For the past six months seaports have been in the news. The stories range from supply-chain disruptions, large numbers of ships waiting to offload their containers, and most recently, a ransomware attack on at least 17 European oil port terminals. Obviously, the news is affecting the day-to-day management of seaports and just adds to the list of “to-dos” for Port leaders and their management teams. This article is intended to offer a high-level introduction to the cybersecurity attack surface offered by today’s modern seaports with some ideas on ways to better prepare your port for future cyber threats and attacks.…
Whether you’re just breaking into the commercial maritime industry, an experienced sailor looking to take that next big step to advance your career, or even a long-haul seasoned veteran at the top, looking for a change to improve salary, quality of life or gain new experience in a particular operation, I believe I have some helpful tips and insight as to the general marine workforce trends and demands both currently, and into the future. My hope is that I can shed some insight to various options that could help mariners reach their full potential while getting the most satisfaction they…
Four United Nations agencies on Feb. 28 issued a joint statement urging stakeholders to collaborate to prevent undue hardship to seafarers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The International Labour Organization (ILO), International Maritime Organization (IMO), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a joint statement asking stakeholders to take action to support the world’s 1.9 million seafarers from being unduly impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions. The statement came in the wake of the Omicron COVID-19 variant of concern (VOC), which has, once again, caused many countries to close…
Singapore-based Sea Lead Shipping on March 3 revealed that it was launching a new service linking ports in East Asia with ports on the East Coast of the United States, while completely bypassing West Coast ports. “The Asia East Coast (AEC) service will provide shippers with a reliable and timely service that avoids the port congestion that is hampering efficient service at many other (West Coast) ports,” Sea Land said in a statement. The new weekly service commenced March 7 with the first sailing from the Port of Nansha in south China. Port rotation for the service will be as…
In early March, multiple global shipping firms, including Switzerland-based MSC, Denmark-headquartered Maersk and France’s CMA CGM announced that they’ve halted cargo bookings to and from Russia until further notice due to Russia’s invasion of neighboring country Ukraine. “As the crisis in Ukraine continues and governments impose new sanctions on Russia and its allies, A.P. Moller—Maersk is keeping a close eye on developments and making necessary adjustments in line with the latest restrictions,” Maersk said in a March 1 statement explaining its decision. “As the stability and safety of our operations is already being directly and indirectly impacted by sanctions, new…