A 40-foot whale shark was brought into harbor in Karachi, Pakistan on Tuesday, Feb. 7. after reportedly being found unconscious in the Arabian Sea about 10 days ago, the Express Tribune reports. www.huffingtonpos...

A cargo ship spilled acid into China's longest river last week, contaminating tap supplies and sparking a run on bottled water in eastern China, the government and state media said. It is the nation's second water pollution scare in a month, after factories in the southern region of Guangxi contaminated water supplies for millions with toxic cadmium and other waste in January. The ship, reportedly South Korean, was docked in Zhenjiang city on the Yangtze river last Thursday when it leaked phenol - an acid used in detergents - into the water because of a faulty valve, local authorities reported. Residents started complaining their tap water had a strange smell on Friday, and soon rumours that a capsized ship was polluting the river sparked a run on bottled water in at least two cities in Jiangsu province, the Shanghai Daily said.

Kiel-Canal Authority just announced that all locks are back in service.

Sediment coring work will take place at Abbot Point Coal Terminal next week, Maritime Safety Queensland (MSQ) says. MV Delphi will conduct seabed sediment coring operations at the Queensland coal terminal from Feb. 13 to Feb. 24, MSQ said, adding that works will be held during the day. “Mariners are advised to navigate with caution in the area and keep well clear of the vessel,” MSQ advised.

HHLA, Hamburg’s biggest stevedore, boosted container traffic 21.3 percent in 2011 from a year ago, significantly outpacing growth in Antwerp and Rotterdam to boost its market share in the fiercely competitive northwest European port range, JOC reports. The increase, to 7.1 million 20-foot equivalent units, drove revenue up 14 percent year-over-year to $1.6 billion. Operating profit was $15.7 million higher at $268.6 million. HHLA attributed the surge to double-digit growth in the Asia-Europe and East European markets, a strong German economy and increased productivity in handling the largest container ships. HHLA’s growth compares with increases of 6 percent and 2.3 percent at Rotterdam and Antwerp respectively. Intermodal traffic to the German and central and east European hinterland grew 11.3 percent to 1.9 million TEUs, driven largely by increased hub and shuttle services to Poland and the Czech Republic. www.joc.com/ports...

As JOC reports, the International Longshore and Warehouse Union members on Tuesday will help load the first vessel to arrive at the new EGT export grain terminal in Longview, Wash., putting an end of months of rancor between the union and terminal management. “EGT is open for business,” said Larry Clarke, chief executive officer of EGT. The $200 million terminal at the Port of Longview will support local workers and residents and will create export opportunities for thousands of American farmers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, Clarke said. “The men and women of the ILWU are pleased to bring many decades of grain handling experience to work at EGT,” said Robert McEllrath, ILWU international president. The first vessel to arrive at EGT will be loaded with about 57,000 metric tons of white wheat grown in Washington State. The vessel, time-chartered from EGT’s partner company, STX Pan Ocean, will carry the shipment to Korea. www.joc.com/ports...

MORE than 20 dock workers were taken to hospital after inhaling fumes from a chemical spill at Seaforth Docks. Flammable chemicals leaked from a tank after it was unloaded from a ship. Specialist teams, based on site, rushed to contain the spillage on the quayside, moving the faulty tank to an “isolation area” before stopping the leak. Today the leaked liquid remained unknown. Three ambulances were called to the Royal Seaforth Container Base at 2.22pm yesterday following reports of workers being sick and feeling nauseous after inhaling the chemical fumes. Casualties were also treated at the docks. Others were sent home and told to put their clothes in bags as the port authority began their inquiries into the cause of the spillage. After being decontaminated at the scene, a total of 21 workers were taken to Fazakerley hospital – 20 by ambulance and one person made his own way there. Read More www.liverpoolecho...

Kiel-Canal Authority has just announced that due to increasing ice formation the New Big South Lock Chamber in Brunsbuettel had to be taken out of service until further notice. The New Big North Lock Chamber and both Small Old Lock Chambers will remain in service.

In 2011, the port of Piraeus effectively doubled container throughput from 878,083 teu to 1,680,133 teu, PortStrategy reports. Transhipment traffic of 254,336 teu in the last six months was equivalent to growth of 88.2%. Overall productivity went up by almost 35% to 140.4 moves per hour.

Aden Container Terminal, operated by marine terminal operator DP World, has serviced the 8,441 TEU (twenty-foot equivalent unit) MSC Tomoko, the largest container vessel ever to call at the facility located in Yemen’s premier port city. DP World Aden management mobilised a meticulous plan to welcome the Mediterranean Shipping Company’s 332-metre long mega ship, which has a draft of 14.7 metres, discharging and loading containers with its highly-trained workforce and sophisticated terminal handling technology to ensure a quick turnaround time. MSC Tomoko was berthed for a total of 14 hours and 30 minutes, said a statement from DP World.