July 2022 – Page 3 – Pacific Maritime Magazine

POLB Partnering with Amazon on Power Supply Chain Information Highway

The Port of Long Beach has announced that Amazon Web Services Inc., an Amazon.com company, will be used to power the port’s Supply Chain Information Highway, a new digital infrastructure project to aggregate data across industries and sectors to track cargo in real time from origin to destination. The port’s Supply Chain Information Highway aspires to maximize visibility and efficiency of cargo movement at the port and throughout the supply chain. The new system will allow supply-chain stakeholders to obtain insights to help with planning, scheduling and improving their systems. Registered users will access the data for free. The project…

National Maritime Center Sees Surge in Credential Applications

The National Maritime Center is recommending that mariners renew their credentials at least 90 days in advance. The MNC has been seeing “a significant surge in application submissions for Merchant Mariner Credentials over the past several months,” according to National Maritime Center Commanding Officer Capt. Bradley W. Clare, U.S. Coast Guard. “NMC staff are taking prompt action to process these applications, along with any previously pending applications, as quickly as possible.” To avoid delays, the NMC is asking mariners to apply early for renewals, which mariners can apply eight months in advance of expiration; review applications with those at the…

MARAD’s 1st Woman Administrator Sworn In

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Ann Phillips (Ret.) has been sworn in as the 20th administrator of the Maritime Administration (MARAD), the U.S. Department of Transportation announced in May. Nominated by President Biden on Oct. 21, 2021, Phillips was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on May 10. She is the first woman to lead MARAD. “From her distinguished naval service to her leadership on coastal infrastructure, Rear Admiral Ann Phillips has championed America’s maritime sector throughout her career,” Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in a statement. “Her experience and expertise will be invaluable as we address supply-chain bottlenecks, implement the maritime…

Seattle, Tacoma Ports Mark 50-Plus Years of Mazda Imports

The Seattle and Tacoma seaports recently marked more than a half century of moving Mazda vehicles through the Pacific Northwest. The carmaker first started importing vehicles through the region on April 14, 1970—first through Seattle, and then through Tacoma almost a decade later—making Mazda the longest-running automobile to move through Tacoma. In 2004, the one-millionth Mazda vehicle moved through Tacoma and to date, 1.9 million Mazdas have been imported through the NWSA gateway making the company, ports officials say, a key customer as well as a partner in the automobile business that diversifies cargo movement at the Northwest Seaport Alliance,…

ACI Boats Launches Bristol Bay Gillnetter

Aluminum boat builder ACI Boats on May 3 launched its second Bristol Bay gillnetter in Port Townsend, Wash. The boat was designed in collaboration with ACI employee Mike Carr, who’s a second generation Bristol Bay fisherman and Port Townsend local. Carr grew up in Discovery Bay, where his dad built hulls for seiners. He started fishing in Bristol Bay in 2002 and began operating his own boat in 2010. This, he has said, peaked his interest in the design and fabrication of boats. While up in Bristol Bay, Carr started to notice a fresh generation of gillnetters that were using…

Holland Named President of Maritime Law Association

Barbara L. Holland, a partner with Collier Walsh Nakazawa, LLP, a maritime law firm with offices in Long Beach, Calif. and Seattle, was named president of the Maritime Law Association of the United States during the association’s general meeting in New York City in May. Holland has served the MLA in numerous capacities including membership secretary (2012-16), secretary (2016-18), second vice president (2018-20) and first vice president (2020-22). Her service on the Board of Directors began in 2008. “It is a true honor to serve as president of the Maritime Law Association of the United States,” Holland said. “For almost…

U.S., Japan Coast Guards Extend Joint Agreement

The U.S. and Japanese Coast Guards will work more closely together in the Indo-Pacific, thanks to the recent expansion of cooperative agreements and the creation of a new joint operation. USCG Pacific Area Commander Vice Adm. Michael McAllister, and Vice Adm. Yoshio Seguchi, the Japan Coast Guard vice commandant for operations, were present for the document signing at a May ceremony in Tokyo. “We rely on our partners, allies, and like-minded nations to achieve our shared missions,” McAllister said. “I am looking forward to many more decades of partnership and collaborative operations in the Indo-Pacific.” While a memorandum of cooperation…

USCG, Navy, First Responders Complete Search-And-Rescue Exercises

The U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, Hawaii Fire Department, Hawaii Police Department, Ocean Safety and other responders successfully concluded two search and rescue exercises (SAREX) on the Island of Hawaii on May 20. Coast Guard Sector Honolulu personnel hold SAREXs annually throughout the Hawaiian Islands which are designed to evaluate notification and response procedures and identify shortfalls in communication and coordination of response during SAR incidents. “This was the first time for me participating and assisting with planning or organization of our joint SAREX,” said Darwin Okinaka, an assistant fire chief with the Hawai’i Fire Department. “Charles Turner, a Coast…

Crowley Receives Environment, Safety Award from USCG

Crowley Maritime has been awarded the Rear Admiral William M. Benkert Marine Environmental Protection Award for Excellence, the U.S. Coast Guard’s most prestigious merchant marine honor, for the global shipping and logistics company’s commitment to safety and sustainability while exceeding essential standards for operations. Crowley received the Osprey designation, the Benkert Award program’s highest distinction. “The Benkert Award is a tremendous honor that above all reflects the dedication of the men and women in every facet of our organizations to go above and beyond basic regulations and industry standards,” said Tom Crowley, the company’s Chairman and CEO. “Each day, our…

From the Editor: Contract Negotiations

By the time you read this, the current labor contract between the Pacific Maritime Association—the organization representing dozens of maritime companies—and the International Longshore and Warehouse Union—which represents dockworkers will be about to expire. Or if this issue of the magazine found its way into your hands after June 30, then the agreement has already expired. The good news is that ILWU, which represents more than 25,000 dockworkers at 29 West Coast ports, and the PMA, which represents about 70 companies that the laborers work for, began contract negotiations on May 10. The bad news however, is that if past…