It is difficult to find the maritime sector or the fishing industry given high profile in any political party manifesto for the General Election. Are our political leaders sea-blind to the island situation they want to govern?
THREAT TO UNDERSEA CABLES?
What was this ship doing as it ‘loitered’ – to use one word to describe its behaviour – around subsea cables off Irelandd. There was a lot of attention to the ‘Russian threat to subsea cables’ during the past week when the Russian vessel, Yantar, with crew of 60, stated to be a ‘research ship’ but also considered ‘spy’ ship by Western intelligence services, left a Russian Naval group in the Irish Sea and was observed near Irish undersea cable routes. It was ‘escorted’ away from Ireland’s EEZ according to the Naval Service. It was reported to have been using observation drones near the cables.
This was a tracking of the Yantar around the cable. The vessel, in a 2017 issue of the weekly publication of the Russian Parliament, an official State media outlet, described the Yantar as carrying “devices that are designed for deep-sea tracking, as well as equipment for connecting to top-secret communication cables.” It reportedly carries manned and unmanned mini-submarines capable of cutting or tapping into undersea cables.
The Yantar was initially observed by the Norwegian, Irish, US, French and British militaries accompanying a Russian warship, the Admiral Golovko, which passed through the English Channel headed for the Atlantic.
RECORD PRICE FOR TITANIC/CARPATHIA WATCH
A gold pocket watch given to the ship’s Captain who rescued 700 survivors from the Titanic has been sold at auction. The 18-carat Tiffany & Co. watch was given by three women survivors to Capt. Arthur Rostron for diverting his ship, the RMS Carpathia, to save them and others after the Titanic struck an iceberg and sank in the north Atlantic on its maiden voyage in 1912. Auctioneers Henry Aldrige sold the watch to a private collector in the United States for stg£1.56 million.
GROWTH PREDICTED IN AQUACULTURE
Fish Farmer, the international trade journal, suggests that seafood production is due for a period of growth after a difficult spell. “An impressive amount of investment is pouring into land-based fish farming around the world, from Scandinavia and the Middle East to Florida and Japan,” it reported. “The latest wave of land-based farming projects represents an exciting new era for aquaculture.”
MAERSK GOES FOR SAILS
Maersk Tankers has chosen suction sails for five of its medium-range tankers in a programme to reduce ship emissions by using wind-assisted propulsion technology.
LAUNCHES FOR NAVAL SERVICE RESERVE
The first of four launches for the Naval Service Reserve has been delivered. These Irish built boats are intended to enhance the capability of the NSR for inshore maritime defence and security operations.
SHIP WHICH DESTROYED BALTIMORE BRIDGE BEING REPAIRED
The nine-year-old containership (116,851 dwt) Dali which destroyed Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key bridge arrived at China’s Fuzhou Port en route to Fujian Huadong Shipyard, Luoyuan Bay Port Area for repairs, to include fitting a replacement bow. The vessel’s owners, Grace Ocean and operators Synergy Marine, agreed a settlement with the U.S. federal government for $100 million clean-up costs, covered by insurance. It has been reported that they may be able to limit further liability to approximately $44 million under an 1800s admiralty law.
HAPPIER SEAFARERS WANT BETTER TRAINING
The Mission to Seafarers in its latest Seafarer Happiness Index Report says that seafarers want “more practical, real-world training that better addresses the unique challenges of working at sea,” but there is a positive shift in seafarer satisfaction. The Index is a quarterly survey by the Mission. It shows an increase in satisfaction in several areas of seafaring life in Q3 2024, a big effect being international shipping diversions away from the Red Sea due to the Israeli/Gaza situation. ”Seafarers are the backbone of global trade and their well-being must be prioritised. There’s more to be done to ensure crews feel supported, respected, and rewarded for their vital work,” says Ben Bailey, Director of Programmes at the Mission.
