It never ceases to amaze that given the dependence of the global economy on shipping, very little attention is paid to the industry until an incident freaks out the media or there are impacts to the global supply chain.
The grounding of the Capesize bulk carrier Wakashio on a reef off Mauritius in July 2020 revived the longstanding debate related to criminalization of seafarers. A preliminary investigation indicates that the vessel was off course in an attempt to pick up a wi-fi signal at the time of grounding. The ensuing environmental damage to the coastline was considerable and resulted in a decision to detain the Master and Chief Officer without consideration to bail. Most other crew members are under house arrest in a local hotel pending their appearance as witnesses in an eventual trial.
“I am ashamed to be an executive in the maritime industry!” said Mr. Frank Coles in a recent LinkedIn post. His statement was related to the launch of a petition to create an enforceable global protocol for a green travel channel travel for seafarers.
The continued unwarranted detention of the Ultra large Container Vessel Ever Given by the Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has thrown a spotlight on the relationship between the marine industry and the management of critical infrastructure across the globe.
It would be unwise to dismiss the decision of the UK government to send a full strength aircraft carrier strike group east of Suez this month for a maiden deployment that will take in 40 countries and involve exercises with a number of allied and friendly nations. To put this into context, this is the first time that the UK has put such a major strike group to sea since the Falklands war with Argentina in 1982.
The grounding of the Ultra Large Container Ship (ULCS) Ever Given from March 23 – 29 March in the Suez Canal has predictably prompted a good deal of speculation related to the safety of vessels of this dimension and the circumstances surrounding the incident itself.
The threat of fire on a ship is an ever-present nightmare scenario. Improved construction standards and the use of inflammable materials have done a great deal to reduce the dangers, however, there are still too many incidents of fire consuming large parts of a vessel, in particular container ships.
One of the most contested project proposals in the history of Western Canada has been the expansion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline from Edmonton to Burnaby in the Port of Vancouver.
I was interested to note an article last month wherein California based Navis unveiled its leading predictions and trends that will drive the shipping industry in 2021.
For those unfamiliar, Navis is a subsidiary of Cargotec Corporation and has carved out a considerable niche in the development and supply of advanced container terminal operating systems across the globe. The predictions were as follows:
Events of historical significance for the globe occur every year but of course some years are etched in memory. The most memorable years often relate to the outbreak or end of global conflicts or for example the first man to walk on the moon or the fall of the Berlin wall. The year 2020 will forever be synonymous with the devastation of the global economy generated by COVID 19 and the tragic number of lives prematurely lost. When the pandemic is eventually in the rearview mirror it will be an opportunity for every country to objectively reflect on their preparedness and how they responded to the challenges represented by a virus which highlighted examples of strong leadership but also examples of significant political failure to lead when it most mattered.
