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Residents of Manihiki, Cook Island,were relieved, after the long-awaited Coral Bay barge from Fiji arrived on June 7, 2025,, with a crew of 11 on board, to begin dismantling the wreck of the 'Grinna II'. The vessel had run aground on Manihiki’s reef on March 21, 2022, near Tukao Harbour and was resting on a shallow on its starboard side since. The National Environment Service (NES) had completed its environmental assessment for removing the vessel MV Grinna from the Manihiki reef after multiple failed attempts om January 2024. The due diligence included consultations with the Island Government of Manihiki to remove any hazardous items. In May 2023, the NES reissued a notice specifying the environmental requirements for the vessel’s removal. Additionally, a SPREP (Pacific Regional Environment Programme) marine hazardous substance expert advised an onsite evaluation by a qualified professional to address salvage and spill responses. In June 2023, the Taio Shipping Ltd. provided a full management plan for the removal of the wreck from the Manihiki reef. The report submitted to Parliament in December stated that the NES finalised the assessment of the plan with technical advice from the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR), aiming to begin the removal process in the last quarter of 2023. Failed attempts to remove the ship from the reef were made on March 24 by two fishing vessels. Plans were made to drag the 'Grinna II'out to sea by two foreign fishing boats and sink the damaged vessel off the west side of the island. However, the passenger/cargo vessel could not be dislodged off the reef. Reports with photos: https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/local/outer-islands/manihiki-residents-relieved-as-barge-arrives-to-dismantle-mv-grinna-ii-wreck/ https://www.cookislandsnews.com/internal/national/local/environment/outer-islands/environment-agency-approves-plan-to-remove-grounded-ship/

The investigation of the US Coast Guard into the circumstances surrounding the death of a crew member of the 'Polaris', which occurred about 27 miles from New York Harbour, was continued. The vessel was carrying out installation work on Equinor’s Empire Wind I offshore wind farm on June 2, when he had been electrocuted. The New York command centre of the Coast Guard was notified of a medical evacuation aboard the 'Polaris' involving a crew member unconscious from being electrocuted.

Crew change have resumed at the port of Chittagong, albeit to a limited extent. In case of joining, covid negative certificate is required. In case of sign off, the crew will have to undergo a covid test at a local government approved hospital. Which takes a total of 3 days to stay in a hotel. Then he has to show immigration and airlines authorities when he gets on the plane.  We've learned from talking to a crew service provider that this process is safe for all parties. NC Shipping's operations manager said Chittagong port service is now much more efficient and less time consuming. All rules are governed by international standards. "Even in the covid pandemic lockdown, we get international quality service from Chittagong port which has played a positive role in the operation of our ships and maintaining the dynamism of the maritime trade," he added. He thinks crew change approval is part of a continuous process. This is a valiant decision of the government and port authorities 

Ships

The 'Hebridean Isles', due to be scrapped has been given a stay of execution due to the Brexit. After the final sailing to Islay, the ferry has been anchored at King George V dock on the Clyde, awaiting transfer to Denmark to be scrapped. That was first mooted for April, but the ship has been unable to enter the European Union due to regulations over hazardous waste. The issue is believed to be related to the freezer compartments on board, and in particular the insulation used in their construction. From salvaging engine parts to removing hazardous material, The project has been closely managed to ensure compliance with all partners, such as the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and the Danish equivalent. It was in the final stages of completing the required paperwork, and Calmac hoped to see her start the journey to Denmark as soon as all necessary permissions are granted. The rules have changed since Brexit and it takes more time to obtain approvals on paperwork. When paired with the complexity of decommissioning work to retain important parts of the vessel, the project has taken slightly longer than originally planned.

60 % of the fire aboard the 'Wan Hai 503' was still not doused. Efforts are being made to prevent the fire from spreading to the 2,000-ton fuel tank. The fire and explosions were particularly concentrated from mid-ship to the container bay ahead of the accommodation block. As of June 11, the smoke has subsided to some level as a result of the heavy rain in the seas but the fire was still not under control. Besides, the ship was tilting approximately 10-15 degrees to port side,, as a result of which around 50 containers have fallen overboard. 10 to 15 containers were seen drifting by the Dornie Coast Guard aircraft and may reach the coast around June 12. The ship was 81,65 kilometres away from the Azheekal port in Kannur. Lost containers may reach the Thrissur and Ernakulam areas. The ' Samudra Prahari', 'Sachet' and 'Samarth' were continuing the firefighting efforts, while smoke was still emanating from the ship. Considering the heat and explosion hazard, water is being pumped from a distance of 200 meters. The contents 157 containers are capable of burning, exploding and causing serious health problems to humans. Most of them fall under class 6,1. The ship is carrying a large quantity of explosive lithium batteries, pesticides, 19 containers of flammable solids, ethanol, printing ink, paint, and nitrocellulose-containing alcohol. the still missing missing crew members were named as: • Yu Bo Fong (32), Second Engineer from Thailand; • Sa Wing (53), Carpenter from Myanmar ; • Zainal Abidin (36), Able Seaman from Indonesia; • Heshe Chia Wen (41), Motorman from Thailand. Of the 18 rescued crew members, two had critical injuries with 35 to 40 % burns and were treated among with four others at the AJ Hospita in New Mangalore. Report with photo: https://english.publictv.in/indian-coast-guard-working-to-combat-fire-on-singapore-flagged-container-ship/

The Cochin Port Trust handled a record 3.20 million tonnes of cargo in December 2020, a monthly record volume for it. The volume is a 10.55 per cent growth over December 2019, said Cochin Port Trust chairperson M. Beena, in a message to the employees and officials of the port trust. Container movement too touched a consistent 60,000 TEUs consecutively in the four months leading to December. The surge in the movement of cargo is being looked upon as new shoots in the port business after the plans of 2020 were washed away in the COVID-19 pandemic. The growth in cargo movement is “charting a new growth trajectory. However, we need to find new vistas for revenue generation by optimum utilisation of resources available to us,” the chairperson told the port community. The port has been recovering from the losses, which had affected it for the past decade. But the pandemic and resultant loss in business had pushed the port into the red. But the port was expected to make a recovery by the end of 2021, the chairperson said. There was optimism stemming from the fact that though there was a substantial fall in cargo movement in the first half of the current financial year, there was some recovery in the second half. The port trust was also optimistic that the inauguration of the Kochi-Mangaluru LNG pipeline earlier this month would pave the way for more gas volumes and revenue for the port. Meanwhile, figures from the Indian Ports Association showed that ports across the country suffered owing to the pandemic and its impact on the global economy. The average fall across the major ports in the country is nearly nine per cent for the period. Mumbai suffered a fall of more than 17 per cent and the Momugao traffic fell more than 23 per cent and JNPT traffic was down by over 12 per cent. Haldia Dock Complex, Paradip, Visakhapatnam, and New Mangaluru suffered lesser falls in business.

The inauguration of the new shore power facility in Kiel on Dec 9, 2020, meant that Stena Line now have the possibility to connect 14 vessels at seven terminals with on-shore electricity during port stay. The new connection in Kiel will reduce the CO2 emissions from the two vessels Stena Scandinavica and Stena Germanica with 2,700 tonnes per year. In total Stena Line reduce its CO2 emissions with shore power with 13,000 tonnes per year. The new shore power facility in Kiel provides 100% green electricity, thus also avoiding NOX-, SOX- and particle emissions during the port stay of the 'Stena Germanica' and 'Stena Scandinavica'. Aside from Kiel, Stena Line have the possibility to connect to shore power supply at its two terminals in Göteborg, as well as in Karlskrona, Norvik, Trelleborg and Hoek van Holland, thus saving 13,000 t of CO2 per year in its network. Of the 36 vessels in the Stena Line fleet, 14 are now equipped with High Voltage Shore Connection systems (HVSC). “Shore power supply is important for us for two reasons: First, we want to have an immediate positive impact on the air quality in the ports we use. Secondly, we expect an even higher share of electrification in ports in the future – at cars, trucks, port vehicles and not the least at ships. With our battery and power bank projects, we develop our ferry services further in that direction constantly and we learn something new each day. In 2030 we expect to launch a 100 % battery powered and fossil free vessel”, say Niclas Mårtensson, CEO Stena Line and member of the Swedish Government Elelctrification Commission. Kiels mayor Dr. Ulf Kämpfer inaugurated the new façade of the shore power facility, which has been specially designed and illuminated. The inauguration marks the offizial start of the on-shore power supply for Stena Line in Kiel. The facility was co-funded by the state government of Schleswig-Holstein (8,9 m Euro) and the EU (1,26 m Euro). In addition, Germany´s federal government recently agreed on a political package to decrease the user prices for on-shore electricity significantly. “We are very grateful for the political support on various levels. The planned decrease of user prices for shore side electricity is an important step for the competitiveness of environmentally- and climate-friendly technologies in Northern Europe. At the same time, we are very happy about the continuous positive dialogue with our partners at Port of Kiel and the city of Kiel”, says Ron Gerlach, Managing Director, Stena Line Germany.

On June 11, 2025, the 'Hein', en route from Port of Spain to St Vincent and the Grenadines, became unstable due to shifting cargo and developed a list to port side, prompting the crew to beach it to prevent it from capsizing. The ship was partially submerged, at the stern, after it was run aground on the southern side of Monas Island in Chaguaramas (Lat. 10.6809 Lng.-61.6887). The vessel was eaking hydrocarbons into the Gulf of Paria, which has raised serious concerns regarding environmental safety and creating a national emergency. The 'Hein' was carrying a shipment of bricks. Efforts were underway to refloat the ship, Report with photo and video: https://associatestimes.com/news/guyanese-cargo-vessel-hein-grounds-in-chaguaramas-leaks-hydrocarbons https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1050188550006765 https://www.instagram.com/reel/DKvnATdsj0Y/

Significant progress has been made on the 'MSC Elsa 3' on June 10. Diving operations off the wreck from 'Seamac III' have moved into a stabilised phase. A crucial oil leak from Fuel Oil Tank 22 was successfully sealed using a layered capping of plastic and polyester cloth. Another minor leak from a loose cap on a separate sounding pipe was also contained. Preparations are now underway to seal a newly discovered seepage from the Main Engine Lube Oil Tank 25 or 26. 12 divers are currently operating in shifts, with a second set of 12 being prepared to increase dive rotation and meet the narrow weather window. The operations were being coordinated closely with salvage consultants and are laying the groundwork or the eventual commencement of oil removal operations, which can only begin with saturation diving using specialised equipment expected to arrive within 48 hours. So far, 56 containers from MSC ELSA 3 have been brought ashore, with four more under active recovery by the Marine Environment Response Centre (MERC), volunteers, and district authorities. A fresh survey is planned to verify two containers sighted earlier near Kollam. The Fort Kochi Coastal police have registered a case against the owner of the shipping company, the captain and the crew under Sections 282 (rash navigation of vessel), 285 (addresses danger or obstruction in public ways or lines of navigation), 286 (negligent conduct involving poisonous substances), 287 (negligent conduct with respect to fire or combustible matter), 288 (rash or negligent actions, endangers human life or causes harm by using explosive substances), and 3(5) (criminal act is done by several people in furtherance of a shared common intention) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita..The case was registered on a complaint filed by C Shamji of Neerkkunnam Malsya Gramam in Alappuzha.

Ships

Debido a la ola invernal y el paso del huracán IOTA, las vías al interior de la región de la alta guajira quedaron en mal estado, lo que no permitió el tránsito de camiones con alimentos y ayudas a la población indígena de esta zona. Por este motivo, a través de Puerto Brisa S.A. se llevó a cabo cargue de estos productos alimenticios y kits de ayudas humanitarias al buque de desembarco anfibio de la Armada Nacional, ARC GOLFO DE MORROSQUILO. De esta manera contribuimos al bienestar del pueblo guajiro, con la organización de los delegados del Programa Mundial de Alimentos de la ONU y ONG locales.