Pirate attacks off West Africa's coast have increased to levels that rival those seen in Somalia, insurers say, prompting maritime agencies to focus on setting aside their rivalries and cooperate to fight the rising threat. The International Maritime Bureau says Nigeria and Benin reported 18 pirate attacks in the first half of 2011. While smaller than figures attributed to Somali pirates, analysts say the number of attacks off Nigerian waters is underreported because some ships carry illegal oil cargo and others fear their insurance rates will rise. Read more at lacrossetribune.c...

Loading and unloading of cargo from the vessels at the port remained suspended for the fourth day due to incessant rain. Spell of shower that started Saturday continued until today with intermittent pauses causing serious disruption in the cargo handling at the jetties and outer anchorage of the premier port of the country. Secretary of Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) Syed Farhad Uddin said cargo handling in some 40 vessels mainly with bulk cargo like sugar, fertiliser, wheat and cement clinker are waiting for days for unloading. "The port, as of today, has 62 vessels. Around 40 of those are awaiting discharge of bulk cargo while the containerised vessels are operating normal," the CPA secretary said.

Gujarat, India's biggest maritime state by cargo handled, will ban ships older than 25 years from entering its ports after a 27-year-old ship headed to Dahej port on its coast sank 20 nautical miles off neighbouring Mumbai, MenaFM reports. "We are working on a circular in this regard," said S.C. Mathur, chief nautical officer at the Gujarat Maritime Board, or GMB, the regulator tasked with overseeing ports controlled by the government of the state. Ports owned by the Gujarat government, such as Mundra, Pipavav, Dahej, Hazira, Okha and Jamnagar, and those given to private firms for development and operations, handled 231 million tonnes (mt) of cargo in the year to 31 March, accounting for some 80% of the cargo handled by the country's ports that are outside the control of the Union government. Ahead of the formal circular, GMB has verbally informed its ports of the impending decision. In light of MV Rak Carrier sinking off the coast of Mumbai and the resulting pollution which is now threatening the Mumbai coastline, the state maritime regulator GMB has decided to ban entry of ships over 25 years of age. The formal notification to this effect will be issued shortly by GMB," Ankur Joshi, an executive at the port operation centre of Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone Ltd (MPSEZ), wrote in an 8 August communication to the trade, reviewed by Mint. MPSEZ, run by the Adani Group, is India's biggest private port. Read more at www.menafn.com/qn...{d6351e2e-dcd0-4dde-aff4-95229b6111fb}

China's first aircraft carrier swept through fog-shrouded waters Wednesday to open sea trials that underscore concerns about the country's growing military strength and its increasingly assertive claims over disputed territory. nformation about the cruise was tightly restricted in line with the Chinese military's habitual secrecy, although the official Xinhua News Agency indicated that the step had been planned for some time. The 1,000-foot (300-meter) vessel departed through fog from the northern port of Dalian where it is being overhauled. More at www.startribune.c...

The Netherlands' Gate LNG terminal is expected to receive its first commercial cargo in September, market sources told ICIS Heren on Tuesday. The cargo will be delivered from Qatar on a Q-Max tanker to Germany-based utility RWE, which controls 25% of the terminal's 12 billion cubic metre/year capacity, ICIS Heren understands. RWE is believed to have to acquired the cargo at a premium of around $2.00 (€1.40)/MMBtu over the September '11 NBP contract, which would represent a final delivered price of around €24.80/MWh, based on Monday's NBP close. More at www.icis.com/here...

Quang Ninh Province authorities have decided to ban wooden tour boats in Ha Long Bay to prevent any repeat of the disaster that occurred in February when a boat sank, killing several people, mainly foreign tourists. Wooden boats would have to be replaced by metal ones, Trinh Dang Thanh, deputy chief of the Ha Long Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The task of replacing the roughly 490 wooden boats -- out of a total of 500 -- will begin this month. In February the Truong Hai 06 sank, killing 11 foreigners and their local tour guide. tuoitrenews.vn/cm...

Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer has spoken out against the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's proposed fare and toll hikes.Port Authority officials say the hike increase is necessary due to the the economic recession, steep increases in post-9/11 security costs, the costly rebuilding of the World Trade Center and other issues. Port Authority's proposal could raise PATH train fare from $1.75 to $2.75 and along with an increased cash toll surcharge, toll-payers without E-ZPass could fork out a total of $15, up from $8. Source: www.nj.com/hoboke...

Development works at the Larnaca port and marina will begin next year, with the project set to “fully rejuvenate the area” at a cost of €1billion, reports CNA. The project includes the expansion and upgrading of the port and marina, and the restructuring of the seafront. More at worldmaritimenews...

Van Oord Australia Pty Ltd and Dredging International (Australia) Pty Ltd, member of the DEME Group, have been awarded a third contract for the Western Basin Main Works Dredging at the Port of Gladstone. This third contract signed with the Gladstone Ports Corporation on 15th July 2011 represents a value of AUD 120 million (EUR 90 million) and involves the dredging of Parcel 7 for the Western Basin Development. More at worldmaritimenews...

PORTS in north China's Hebei province handled 346 million tonnes of cargo from January to June, an increase of 16.7 per cent year on year, and a volume accounting for 54.9 per cent of annual provincial throughput, Xinhua reports. The provincial throughput ranked in fifth place among all coastal provinces in China, representing 11 per cent of the national total. Port of Qinhuangdao posted a throughput of 143 million tonnes, up 6.9 per cent. Tangshan port lifted 147 million tonnes of cargo, up 25.4 per cent. Huanghua port's throughput increased 23.4 per cent to 55.91 million tonnes.