THINK TANK
Articles
Effective Security is security that works
Unconscious biases relating to cost, conformity and compliance are undermining effective security I was asked to speak at a conference recently about maritime security and given 12 minutes in which to do so. Being asked…
Cruising for a Bruising
Captain Evans Hoyt is a cruise ship officer of vast experience who once gave evidence to a US Congressional Committee on cruise ship safety. He now has a conviction from a French court for breaking…
The strange case of the disappearing ship wrecks
Reports about the plundering of Second World War warships sunk in action in South East Asia have been appearing in the UK, Dutch and Australian press. Some time ago Gray Page made an intensive study of the way in which these vessels…
Whistle-blowing: Seafarers shouldn’t have to choose between their conscience or their career
In 2017 a US court awarded a cruise ship engineer $1 million for reporting the illegal discharge of oily waste at sea. At the time he blew the whistle he was 27 years old working…
#sulphur2020 – Cleaner fuels are looking messy for marine cargo insurers
If you work in shipping and you read the news, it cannot have escaped your attention that from 1 January 2020 the permitted amount of sulphur in marine fuel oil will fall…
The Human Touch in a Digital World
Over the last 20 years and more, tracking the movements of individual ships has changed considerably. It has become easier in some ways thanks to the development of web-based platforms, but, for every action there is an opposite reaction.
CARGO MISAPPROPRIATION: WHERE THE RISKS LIE
Cargo misappropriation gives rise to claims that routinely run to millions of dollars. Yet the drivers and mechanisms of misappropriation, and the ways potential victims can mitigate the risks, are not always understood.
THE MANY FACES OF PIRACY IN THE GULF OF GUINEA
West Africa faces many security challenges, piracy amongst them. Piracy attacks occur frequently across the Gulf of Guinea – but the greatest concentration is in Nigerian waters.
FROM THE ARCHIVE: No Style – No substance; charterparty disputes
The French have a saying, “plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”. It means, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Over the last 12 months or so, we have been receiving a growing number of requests from clients.
‘Ferries: More than the sum of their bars’
A ferry is the perfect place for shipping to engage with the general public, but it’s an opportunity that seems to be being missed. By James Wilkes. Like thousands of people, I took a cross-channel…
Somali piracy 2017: the world is watching
The question as to whether Somali piracy is about to make a sustained return is based on a false premise. It never really went away. What did change in 2012 was that successful attacks of…
When can we say with more certainty that Somalia-based piracy is resurgent?
This article written by James Wilkes, MD, Gray Page, was first published on Splash 24/7 on 10th April 2017. On March 13, a small products tanker named Aris 13 was hijacked by a group of…
Maritime security reality check
This article written by Gray Page, first appeared on Splash 24/7 on March 9th 2017. If the first concerns that spring to mind at the mention of ‘maritime security risks’ are cyber-attacks and terrorism you…
Crew abandonment: owners need to be held accountable
Contact us “if the ship begins sinking or someone dies.” It was a brief message, sent by the owners of four merchant ships abandoned at the UAE’s Ajman anchorage in Sharjah. The 41 Indian sailors…
Marine pollution: prosecuting seafarers will not solve the problem
US Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden said it best: “The pollution in this case was the result of more than just bad actors on one ship. It reflects poorly on [the ship’s] culture and…