News Briefs – Pacific Maritime Magazine

03 Dec

Tacoma Port Maritime Center Project Receives Final Approval

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsmaritime253, portoftacoma

Tacoma, Wash. harbor and school officials are expected to break ground in early 2025 on a 20-acre project that includes the “Maritime|253” skills center, shoreline access to the public and a new port business center. On Nov. 19, Port of Tacoma Commissioners gave their final approval on the Port Maritime Center project on the eastern portion of Foss Waterway. This follows Tacoma Public Schools Board’s Nov. 14 approval of the Maritime|253 skills center, a facility aimed at offering free career and technical education to Pierce County junior and senior high-school students. Set to launch in Fall 2025 at interim sites…

03 Dec

BRIX Marine Launching New Megayacht Tender

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsbrixmarine, kismet, Lürssen

BRIX Marine, a Port Angeles, Wash.-based producer of custom aluminum vessels, is launching its newest mega yacht tender, the 38-foot T/T Kismet, the company announced Nov. 19. The RHIB (rigid hull inflatable boat), designed by New Zealand-based Naiad International, is to be part of the tender garage on the 400-foot (122-meter) Kismet, which German shipbuilder Lürssen recently launched. The tender features twin Yanmar 440HP diesel engines and Hamilton Jet HJX 27 waterjets, which can reach speeds of almost 50 knots, as well as Hamilton’s AVX Express system, including MouseBoat control, a Sleipner bow thruster and Zipwake interceptors, among other features,…

03 Dec

Pasha Hawaii Honored by Chamber of Shipping of America

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscsa, environment, hawaii, pasha

Honolulu-based container and cargo shipper Pasha Hawaii’s fleet of vessels operating in the Hawaii-Mainland trade has been honored for its environmental excellence by the Chamber of Shipping of America, the company announced Nov. 21. At the chamber’s annual Environmental Achievement Awards, Pasha’s m/v George II (formerly named the Horizon Reliance) was honored with an environmental achievement certificate for the 23rd consecutive year, Horizon Spirit for the 13th year, m/v Jean Anne for the third year, and m/v George III for the second year. "These awards celebrate the dedication to environmental excellence of our seafarers and the company personnel ashore who…

03 Dec

Seaspan Energy Gains LNG Bunkering Accreditation

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsenergy, lng, seaspan, vancouver

Seaspan Energy now has a liquefied natural gas bunkering accreditation that allows it to provide ship-to-ship LNG bunkering for vessels calling at the Port of Vancouver, the British Columbia-based company announced Nov. 18. The Vancouver Fraser Port Authority issued the LNG bunkering accreditation after a multi-year process with Seaspan -- a first for the port authority. Seaspan Energy intends to operate three 367-foot-long LNG bunkering vessels: the Seaspan Garibaldi, the Seaspan Lions and the Seaspan Baker. Garibaldi and Lions are expected to come online soon to offer LNG bunkering services to the North American West Coast, the company said. Seaspan…

03 Dec

Monthly Cargo Volumes Rise at LA, Long Beach Ports

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newscontainervolumes, pola, polb, TEUs

Cargo volumes at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaports soared in October ahead of the holiday shopping season, according to recently released data. The Port of Long Beach posted its busiest month in port history, processing close to 1 million cargo containers in October, it announced Nov. 14. Long Beach handled 987,191 TEUs in October, a 30.7% spike from October 2023, and marks five months of consecutive year-over-year cargo growth. Imports in October were up 34.2% year over year to 487,563 TEUs, while exports jumped 25.3% to 112,845 TEUs. Empties also rose 28.1% to 386,782 TEUs. The port is…

26 Nov

Asian Shipowners’ Association Committee Calls for End to Unjust Seafarer Detentions

Mark Edward NeroNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsasa, asia, detention, seafarers

In a call to action, the Asian Shipowners Association’s Ship Insurance and Liability Committee, meeting in Hong Kong on Nov. 19, focused on the critical issue of unjust seafarer detention. The committee highlighted a growing crisis that threatens the foundation of the global shipping industry and the rights of those who keep it afloat. “Every day, hundreds of thousands of seafarers navigate the world's oceans, ensuring the smooth flow of goods and commodities. Yet, despite their crucial role, these maritime workers are increasingly finding themselves caught in a web of legal uncertainties,” the ASA said in a statement. Accused of…

26 Nov

Back Wages Recovered for Foreign Engineers Working at NASSCO

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newslabor, nassco, wages

The U.S. Department of Labor said Nov. 19 that it has retrieved more than $1.4 million owed to 36 Mexican engineers working for National Steel and Shipbuilding Co. (NASSCO), a General Dynamics Corp. subsidiary in San Diego. The department said the company violated the Fair Labor Standards Act after its Wage and Hour Division discovered that NASSCO used the L-1B visa program to bring these engineers from a General Dynamics subsidiary in Mexicali, Mexico, and paid them in pesos at Mexican pay rates. The engineers, who work an average of 42 hours or more a week, were brought to San…

26 Nov

POLB Harbor Commissioner Olvera, Jr. Named ILWU International President

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsilwu, newsmakers, polb

Longtime labor leader and Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Bobby Olvera, Jr. is the new international president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union (ILWU), representing thousands of longshore workers across 29 ports along the U.S. West Coast, the organization announced Nov. 8. Olvera, Jr. and the new leadership team, which consists of Vice President Ryan Whitman, Vice President Brandon Wolff and returning Secretary-Treasurer Ed Ferris, were elected by ILWU members and sworn in Oct. 29 by outgoing International President Willie Adams at the organization’s International Executive Board meeting in San Francisco. At the swearing-in ceremony, Olvera lauded Adams’ steady leadership,…

26 Nov

Alaska Projects Net $104 Million in Grants for Harbor, Dock Improvements

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsalaska, grants, infrastructure

Six Alaskan coastal communities are expected to see significant investments in dock, harbor and port infrastructure. Alaskan Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan and Rep. Mary Sattler Peltola (D-Alaska) on Nov. 13 announced that the communities are anticipated to receive more than $104 million in grants via annual appropriations and the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) for port, harbor and dock-related development and upgrades. “Alaska is a resource-rich but infrastructure-poor state,” Sullivan explained. “With more coastline than the rest of the United States combined, maritime infrastructure is critical to our state. Due to Alaska’s geographic isolation, our…

26 Nov

New Port of San Diego President-CEO Named

Karen Robes MeeksNews, News Briefs, PMM Online Newsnewsmakers, posd

Carlsbad, Calif. City Manager Scott Chadwick has been chosen as the Port of San Diego’s new president and chief executive officer, the Southern California seaport announced Nov. 21. Chadwick, whose contract is expected to be ratified by the Board of Port Commissioners on Dec. 10, is anticipated to start leading the port’s nearly 600 employees in the top role in mid-January. Chadwick has two decades of experience in city government, including more than six years in Carlsbad and about 14 years with the City of San Diego, where he served as chief operating officer, human resources director and labor relations…