Armed robbers continue to pose a threat to seafarers and shipping off West Africa, despite patrols by local navies. The most recent incidents reported to the International Maritime Bureau (IMB) worldwide 24-hour Piracy Reporting Centre (PRC) include the following.
Dozens of migrants and refugees are feared to have drowned off the coast of Djibouti after two overcrowded boats capsized. Two survivors were recovered but at least 38 people were confirmed dead as they tried to cross the Bab al-Mandab Strait from the Horn of Africa to the Arabian Peninsula.
The ferry company P&O is set to flag out its entire cross-English Channel fleet to Cyprus following more than 50 years of operating under the United Kingdom flag.
The ITF has condemned the decision by the BHP company to cut the Australian crew from two iron ore shipping vessels and replace them with foreign crew on flag of convenience (FoC) vessels.
2019 is the centenary year of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and it hopes to celebrate the anniversary by achieving 100 member states signing up to the Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC).
The Seafarers International Union, Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters (SIU) has revealed the role of its members in the rescue of crew from the stricken car carrier Sincerity Ace when fire broke out as the Japanese-owned, Panama-flagged vessel was in the mid-Pacific.
The United Kingdom authorities detained four foreign-flagged vessels during December for failing port inspections, including poor conditions for crew and breaches of safety regulations.
The UK’s Special Boat Service (SBS) boarded a cargo ship in the Thames estuary after the crew reported that they had been threatened by stowaways.
A court in Delaware, USA, has fined a Greek shipping firm USD2 million for the deliberate cover-up of pollution after the crew blew the whistle on the practice.
The United Kingdom authorities detained six foreign-flagged vessels during November for failing port inspections, including breaches of safety regulations.
