COS Weekly Newsletter - Friday, 28 October 2022

23 October marked one year since the major fire onboard the Zim Kingston. On 21 October 2021, the Zim Kingston arrived near La Perouse Bank, outside of the Victoria Traffic Service (VTS) zone. It remained outside the VTS zone, navigating in a set pattern, while awaiting its scheduled arrival time. Very late in the day, as the vessel was heading north and the wind and waves coming from the southwest, the vessel rolled heavily. As a result, 109 containers fell overboard and others were damaged. On 23 October 2021 at 1028, while anchored, smoke was observed coming from near Bay 14. The smoke was checked immediately, and fire response started. MCTS Victoria was notified by the vessel, and crew onboard worked to contain the fire. Three firefighting tugs and a salvage contractor then arrived on scene to help extinguish the fire. As a precaution, sixteen crew members were evacuated from the vessel, while five crew members, including the master, remained on board. The fire was eventually contained and extinguished five days later on 28 October. A subsequent inspection revealed that the forward hatch cover of the vessel near Bay 14 was deformed, several containers onboard were damaged due to the failure of securing arrangements, and others were damaged by the fire that followed. While the Transportation Safety Board of Canada is conducting a class 2 investigation, it has not set a date to release its report of investigation.

After a prolonged period of dry conditions that helped to turn around grain ships rapidly, storm season arrived this week bringing high winds and seas and copious amounts of rain. As such, safe anchorages were in demand to avoid adverse coastal sea conditions. The significant rain has also slowed down the rate of loading moisture sensitive cargoes. As of Thursday, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) was reporting that the Port of Vancouver had no available anchorages and that the demand of anchorages exceeded the available anchorages for the foreseeable future. Over 20 grain ships were at anchor waiting to load. VFPA currently allocates anchorages to ships in the Port and in the Southern Gulf Islands. Many industry stakeholders have expressed concerns that there isn't a long-term resiliency and contingency strategy to manage anchorages considering the Port's growth projections.

A recent article in the Financial Post dives into the challenges of railway service in supporting the export of grain. It refers to the recently released Supply Chain Task Force Report and examines conflicting opinions relating to the need for investments in infrastructure resiliency and poor regulation that disadvantages shippers in their relationship with railways. Despite the concerns of shippers, railways are optimistic in their level of service for this year's strong crop. Canadian National states that it shattered an internal record on grain shipments, beating a previous record by over 50k metric tons. Of course, the recent return of poor weather in the lower mainland may further constrain the loading of grain for export well into November.

During the month of November, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority (VFPA) will conduct public consultations regarding its Active Vessel Traffic Management (AVTM) initiative. It will include three in-person events and an online survey. It will be requesting feedback on the draft anchorage code of conduct, and the existing approach to information sharing and complaint resolution. VFPA will also share general information about the AVTM program and information about jurisdiction as it relates to marine traffic management. Engagement sessions are planned for Pender Island, Cowichan Bay, and Ladysmith.

WISTA International (Women’s International Shipping and Trading Association) elected their new President, Elpi Petraki, at its Annual General Meeting on 26 October, in Geneva, Switzerland. In a statement, Ms. Petraki said "I am truly honoured to have been elected as President of WISTA International. Diversity and inclusion in maritime have never been in the spotlight like today and whilst much has been achieved in recent times, there is still a great deal to be done. WISTA International has a powerful voice that must be heard, continuing to raise awareness for the incredible contribution women make to the industry. I look forward to working with the WISTA NWA’s and other international bodies to address how our organization can support evolving objectives – such as decarbonization, digitalisation and attracting new talent – and provide equal and equitable opportunities for all."

Formed in 1974, WISTA International is a global organization connecting female executives and decision-makers around the world. WISTA International serves as a connector for its network of more than 3,800 female professionals from all sectors of the maritime industry. 56 countries support a National WISTA Association (NWA), each of which in turn is a member of and is guided by WISTA International. NWAs provide in-country and regional networking, business and skill-building opportunities, corporate visibility, and also facilitate relationships within the industry. On a global scale, WISTA members have access to an incredibly diverse network of executives in the shipping and trading field on whom they can call for referrals, connections, advice or business collaborations.

The ICS has submitted the plan to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) for consideration. The fund and reward proposal combines elements of various recent GHG reduction proposals from a number of governments, plus a flat rate contribution system previously proposed by ICS and The International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (INTERCARGO), and ideas recently put forward for a global IMO measure by the 27 European Union countries. ICS believes that the fund and reward system could be established by 2024 if governments can agree on the regulatory framework at the IMO. The fund would reward ships according to annual reporting of the CO2 emissions prevented by the use of “eligible alternative fuels.” Further details are available here.

Germany's coalition government on Wednesday allowed a Chinese firm to buy a reduced stake in a Hamburg port terminal after Chancellor Olaf Scholz resisted calls to ban the controversial sale outright over security concerns. Germany’s foreign ministry warned in a cabinet note that an investment by China’s Cosco in a terminal at the port of Hamburg increased Germany’s dependence on China disproportionately and endangered the success of European transport projects. Scholz, a former Hamburg mayor, backed the Cosco deal and has repeatedly stressed the importance of strong trade ties between China and Europe's biggest economy.

Today, the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) officially welcomed His Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Margaret Brooke into naval service with a commissioning ceremony.

This ceremony marks a significant achievement for both the RCN and the Canadian shipbuilding industry. The introduction of a second Arctic and Offshore Patrol Ship (AOPS) delivered under the National Shipbuilding Strategy, which sustains thousands of jobs annually in Canada, will enhance the RCN’s ability to enforce sovereignty and meet the future defence challenges in Canada’s offshore and Arctic waters.

A ship’s commissioning ceremony is both a long-standing naval tradition, and, a special event for the ship’s company – proud sailors who – have just returned from the ship’s first deployment where they assisted communities in Atlantic Canada affected by Hurricane Fiona.

The commissioning of HMCS Margaret Brooke included a symbolic presentation of the commissioning pennant, as well as the symbolic presentation of the “keys to the ship” to the Commanding Officer, Commander Nicole Robichaud.