Pacific Maritime – Pacific Maritime Magazine

12 Sep

Drought & the Panama Canal

Pacific MaritimeFrom the Editor, News, News Briefs, PMM Online News

Panama is typically one of the wetter countries in the world due to its tropical climate, but a very unusual occurrence is affecting the Panama Canal during the current rainy season: a severe drought. The drought has already slowed vessel traffic to the U.S. West Coast and is threatening to have an effect on the current peak shipping season, when goods are shipped to North America from Asia in time to be on store shelves for holiday season shopping. Here’s the situation: according to climate scientists, Panama is experiencing its worst drought in over two decades, even though the country…

07 Feb

Shared Ice Services Hires New Sales and Marketing Executive

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsesr, NBBB, sharedice

Peter Roney is the new director of sales and marketing supporting Nichols Brothers Boat Builders and Everett Ship Repair operations, Shared Ice Services, LLC, announced Jan. 13. Roney, who joined the company in December, now oversees business development and customer relations, according to Shared Ice Services, a subsidiary of Ice Cap Holding LLC (the parent company of Ice Floe, LLC dba Nichols Brothers and Everett Ship Repair). “With recent expansion at both NBBB and ESR and a growing shipyard portfolio, we are excited to announce Pete Roney’s addition to our executive management team,” NBBB and ESR CEO Gavin Higgins said.…

28 Oct

August Cargo Volumes Down at Major West Coast Ports, PMSA Data Show

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal Operationspmsa, pola, polb

Most of the West Coast seaports tracked by the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association showed imports in August decline from the same time a year ago, according to the organization’s latest West Coast Trade Report, which was released Oct. 25. The Port of Los Angeles posted a 16.9% drop from 485,672 TEUs in August 2021 to 403,602 TEUs in August 2022, while the Port of Long Beach showed a 5.6% dip from 407,426 TEUs in August 2021 to 384,530 TEUs in August 2022. The Port of Oakland saw imports dip by 10.2% from 97,850 TEUs in August 2021 to 87,844 TEUs…

28 Oct

Port of Oakland Head Elected to AAPA Board

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal Operationsaapa, portofoakland

Port of Oakland Executive Director Danny Wan has been elected by the American Association of Port Authorities’ Board of Governors to the U.S. South Pacific Ports delegate position on the AAPA’s governing board. Wan’s election was made official at the organization’s Annual Convention & Exposition in Orlando on Oct. 17. “I appreciate the confidence the AAPA placed in me, and I’m honored to represent the California, Hawaii and Guam public ports delegation,” said Wan, who is also president of the California Association of Port Authorities. “I’m excited to work with the national port community and leadership to advance important port…

28 Oct

Port of Grays Harbor Develops Westport Marina Modernization Plan

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal Operationsportofgraysharbor, wesportmarina

The public may now view a draft plan to modernize Westport Marina at the Port of Grays Harbor in Washington state. The plan, which is expected to be considered by the port commission in December, was developed in the last nine months with consultant Moffatt & Nichol as a blueprint for the strategy and phased upgrades to the marina, considered “the hub of tribal, commercial, charter and recreational fishing on Washington’s Coast,” according to the port. “The Draft Marina Modernization Plan is a critical planning document for the future of the Westport Marina,” Port Commissioner Tom Quigg said. “We have…

28 Oct

Port of Seattle Deems 2022 Cruise Season a Success

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal Operationscruises, portofseattle

The Port of Seattle has declared its 2022 cruise season a success that shattered new records and achieved new milestones in economic impact, environmental initiatives and community investment efforts. The port said Oct. 24 that the cruise season brought 1.28 million revenue passengers, or 640,000 individual travelers, to the port on an Alaskan cruise, a new passenger volume record that netted a 6% uptick over the 2019 volumes. “In 2020, when the port and region lost the expected revenue of an entire cruise season, we outlined a recovery strategy to bring the industry back healthier and stronger than ever,” Port…

19 Aug

New Port of Seattle Police Chief Chosen

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal Operationsportofseattle, portpolice

Law enforcement veteran Michael Villa is the Port of Seattle’s new chief of police, Port Executive Director Steve Metruck announced Wednesday, Aug. 17. Villa brings 30 years of law enforcement experience to the role. He began his career in 1990 at the Tukwila (Wash.) Police Department, where he established community programs and a neighborhood resource center and was a leader in developing an initiative that improved school safety. He rose through its ranks to become its chief of police in 2011. “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Chief Villa since he was a Commander with the Tukwila Police Department,” Washington…

29 Jul

Monthly Imports Down at U.S. West Coast Seaports, PMSA Data Shows

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal Operationsimports, maritimeshipping, pmsa

Imports arriving through U.S. West Coast seaports in May fell 4% from the same time a year ago, while U.S. East Coast ports saw an 8% uptick in the same time period, according to the Pacific Merchant Shipping Association’s latest West Coast Trade Report. While year-over-year percentages dropped for U.S. West Coast ports, ports along the Pacific still processed 43,569 more imports in May than the nine U.S. East Coast ports monitored by PMSA. Meanwhile, West Coast ports saw exports in May 5% from the same time a year ago, PMSA data show. Regarding trade with Asia, West Coast seaports…

10 May

PMA, ILWU Contract Talks Set To Begin May 10

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsilwu, labor, pma

Officials representing West Coast dockworkers and their employers are expected to begin talks for a new labor contract today, May 10, in San Francisco. The International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the union representing over 22,000 dockworkers across 29 ports on the West Coast, and the Pacific Maritime Association, the group representing marine terminals and ocean carriers, are expected to meet daily to hammer out a new contract before the current one expires at 5 p.m. on July 1. The PMA and ILWU have been careful not to discuss the nuances of contract talks publicly, but leaders from both sides have…

10 May

Port of Long Beach Officially Retires Gerald Desmond Bridge

Pacific MaritimeNews, News Briefs, PMM Online News, Terminal OperationsGeraldDesmondBridge, polb

After more than five decades serving as a major corridor for moving the nation’s cargo, the Gerald Desmond Bridge was officially retired Saturday, May 7 in a ceremony that included city and harbor officials and members of the Desmond family. “Gerald Desmond will always be remembered for securing the Tidelands oil funds that were needed to help pay for a bridge that helped the Port of Long Beach grow to where we are today,” port Executive Director Mario Cordero said in a statement. “We hope that this retirement ceremony is a fitting tribute to his legacy and for the Desmond…