The 'Winslow Griesser' interdicted an unlawful migration voyage in the Mona Passage on April 19, 2024. Coast Guard watchtanders at Sector San Juan received notification on the morning from the aircrew of a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations multi-role enforcement aircraft, reporting the sighting of a suspected migrant vessel, approximately 55 nautical miles northwest of Puerto Rico. Watchstanders diverted the Coast Guard Cutter to interdict the suspect vessel. Once on scene, the crew deployed their over-the-horizon small boat and stopped the 20-foot go-fast vessel that was carrying eight people and multiple cockfighting roosters. The migrants claimed to have departed from Dominican Republic on a voyage to Puerto Rico, however, they experienced engine malfunctions which forced them to return to Dominican Republic before being interdicted. Working in coordination with the Dominican Republic Navy, cutter Winslow Griesser’s crew took the migrant vessel in tow and rendezvoused with a Dominican Republic Navy vessel, who embarked and received custody of the migrants. Further investigation efforts by Dominican Republic Navy and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) revealed three of the alleged migrants were U.S. citizens with active U.S. warrants. Following the interdiction, Dominican Republic Navy authorities detained three U.S. citizens, who were affiliated with a criminal gang and wanted in connection with a July 2020 shooting at a residential community in Puerto Rico in which four people were killed. The suspects were taken under the custody of the Dominican Republic 'Dirección Nacional de Control de Drogas (DNCD) (United States Marshals Service Dominican Republic Foreign Field Office Fugitive Investigative Unit). United States Marshals Service Puerto Rico Fugitive Task Force for the District of Puerto Rico are coordinating the deportation of the three suspects. Report with photo: https://www.news.uscg.mil/Press-Releases/Article/3751974/coast-guard-interdiction-leads-to-the-apprehension-of-3-wanted-us-citizens/
News
COSTA DIADEMA
A passenger was medevaced from the 'Costa Diadema', en route from Malaga to Barcelona, on April 23, 2024, about 14.3 nautical miles from Peñon de Ifach. The ship had requested assistance after a passenger was suffering from respiratory problems. The CCS Valencia of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 215, which hoisted the patient and took him to the Denia Firefighters heliport for further transfer to the hospital.
Whittier
U.S. Coast Guard crews have given up the search for a 49-year-old Cordova man who went missing after an explosion and subsequent fire on a fixed barge at Delong Dock in Whittier, Alaska, shortly after midnight on Monday. The fire spread to the pier and then to the Anagalik, a 99-foot commercial fishing vessel that was initially reported to have two people aboard at the time of the explosion. Whittier Police Department personnel have since confirmed one of those two is safely aboard a different vessel en route to Whittier. The fire has now been extinguished, but the fishing vessel and barge sank in 85 feet of water at the pier with a potential maximum of 5,500 gallons of fuel oil aboard. The fishing vessel owners have contracted Global Diving and Salvage for clean-up and salvage efforts. An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak has searched for the missing person by air, and crews aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Chandeleur and Coast Guard Auxiliary 336 searched nearby waters.
Halsa
With a NOK 1.23 billion offer, Fjord1 won the concession to run the E39 Halsa-Kanestraum route, the latest major ferry connection awarded by the Norwegian Road Authority.
XIN RONG HAI 1
On the evening of April 22, 2024, the 'Xin Rong Hai 1' allided with a guard pier under the Jiujiang Bridge on the G240 National Highway in South China's Guangdong Province. The ship, carrying over 4,900 tonnes of rolled steel, was sailing from Fuzhou, Fujian Province, to the city of Heshan, Guangdong, when it hit the base of a pillar of the Jiujiang Bridge at 9:20 p.m. The cargo hold started taking on water. The ship later ran aground and finally sank at around 11:40 p.m. There were a total of 11 crew members on board, seven of whom were rescued and four missing. As of 9:00 a.m. on April 23, the local government had coordinated maritime, fishery and social rescue forces in dispatching 32 vessels and more than 400 personnel to participate in SAR efforts. Experts quickly conducted a preliminary assessment of the bridge and found no obvious damage to the main structure. However, there were abrasions on the pillar -- requiring further safety assessments. After preliminary investigations, the accident was determined to have been caused by operating error resulting from flood. Traffic police have implemented traffic control for both directions of the Jiujiang Bridge on the G240 National Highway from 6 a.m. on April 23 to 6 a.m. on April 24. The maritime department has implemented navigation control, with all vessels prohibited from entering the three-kilometer water area upstream and downstream of the bridge, except for emergency rescue boats. Passing vessels were advised to detour. Reports with photos: https://english.news.cn/20240423/dee1d7dccf6948ff9245836174c7ca46/c.html https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202404/23/WS6627586ba31082fc043c3822.html
SEAWAY VENTUS
The 'Seaway Ventus' has been blocked at the Australia Quay in Esbjerg by port workers on April 19, 2024, which puts large Ørsted projects on hold, due to a lack of a collective agreement for the sailors on board. 3F Transport supports the port workers, who have been in dialogue with Ørsted for over a month to get the seafarers at the shipping company Seaway 7 a collective agreement. The 'Seaway Ventus' will be employed on the upcoming German offshore wind farms Gode Wind 3 and Borkum Riffgrund 1.
Rizhao
Shandong Landbridge Group has entered into an agreement with Beijing Energy Group to jointly develop a LNG receiving terminal at Landbrige Port in Rizhao. Under the agreement, the two parties will invest RMB6.7bn ($973m) in total for the construction of the terminal, which will have a designed handling capacity of 5m tons of LNG annually. Additionally, the two companies plan to join their efforts to develop overseas energy projects.
Gothenburg
APM Terminals Gothenburg has managed to cut quay crane waiting times by as much as 90% by implementing new standard operational procedures for container lashing. This translates to a reduction from 38 minutes to just four. Using ‘Lean’ methodology, which is being adopted across all of the company’s terminals around the world, a Transformation Team at APM Terminals Gothenburg identified the root cause of the time delay – inaccurate information provided to the vessel crew.
NIEUW STATENDAM
The 'Nieuww Statendam', en route from Rotterdam to Funchal, requested the medical evacuation of a passenger with a possible stroke on April 23, 2024, about 91 nautical miles from A Coruña. The CCS Finisterre of Salvamento Marítimo mobilized the SAR helicopter Helimer 402. The patient was hoisted and taken Alvedro, where an ambulance was waiting for further transport to hospital.
STRANDE
The 'Strande' has been sold to the Sunlines and will be operated on the route Naissaar-Tallinn starting in May 2024. The ship remained stationary in Kiel as of April 23, 2024. https://www.sunlines.ee/en/liinid/tallinn-naissaar-strande/
Sydney
DP World Australia has called for an end to the strikes at its ports this week, warning that the industrial action comes at a time when shipping lines are reviewing stevedore contracts. “The industrial action will cause significant disruption to DPWA customers and importantly the broader supply chain of shippers, exporters and importers. DPWA employees will also be unnecessarily and avoidably impacted by these lost earnings,” said Andrew Adam, chief operating officer at DPWA. DP World’s Brisbane, Sydney and Fremantle container terminals are on a rolling 48-hour strike, while workers at the company’s Melbourne operations have decided to down tools for 96 hours. The workers said in a release their actions this week are in order to fight against automation, outsourcing, cuts to income protection insurance, and “dishonest bargaining” by the company During the recent 12-week bargaining period, DP World said the local union did not make any material concessions to its initial 50 claims. These claims include a wage increase well above CPI, DP World said.
Rijeka
After many creditors withdrew distraint proceedings, the Commercial Court in Rijeka decided on Thursday to postpone the bankruptcy of Croatia’s debt-ridden shipyard “3. Maj” until Aug. 1. Seven days ago the shipyard’s account was blocked for 156 million kuna (23.8 million U.S. dollars). After some of the creditors pulled back, the blockade now amounts to 86 million kuna (13.1 million U.S. dollars). Judge of the Commercial Court in Rijeka Ljiljana Ugrin urged Croatian Electricity Industry and the Croatian government to engage in the process of revocation of the enforcement order, so that “3. Maj” could continue with unfinished shipbuilding contracts.