest mid-year tally since 2020. A total of 90 incidents were recorded, up from 60 during the same period in 2024, with the Singapore Strait emerging as…
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Nigeria Launches First Indigenous Container Shipping Line
In a landmark move for Nigeria’s maritime sector, Clarion Shipping West Africa has launched the country’s first fully indigenous container shipping line, aiming to strengthen regional trade and reduce reliance on foreign transshipment. The company officially inaugurated its service at Lagos’s Tin Can Island Port on 3rd July, marking a new chapter in Nigeria’s shipping industry. A…
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Attacks Claim Lives of Four Crew Members on Bulk Carrier
Four crew members were killed in a drone and speedboat attack on the Liberian-flagged, Greek-operated bulk carrier M/V Eternity C off the coast of Yemen on Monday, marking the deadliest assault on shipping in the Red Sea since June 2024. The attack, which also left multiple crew members injured, underscores the resurgence of Houthi maritime aggression after…
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Five Crewmembers Arrested for Drug Smuggling on Tanker
Five crewmembers from the product tanker Scot Bremen were apprehended after the ship’s master uncovered their involvement in concealing narcotics onboard, operator Scot Tankers confirmed. The incident adds new details to a drug seizure initially reported by Belgian authorities earlier in the month. The Scot Bremen arrived off the coast of Ostend, Belgium, following a voyage from Pecem, Brazil.…
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Jackup Barge Sinks, Four Lives Lost
Four crew members lost their lives after the jackup barge Admarine 12, owned by Saudi oil and gas driller ADES, capsized on Tuesday evening approximately 300 km south of the Suez Canal. The incident occurred near Ras Ghareb on the African side of the Gulf of Suez, about 130 nautical miles from the southern entrance of…