The acting commander of Tongas police force says illegal guns are making their way into the country in shipping containers. The comment follows the laying of a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm against a man alleged to have shot a security guard outside a Nukualofa nightclub last month.Taniela Faletau says the police are developing an armed response capability because of concerns about safety.He says there are a number of ways the guns are entering Tonga but the main one is through the ports.That is the indication we have now, its being concealed in some of the containers thats coming in together with personal effects or some other goods thatre being imported.Taniela Faletau says more co-operation between the police and the customs department will help staunch the flow of illegal weaponry.Source:shiptalk

Not just flora and fauna are getting caked in oil. So is the Gulf of Mexicos barnacled history of pirates, sea battles and World War II shipwrecks. The Gulf is lined with wooden shipwrecks, American-Indian shell midden mounds, World War II casualties, pirate colonies, historic hotels and old fishing villages. Researchers now fear this treasure seekers dream is threatened by BP PLCs deepwater well blowout.Within 20 miles of the well, there are several significant shipwrecks ironically, discovered by oil companies underwater robots working the depths and oil is most likely beginning to cascade on them.People think of them as being lost, but with the deepsea diving innovations we have today, these shipwrecks are easily accessible, said Steven Anthony, president of the Maritime Archaeological and Historical Society.If this oil congeals on the bottom, it will be dangerous for scuba divers to go down there and explore, Anthony said. The spill will stop investigations; it will put a chill, a halt on (underwater) operations.The wrecks include two 19th-century wooden ships known as the Mica Wreck and the Mardi Gras Wreck. The German submarine U-166 and ships sunk by other German submarines during World War II are within the spills footprint.The Mica was...

Security Appointment The Board of Trustees of the Maritime Security Institute announced the appointment of retired Brigadier General Kenneth P. Bergquist as its President and Academic Dean. Bergquist is a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy (M&RA) and founding President of the Joint Special Operations University, an institution within the US Department of Defense.The non-profit Maritime Security Institute (MSI) is the worlds only educational institution dedicated to maritime security and antiterrorism education, training, and research. Located in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, the MSI provides training to government and industry, such as seaports, shipping companies, and cruise lines in subjects relating to regulatory compliance, such as the UNs International Ship & Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code), the US Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), terrorism, piracy, smuggling, and security management. The MSI was recently reorganized following receipt of a financial grant from SeaSecure LLC, a global leader in maritime security and risk management.In a letter to the Institutes supporters, John Banner, a trustee of the MSI, announced that General Bergquist was the unanimous choice of the Board and welcomed him to his two-year term. General Bergquist is a remarkable leader and educator, and coupled with his distinguished experience in both academia and...

Emissions Hit New and more stringent regulations to reduce harmful emissions from ships are expected to have a significant beneficial impact on the atmospheric environment and on human health, particularly that of people living in port cities and coastal communities, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) says.The revised Annex VI (Regulations for the Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL Convention) entered into force globally on July 1, 2010, together with important reductions in sulphur oxide (SOx) emissions in specific areas. It was adopted in October, 2008.According to the IMO, the main changes to MARPOL Annex VI will see a progressive reduction of SOx emissions from ships, with the global sulphur cap reduced initially to 3.50% (from the current 4.50%), effective from January 1, 2012, then progressively to 0.50%, effective January 1, 2020, subject to a feasibility review to be completed no later than 2018.The revised Annex VI allows for Emission Control Areas (ECAs) to be designated for SOx and particular matter, or NOx, or all three types of emissions from ships, subject to a proposal from a party or parties to the annex, which would be considered for adoption...

A dozen foreign seafarers seized two days ago in Nigerias restive oil rich Niger Delta were freed on Sunday, the military said, while three sailors taken hostage in May were also reportedly released. Gunmen stormed a cargo vessel off the coast of the Delta late Friday, wounding one of the crew in a shoot-out and capturing 12 including Germans and Russians.I can confirm to you they have indeed been released, Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Antigha, spokesman for a special security force deployed in the area, told AFP.No-one claimed responsibility for the capture of the BBC Polonia, registered in the Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda, and its multinational crew, including its 71-year-old German captain.The main armed group in the area, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), told AFP it was not involved in this attack but we are aware of the group that carried out the abduction.Security officials said they did not know who was responsible.Navy spokesman David Nabaida said the men were dropped off on a fishing trawler and the navy went to collect them.I dont know who is behind them, but I think its one of the factions of the ex-militants, he said.They were brought...

Standard Safety personnel transfer In this edition we cover roles and responsibilities, procedures, equipment and provide a check list.To accompany the July 2010 issue of Standard Safety, we have produced a poster on crane hand signals. Standard Safety Personnel Transfer July 2010Crane Hand Signal Posters July 2010Source:standard-club

The next ISM Code amendments and some considerations (outcome of the IMO/MSC85) Convention: SOLAS CH IX ISM CodeFlag:ALL FLAGSShip type:ALL TYPESThe Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization has considered at its 85th session (MSC 85) through the Resolution MSC.273 (85), the following amendments to the ISM Code that shall enter into force on 1 July 2010 : ►DEFINITIONS (1.1.10) Major Non-Conformity (MNC) means an identifiable deviation that poses a serious threat to the safety of personnel or the ship or a serious risk to the environment that requires immediate corrective action, or the lack of effective and systematic implementation of a requirement of this Code.The idea of replacing and includes by or is to highlight that the only lack of effective and systematic implementation of a requirement of this Code may constitutes a MNC.►OBJECTIVES (1.2.2.2) The existing paragraph establish safeguards against all identified risks will be replaced by: assess all risks to its ships, personnel and the environment and establish appropriate safeguards.To emphasize that, besides a formal risk assessment is not mandatory required, the revised version of this clause by IMO had considered an explicit requirement for companies to carry out operational risk assessments.All risks involved shall be...

IMO MSC.1/Circ.1190 (30 May 2006) GUIDANCE ON THE PROVISION OF INFORMATION FOR IDENTIFYING SHIPS WHEN TRANSMITTING SHIP SECURITY ALERTS This is just to remind Companies about the above mentioned IMO Guidance that was approved by the IMO Maritime Safety Committee in recognition that, if ship security alert systems were to function in an effective and efficient manner so as to provide the security-related benefits for which they were envisioned, there was a need to ensure a harmonized and consistent implementation of the provisions of SOLAS regulation XI-2/6 on Ship security alert systems and of the associated performance standards. As a result the Committee approved the Guidance on the provision of information for identifying ships when transmitting ship security alerts (the Guidance) set out at annex.The idea of the Committee is to have all SOLAS Contracting Governments applying this Guidance and, for this purpose, has invited them to bring this Guidance to the attention of owners and of Companies operating ships entitled to fly their flag, of those they have recognized, authorized or approved to provide services in relation to SSAS and of the recognized organizations and the recognized security organizations they have authorized to act on their behalf.Amongst others, one...

Somali pirates seek US$8m ransom for Taiwanese captain Government officials yesterday confirmed a local media report that said Somali pirates have recently demanded an exorbitant ransom from the family of Wu Lai-yu, the captain of Jih-chun Tsai No. 68, held by the pirates since April 1. Citing sources among Wus friends, the Chinese-language United Daily News reported yesterday that Somali pirates had recently demanded a ransom of US$8 million, several times higher than the average ransom paid in similar situations in the past. The paper said Wu told his friends via telephone that he had been physically crippled by the ordeal, adding that Wus family has pleaded with Taiwans Ministry of Foreign Affairs for help with the ransom negotiations and the release of Wu and the ship.The ministrys Department of African Affairs Director-General Samuel Chen said yesterday that the ministry was aware of the situation and that there was little the government could do to negotiate the release of the vessel.We all have much sympathy for and understand that it is an unaffordable ransom for the owner of the ship, which is not a large company but if the government takes part in the negotiation, it would give pirates more...

Somali pirates in the Gulf of Aden have reportedly adopted new swarming tactics in a response to increased security measures employed by vessels in the area. Pirate activity was expected to slow down with the onset of monsoon season but that hasnt eventuated with attacks continuing in the sheltered area of the Bab el Mandeb. The new tactics used by pirates have seen between six and ten skiffs converge on a single vessel. Confirmed incidents where this tactic was used include an unsuccessful attack on a Hong Kong-flagged tanker on 27 June and the hijack of a Singapore-flagged vessel the following day.Unconfirmed reports also suggest that multiple skiffs attempted to take an eastern European vessel on 27 June in a coordinated effort but were repelled by Russian military personnel following a one hour gun battle.Maritime Asset Security Training (MAST) have reporting four incidents in the area so far this week, including one where an unlit boat approached a chemical tanker at high speed. The tankers deck lights were switched on and her searchlights were directed at the boat while the master raised the alarm, increased speed and took evasive measures. The boat chased the tanker for ten minutes before giving...