Monthly Archives: June 2022

Recall the last time that you stood on the shore, enjoying the briny breeze that gently caressed your skin, and the sounds and smells of the sea.You may have noticed in the distance a large sailing vessel.Have you ever considered all the moving parts that contribute to these floating cities? Beyond the logistics of setting out to sea, a ship contains an impressive array of communication devices and capabilities. Whether that ship is in port, or 500 miles from shore, the ship is never without communication.

There are often more than 150,000 ships at sea over a 24-hour period. To add some perspective, this is three times greater than the average number of airplanes that are tracked by the Federal Aviation Administration on any given day. When combined, all the ships at sea form one of the largest mobile communication networks imaginable.As is often the case with a security mindset, this level of complexity creates great challenges.

A ship is capable of ship-to-shore communication at close range through the use of traditional terrestrial radio, or shore stations, and when far out to sea, satellite communication is used. To add to the complexity, there are more than ten satellite companies that provide maritime communication services.The international scope of sea-based communications is governed by both multinational organizations, as well as advisory organizations, such as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

It is easy to think that these impenetrable hulls are immune to security problems. After all, they are somewhat akin to a remote island, far removed from our land-locked security concerns. However, there are threats to maritime vessels, both physical, and virtual. In the event that the physical criminals increase their technological competencies, the results to a fleet could (Read more...)

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High Seas and High Stakes Communications: Securing the Maritime Industry - Security Boulevard

Crude Oil, WTI, Brent, Russia, China, Backwardation, Volatility, OVX

Crude oil has surged to 3-month highs as a number of factors over the last week have tightened the market.

This week, the worlds largest importer of the energy, China, eased lockdown restrictions in Beijing and Shanghai. This potential uplift in demand comes at a time of limited supply due to the Ukraine war.

OPEC+ upped their targeted quota to 648k barrels per day last week, but the market has reservations that the cartel will be able to meet these increases.

Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have re-iterated their forecast of US$150 and US$140 bbl respectively for later this year.

As the West continues to escalate embargos of Russian oil exports, this has pushed them toward innovative efforts of distribution. It has been reported by Bloomberg this week that the first mid-Atlantic Ocean ship-to-ship transfer occurred in late May.

Russian oil spurred by Europe was sent out in an Aframax tanker (capacity 80k 120k deadweight tonnes of oil) to meet up with a Supertanker (capacity > 500k tonnes deadweight of oil).

It is anticipated that the supertanker will receive a few more loads before heading to its destination, anticipated to be India.

Ship-to-ship transfers are not unusual, but they are normally done in safe calm waters, rather than on the high seas. As the sanctions start to bite, mid ocean transfers could become a regular feature of the market.

Backwardation remains in play in the oil market, and the move from US$110 bbl to over US$ 120 bbl was pre-empted by a spike in backwardation to over US$3 bbl.

Chart created in TradingView

Backwardation is when the contract closest to settlement is more expensive than the contract that is settling after the first one. It highlights a willingness by the market to pay more to have immediate delivery, rather than having to wait.

Backwardation has eased off in the last few days and could indicate that a push to the March high of US$ 130.50 may not be imminent for now.

Potentially offsetting that is the OVX index, a measure of oil volatility. It has remained sanguine toward this run up, which could indicate that the market is getting used to elevated prices.

Looking ahead, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) reports on inventory later today.

--- Written by Daniel McCarthy, Strategist for DailyFX.com

To contact Daniel, use the comments section below or @DanMcCathyFX on Twitter

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Crude Oil Price Pumps Higher as China Eases Restrictions and Russia is Forced to the High Seas - DailyFX

The Scientific and Statistical Committee of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council hears a report on salmon abundance on June 8, 2022, prior to the June 9 start of the full Council meeting. (KCAW/Woolsey)

The bycatch of chinook and chum salmon is on the agenda, as the spring meeting of the North Pacific Management Council gets underway in Sitka this week (June 9-14).

In addition to hearing how much salmon is being intercepted in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea by the trawl fisheries, the council will review a proposal to supplement the human observer program with electronic monitoring.

Note: Find links to the Councils agenda and meeting livestream here.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council regulates the so-called federal fisheries which take place outside the three-mile limit of Alaskas state waters, and within the exclusive economic zone of the United States which extends 200 miles offshore.

Strictly by the numbers, thats dozens of different species of bottomfish and crab, and the council will divide its time over five days among many of them. But the headline issues as determined by the number of comments the council has received are the bycatch of salmon by the trawl fleet in the Bering Sea and in the Gulf of Alaska, and the related issue of Electronic Monitoring, or the installation of cameras aboard trawlers to ensure compliance with existing bycatch reporting methods.

Salmon bycatch has come to the forefront in recent years due to steep declines in chinook stocks in many of Alaskas major river systems, and severe cutbacks in opportunities for subsistence, sport, and commercial fisheries in many areas of Alaska. Among the stack of comments on the issue, the Council has received a letter from the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Western Interior Alaska, Eastern Interior Alaska, and Seward Peninsula Subsistence Regional Advisory Councils requesting a significant reduction in the chinook and chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea commercial fisheries. The groups want to see the bycatch cap of kings reduced from 45,000 to 16,000, and the cap of chum salmon reduced from 500,000 to 250,000.

For others, thats not enough. The Sitka Fish & Game Regional Advisory Council last October took strong position against halibut bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska; one of the authors of the Sitka letter, Eric Jordan, doesnt mince words in his latest comments regarding salmon bycatch: To me the issue isnt bycatch, Jordan writes, Trawling is not an acceptable way to harvest fish and like salmon traps and high seas salmon traps it must be prohibited area by area starting with halibut nurseries and crab savings grounds.

Regardless of whether it lowers the cap on salmon bycatch during its Sitka meeting, the Council will consider how to better enforce the existing cap. Since 2020 some trawl vessels have been equipped with Electronic Monitoring or EM. The Electronic Monitoring systems arent intended for catch accounting, or to identify and record every salmon caught in a trawl net; rather, EM is intended for compliance monitoring when the catch is offloaded at a processor. Comments to the Council overwhelmingly support adopting EM, but for two: One, a fisheries observer, argued that EM greatly increased the workload for herself and her colleagues who sampled fish at processors. A second commenter said simply, Dont put 100% cameras on our trawlers, it will be game over for the trawl fleet. The council shouldnt bow to a group of whiners that are too lazy to move to better fishing.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council meets in Sitka through June 14.

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Salmon bycatch, electronic monitoring on the table at Sitka meeting of North Pacific Fishery Management Council - KCAW

June 9, 2022

BEIJING Increased monitoring has led to sharp improvement in coastal water quality

China continues to improve the quality of its seawater, as efforts to enhance the management of sewage outlets that open into the sea have been boosted, according to a recent bulletin on the countrys marine environment, which was unveiled by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment ahead of World Oceans Day, which falls on Wednesday.

About 97.7 percent of the countrys seawater sampled was listed as having Grade I water, the top tier in the national four-tier quality system, last year, an increase of 0.9 percentage points from a year earlier.

The document also noted a continuous decrease in areas with seawater below Grade IV, the lowest level, and increasingly clean coastal waters.

The proportion of areas with fairly good coastal water quality reached 81.3 percent, a year-on-year increase of 3.9 percentage points.

Seawater quality is ranked as fairly good if it is at or above Grade II.

The improvement is the result of effective measures in water pollution control, Wang Juying, director of the National Marine Environmental Monitoring Center, told a recent news conference.

Though showing up in the sea, marine ecological and environmental problems have their sources on land, she noted, adding that in general, rivers emptying into the sea last year were found to contain only mild levels of pollution.

In a move to further enhance control, the State Council, Chinas Cabinet, unveiled a guideline dedicated to the management of sewage outlets in March, vowing to locate and supervise every sewer that empties into the sea and watercourses in major river basins by the end of 2025.

Wang also noted that compared to some other parts of the world, the density of trash and microplastics in the seas off China is at a low to medium level.

Monitoring by the center last year showed that plastic waste accounted for 92.9 percent of floating rubbish. In terms of the trash found on beaches and on the seabed, 75.9 percent and 83.3 percent were plastic, respectively.

On average, 0.44 pieces of microplastic were found per cubic meter of seawater sampled, Wang added.

China began to include marine waste in regular marine monitoring work in 2007 and launched microplastic monitoring in 2016.

To comprehensively determine the distribution of plastic waste and microplastics in coastal waters, Wang said, China has begun monitoring key estuaries and bays, and established a marine waste monitoring network in all prefecture-level coastal cities.

The ministry plans to gradually expand the network to all coastal county-level cities, she continued.

Aside from pollution control, China has also intensified efforts to conserve fish resources, with an annual fishing moratorium imposed in coastal waters during the peak season since 1995.

In 2020, that moratorium was extended to Chinese vessels in the Atlantic and the East Pacific, and on May 25 of this year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs announced that China will unilaterally observe a trial high-seas fishing moratorium in the northern Indian Ocean from July 1 to Sept 30.

The existing high seas moratorium and the trial this year mean that all areas and fish species not managed by international or regional fishery organizations will be subject to the moratorium.

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More protection of fish, seawater: Ministry of Ecology and Environment - asianews.network

Resorts World Cruises, a new luxury and dynamic lifestyle cruise brand, affiliated with over five decades of global experience in both hospitality and cruising, is pleased to announce that its flagship, the Genting Dream, will sail from Singapore to international destinations, starting from 1 July 2022 onwards. These include sailings to the Bintan and Batam islands in Indonesia, as well as to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca (via Port Dickson) and Penang in Malaysia. The launch of destination cruises is timely as the Genting Dream undergoes final preparations for her inaugural cruise from her homeport in Singapore on 15 June 2022.

Resorts World Cruises will be the first cruise line from Singapore to resume cruising to Indonesia with the 2-Night Bintan and Batam Weekend Getaway Cruise starting 1 July 2022. On 3 July 2022, we will also sail from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Malacca (via Port Dickson) and Penang in Malaysia. We will continue to include more popular destinations to Phuket and Krabi in Thailand and North Bali in Indonesia from October 2022 onwards to provide our vacationers with more destination options, said Mr Michael Goh, President of Resorts World Cruises. We would also like to thank the Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand governments for their ongoing support in launching destination cruises with Resorts World Cruises, he added.

We are delighted that Resorts World Cruises has added destinations to their cruises as more ports in the region reopen. This strengthens Singapores cruise offerings, giving even more options for domestic and international cruisers. STB will continue to work closely with our regional counterparts to reopen more ports and reinvigorate the cruise industry in Southeast Asia, said Ms Annie Chang, Director, Cruise, Singapore Tourism Board.

We are looking forward to welcoming Resorts World Cruises and the Genting Dream to the Bintan and Batam islands in Indonesia early July this year. With Resorts World Cruises taking-on a pioneering role to restart destination cruises in Indonesia, we are confident that together, we will rejuvenate the regional cruise tourism industry, said His Excellency Dr. Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, Minister of Tourism and Creative Economy of the Republic of Indonesia.

With the comfort and convenience of the Genting Dream, a Resort Cruising on High Seas from Singapore, guests can look forward to the first destination cruise on 1 July 2022 with the 2-Night

Bintan and Batam Islands Weekend Getaway Cruise departing on Fridays. Discover wonderful Indonesia and explore these two well-known destinations in the Riau Islands for its jungle-fringed beaches, wildlife-rich mangroves, adrenalin pumping water-sports, spas, local seafood delights and so much more.

Beyond Indonesia, visit multiple destinations in Malaysia from Singapore with the 3-Night Kuala Lumpur and Malacca (via Port Dickson)-Penang Cruise departing on Sundays from 3 July 2022 onwards and subsequently the 2-Night Kuala Lumpur and Malacca (via Port Dickson) Cruise departing on Wednesdays. At Port Dickson, guests can explore the towns hidden gems, including its famous beaches buzzing with fun-filled activities, local tourist spots and more. Alternatively, from Port Dickson, guests can join the shore excursions to the historic state and UNESCO city of Malacca, famous for its unique Baba and Nyonya heritage and delicious delicacies; or visit the vibrant and colourful city of Kuala Lumpur for the ultimate shopping spree at iconic landmarks with more great food. Sailing up north, enjoy Penang and all its glory, a top culinary destination and another UNESCO World Heritage Site that features Malaysias best restored traditional architecture, trade and arts.

Log on to http://www.rwcruises.com for more information and bookings.

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Experience new destination cruises with Genting Dream, a 'Resort Cruising on High Seas' | BMPlus - BusinessMirror

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Last week, heads of state and other world leaders, including United Nations Secretary-General Antnio Guterres, gathered in Stockholm to commemorate the anniversary of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held 50 years earlier. Many historians consider this moment to have been the dawn of the modern global environmental movement.

We understand today that the fundamental benefits of a healthy planet are not foreordained. As I sat listening to the Stockholm+50 delegates discuss the significance of the 1972 conference, the question I could not escape was, What if that meeting had never taken place? What if those leaders had never gathered and declared the environment to be a major international political issue? What would our world look like today if leaders in 1972 had NOT created the United Nations Environment Program? What if they had not galvanized a global movement to save the planet?

What happened in Stockholm 50 years ago was revolutionary. Unprecedented. Visionary. It was hard. It broke through all the pressure to develop, extract, and exploit the natural world. It changed the course of history and led us to today a moment in which environmental protection is understood to be essential to our collective prosperity, safety, and security.

Indeed, people all over the world recognize the importance of having clean air, clean water, a healthy ocean, and land that is not tainted by pollution and toxic chemicals. The leaders of this years meeting recognized in its official summary that a healthy planet is a prerequisite for peaceful, cohesive and prosperous societies.

And yet, we are again at a crossroads. One road leads to a planet further crippled by todays existential environmental challenges more plastic pollution, more greenhouse gas emissions, rising temperatures and seas, and ever greater loss of biodiversity.

The other road leads to a better future where we live sustainably with nature. A world where, by working with countries and companies all over the globe, we find a way to balance our need for natural resources with the importance of ensuring their existence for future generations.

So again, I ask, what if? What will happen if we DONT act today? What will we leave to future generations? Are we willing to consign them to a planet whose natural systems are in crisis, despite all the progress made over the last 50 years?

We cannot leave them a world drowning in plastic pollution. We can choose a different path if together we develop a global agreement that takes an ambitious, innovative, and country-driven approach to address the full life cycle of plastic. In March, countries from across the globe unanimously resolved to work with stakeholders worldwide businesses and non-profits, national governments and local communities to devise a global agreement to end the scourge of plastic pollution that is fouling every inch of this planet.

We cannot leave future generations a world with a barren ocean. We can choose a different path if together we commit to protect new areas of the ocean, address illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing, and end harmful fishing subsidies. In August, we hope to reach a global agreement to conserve the resources of the high seas. And, in the next few weeks there is a chance to reach an agreement at the World Trade Organization to end fishing subsidies that are currently fueling fishing capacity at 250% of the level that corresponds to maximum sustainable catch levels.

We cannot leave behind a world devoid of nature and biodiversity. We can choose a different path if the countries that are parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity(CBD) adopt a global goal of conserving 30 percent of land and water and 30 percent of the global oceanby 2030 at the next CBD Conference of the Parties. The United States will do its part. President Biden has pledged to conserve at least 30 percent of domestic land and waters by 2030 and has encouraged other countries to do the same.

We cannot leave future generations a world that is too warm to sustain life as we know it. We are not yet moving fast enough to hold the rise in global temperature within the 1.5-degree limit. But thanks to the Paris Agreement and global innovations, we have the solutions within our grasp clean energy, more biodiversity to hold carbon, and more financial support for the women, youth, and marginalized communities that have been hit hardest by climate change.

So, what if the world had failed to act collectively in 1972? What will happen if we fail to act now? Thanks to the 1972 conference, our planet is much healthier than it would have been absent all the progress that has been made over the last 50 years. We know what it is to have clean air and clean water even as we understand that the benefits of a healthy planet are not universally experienced and that a new generation of environmental harms threaten everyones future.

We cannot fail to act, either. Looking back at Stockholm+50, lets be inspired by those who came before us and those who came together again this past week by the voices who called for bolder action then, and by the ones who do so now. Our children and grandchildren are counting on us. We cannot let them down.

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A Look at the Global Environmental Movement: What If? - United States Department of State - Department of State

Frigato Shadows of the Caribbean will be coming to PC and consoles, allowing players to get on the high seas.

Frigato: Shadows of the Caribbean, developed by debuting Mercat Games and published by Ultimate Games (Ultimate Fishing Simulator, Thief Simulator), is an upcoming real-time tactics stealth game set in the High Seas of the Caribbean. Expected to come out in 2023, the game is expected to arrive on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, and the Nintendo Switch. Look forward to the games demo that will come out during the Steam Next Festival this June.

Frigato: Shadows of the Caribbean is a real-time stealth tactical game with an isometric view, focused on single-player gameplay. The player will command a crew of sea dogs and face a wide array of challenges. A wisely prepared plan and tactical sense will be key to success. In the game, players can gain notoriety as an elusive pirate-gentleman, but he can also become known as a bloody terror in the Caribbean. In short, players have control over how they will portray themselves in the game. The game will offer different approaches in solving the games objectives, with numerous side quests and secrets waiting to be discovered.

In Frigato, says Mercat Games Game Designer Jakub Brzeziski, we combine the elements of pirate adventures, ark legends and rowdy humour into a unique world. The game will loosely refer to the so-called golden age of piracy the 17th and 18th century. Gaemplay-wise, it should appeal to fans of games like Shadow Tactics, Desperados, Commandos, War Mongrels and Partisans 1941.

Frigato: Shadows of the Caribbean features:

Being a fan of Shadow Tactics myself, Im looking forward to the games demo later this month so I can try something similar set in the high seas. Im a big fan of pirates, too, so I hope this game can deliver some relief from this long-standing Sid Meiers Pirates! itch that Ive been having.

Interested? You can wishlist the game on Steam now through the games Store page.

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Frigato Shadows of the Caribbean announced for PC and consoles - ClutchPoints

OTTAWA, ON, June 5, 2022 /CNW/ - June 5th is the International Day for the Fight against Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing.

Globally, IUU fishing is a major contributor to declining fish stocks and marine habitat ecosystem destruction. It is estimated that IUU fishing accounts for about 30 per cent of all fishing activity worldwide, representing up to 26 million tonnes of fish caught annually.

It hurts the livelihoods of law-abiding fish harvesters around the world, at a cost to the global economy of up to $23 billion a year. It impacts food security, human rights, and the economic stability of vulnerable coastal communities where fish resources are threatened by IUU fishing, affecting millions of people. Addressing IUU fishing is a key objective of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for life below water.

That is why Canada continues to work with our domestic and international partners on the latest advancements in technology, enforcement operations, and policy in the fight against the harms of IUU fishing.

This past year, we partnered with the UK-based non-profit OceanMind on a project to evaluate the use of drones in fisheries monitoring. Working with partners in Costa Rica and Senegal, this project saw over 40 successful test flights and provided us with a roadmap to help developing countries in their fight against IUU fishing.

In partnership with Ecuador, we have deployed our state-of-the-art Dark Vessel Detectionprogram to help protect the recently expanded Galapagos Islands Marine Reserve, an area regarded as one of the most unique and biodiverse marine ecosystems on the planet, from the threats posed by industrial-scale foreign fishing fleets.

We address IUU fishing internationally through the development of strong rules and comprehensive guidance at regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs), and the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). These efforts drive Canada's important continued enforcement work and joint operations with the United States and other partners under Operation North Pacific Guard. Through this mission, our fishery officers conduct international high-seas fisheries law enforcement operations.

We must learn from each other to innovate and collaborate in the fight against IUU fishing. By utilizing the latest technologies and taking an innovative approach to the protection of the world's oceans, we can help address the critical issues fish stocks and marine ecosystems are facing.

The Honourable Joyce Murray, Minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard

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SOURCE Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) Canada

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Government of Canada continues to innovate in the fight against illegal fishing on the high seas - Benzin - Benzinga