Piracy Falls to Lowest Levels in 35 Years During First Quarter of 2026
Global maritime piracy incidents fell to 16 in the first quarter of 2026, the lowest number recorded since 1991, according to the International Maritime Bureau. The decline follows a drop from 45 incidents a year earlier, though 14 ships were still boarded, one hijacked, and one attempted attack occurred. Bulk carriers represented half of the cases, and Southeast Asia, especially the Singapore Strait, accounted for three‑quarters of all incidents. The IMB cautions that despite the improvement, armed robberies remain common and vigilance is essential.
Russia's Shadow Fleet Thumbs Its Nose at the Royal Navy
The Russian Navy escorted two OFAC‑, EU‑, and UK‑sanctioned shadow‑fleet tankers, Enigma and Universal, through the English Channel under the protection of the frigate Admiral Grigorovich. A UK legal review confirmed that existing legislation would allow authorities to interdict such...
Iran Says Tankers Are Suspended at Hormuz Due to Israeli Attack on Lebanon
Iran’s state media said it suspended oil‑tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz after Israel launched a large‑scale attack on Lebanon, while U.S. officials insisted the waterway remains open and traffic is rising. The announcement came amid a fragile cease‑fire...
Iran Secures Cessation of US Attacks – But the War Goes On
The US‑Iran ceasefire ended the first day of American and Israeli strikes on Iran, but Tehran continued targeting oil and infrastructure in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar. A hit on Saudi Arabia’s East‑West pipeline highlighted Iran’s intent to...
First-Ever LNG Shore-to-Ship Bunkering Operation at Port Everglades
Sawgrass LNG & Power completed the first shore‑to‑ship LNG bunkering at Port Everglades on March 26, 2026, fueling the Ritz‑Carlton Yacht Collection vessel Ilma. The operation demonstrated coordinated safety oversight with the U.S. Coast Guard, Broward Sheriff’s Office and local partners. It...
EcoNavis to Validate and Demonstrate Improved Design for Wind Rotors
EcoNavis Solutions, backed by a £100,000 ($133,000) Scottish Enterprise grant, is moving its patented tail‑appendage design for Flettner rotors from simulation to physical testing. The aerodynamic appendage promises up to a 10% thrust increase while cutting torque demand by roughly...
Russia and China Veto UN Security Council Resolution on Hormuz Security
Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at endorsing defensive measures to secure the Strait of Hormuz after Iranian attacks. The text had been softened from authorizing "all necessary means" to merely encouraging naval escorts, yet it...
Japan and South Korea Advance Autonomous Navigation
Japan’s Nippon Foundation and ClassNK have awarded a full autonomous navigation notation to the newly built containership Genbu, a 5,374‑dwt vessel operating on medium‑to‑long coastal routes. The ship, built by Kyokuyo Shipyard, marks the first autonomous certification for a container...
Freedom of Navigation May Not Return to the Strait of Hormuz
President Donald Trump hinted that the United States could begin charging tolls for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz once the Iran conflict ends, arguing that America’s victory justifies taking over Iran’s existing tolling system. The proposed fees could reach...
Ukraine to Prosecute Captain of Detained Cargo Ship for Trips to Crimea
Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) has moved to prosecute the captain of the cargo vessel Gladius, detained in Odesa last December, for multiple illegal voyages into Russian‑occupied Crimean ports. Evidence uncovered includes voyage plans, pilot cards and radio logs showing trips...
Container Vessel Reports Being Hit Off Iran
A fourth containership was struck about 25 nautical miles off Kish Island, near the northwestern entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, marking a rapid escalation of attacks in the Persian Gulf. The vessel sustained damage above the waterline but the...
On-Demand Manufacturing: A New Direction for Marine & Energy Parts Sourcing
On‑demand manufacturing is reshaping maritime and energy parts supply chains by digitizing designs and leveraging a global network of verified manufacturers. This model allows OEMs to produce legacy and current components closer to the point of need, cutting lead times...
Podcast: Port Everglades CEO & Port Director Joseph Morris
Port Everglades CEO Joseph Morris highlighted record cruise traffic and robust cargo volumes, noting 4.77 million cruise guests last year and FY 2025 movement of over 130 million barrels of fuel and 1.17 million TEU. He announced a $3.8 billion, 20‑year capital program to upgrade...
Lone Russian Corvette Flies the St. Andrew’s Flag in the Med
The Russian Navy’s Mediterranean presence has contracted to a single surface vessel, the Steregushchiy‑class corvette RFS Stoykiy. The Project 636.6 Kilo‑class submarine RFS Krasnodar and its support tug Altay completed a three‑month patrol and exited the region via the Strait of Gibraltar on...
Report: Russia Faces Logistical Nightmare in Redirecting Yamal LNG to Asia
Russia’s Yamal LNG is set to redirect most shipments from Europe to Asia starting in 2027, after the EU bans Russian LNG imports. The existing fleet of 25 vessels can only complete 120‑130 voyages a year, roughly half of current...
Amidst War, Iran's Merchant Fleet Is Enjoying Boom Times
Iran’s state‑owned merchant fleet, led by the sanctioned Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, is experiencing a surge in activity since the war began on February 28. Daily traffic at Bandar Abbas now exceeds 20 vessels, while oil and LNG price spikes...
Iran Claims to Have Hit an MSC Container Ship in the Mideast
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced a drone strike on the MSC Ishyka container vessel, claiming it caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz. AIS data, however, places the ship at a berth in Manama, Bahrain, and shows intermittent signal...
Sweden Charges Two in Oil Pollution Case as Shadow Tanker Is Investigated
Swedish prosecutors have charged two crewmembers aboard a shadow‑fleet tanker suspected of causing an eight‑mile oil slick in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone. The vessel, operating under a disputed Sierra Leone flag and linked to Russian energy sanctions, was detained after...
Houthis Release Russian Seafarer in Apparent UN-Brokered Deal
A Russian seafarer, Aleksei Galaktionov, was released from Houthi custody on April 2 via a United Nations‑organized flight, marking the last Russian detainee held after the July 2025 attack on the bulk carrier Eternity C. The UN‑brokered exchange also returned several sick and...
APM Terminals Becomes Minority Shareholder & Operating Partner in Hai Phong
APM Terminals has taken a 49% minority stake and become the operating partner of the Hateco Hai Phong International Container Terminal (HHIT) after three years of joint development. HHIT, the largest deep‑water port in North Vietnam, can accommodate vessels up...
Human Remains Reportedly Found on Thai Bulker Attacked by Iranians
Precious Shipping announced that human remains were found aboard the Thai‑flagged bulk carrier Mayuree Naree, which was struck by a missile near the Strait of Hormuz on March 11. The vessel, a 30,193‑dwt bulker, suffered a fire in its engine room...
Wah Kwong & Bureau Veritas 1st SMART “Augmented Ship” In Newbuild Series
Wah Kwong Maritime Transport and Bureau Veritas have delivered the LR2 tanker Frontier Venture, the first vessel in Wah Kwong’s new SMART‑enabled series and the inaugural Group 3 “augmented ship” with BV‑assigned SMART notations (H1, M1, EnE3, MH3). Built at Hengli...
Saudi Global Ports Begins Operations at Jubail Container Terminal (JCT)
Saudi Global Ports Group (SGP) has commenced operations at the Jubail Container Terminal (JCT) within Jubail Commercial Port under a 30‑year concession with the Saudi Ports Authority. The agreement includes a SAR 2 billion (≈ $534 million) investment to upgrade infrastructure and install advanced...
Iran Can Stop Shipping With Mines, From the Gulf to the Red Sea
Iran retains a stock of roughly 5,000‑6,000 sea mines capable of threatening both military and commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the wider Gulf. The mines, ranging from ground‑influence to floating types, can be laid from civilian boats,...
Boxship Departing Taiwan Clips Docked Ship Sending Containers Into Harbor
Operations at Taiwan’s Port of Kaohsiung were briefly halted on April 1 after the 158,097‑dwt containership Zeal Lumos clipped the docked feeder vessel Haian Opus during departure. The impact caused four containers to fall into the harbor, damaging cargo on both ships. Port...
Laborde Products Powers Newbuild M/V Beth Williams for Maritime Partners
Laborde Products supplied propulsion and auxiliary power for the new‑build M/V Beth Williams, a twin‑screw towboat constructed for Maritime Partners at FMT Shipyard in Harvey, Louisiana. The vessel is equipped with two Mitsubishi Tier 3 S6R2 engines, each delivering 803 horsepower at...
Tug Captain Charged With Manslaughter for Tragic Sailboat Collision
A Miami mini‑tug captain, Yusiel Lopez Insua, has been charged with seaman's manslaughter after his tug and a construction barge struck a youth sail‑training catamaran in Biscayne Bay, killing three girls. Prosecutors allege Insula used his cellphone during the voyage...
French Court Sentences Shadow Fleet Tanker's Captain to One Year in Prison
A French court sentenced Chinese captain Chen Zhangjie to one year in prison and a $170,000 fine for refusing a military boarding order on the shadow‑fleet tanker Boracay, suspected of launching drones that disrupted Copenhagen Airport. The vessel, linked to...
Damen & Polidano Group Sign Contract for 2 Combi Freighters 3850
Damen Shipyards Group has signed a contract with Malta’s Polidano Group for two CF 3850 combi freighters, Denise P and Julia P, to replace a single vessel and double its aggregate transport capacity. The ships, already under construction in China, will be delivered...
Diego Garcia Is Proving Its Value and Is Key to Future Operations
The United Kingdom is providing passive support for U.S. operations by allowing long‑range bombers and joint‑force missions to launch from Diego Garcia, a British Indian Ocean Territory base. Recent CENTCOM releases show the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli and its 3,500‑strong...
Russian Oil Tanker Arrives Off Cuba Despite U.S. Ordered Embargo
After three weeks at sea, the Russian‑flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, loaded with about 730,000 barrels of crude (roughly $62 million), arrived off Cuba on March 31. Despite a Trump‑era embargo, the U.S. administration quietly permitted the ship to dock, ending Cuba’s oil...
Architecture of Adaptability: Designing Vessels to Stand the Test of Time
Marine operators face mounting pressure to design vessels that remain viable for 30‑plus years amid tightening emissions rules, alternative‑fuel mandates, and the rise of autonomous systems. The article argues that true longevity stems from a holistic, customized design process rather...
China Merchants Is the Latest to Withdraw From China’s Cruise Market
China Merchants, a major state‑linked maritime firm, has exited the Chinese luxury cruise market by putting its flagship vessel, the former Viking Sun renamed Zhao Shang Yi Dun (China Merchants Eden), up for sale at a minimum price of RMB 2.9 billion (about $420 million). The...
Alaska Seeks Interested Buyer to Save 63-Year Old Historic Ferry
The Alaska Marine Highway System announced a Request for Information to sell the historic ferry Matanuska, a 1963‑built 408‑foot vessel that can carry 450 passengers and 83 vehicles. The state estimates that restoring the ship would cost between $45 million and...
Stena RoRo Takes Delivery of the 13th E-Flexer From the China Merchants
Stena RoRo has taken delivery of the 13th vessel in its 15‑ship E‑Flexer RoPax series, the Capu Rossu, built by China Merchants Industry in Weihai. The ferry, capable of carrying 1,000 passengers and 2,500 lane‑metres of freight, will start service on...
UCL and RAD Publish Study on Quiet Electric Marine Technology
University College London and electric marine propulsion firm RAD have released a peer‑reviewed study demonstrating that RAD’s 40 kW electric outboard reduces underwater noise by up to 43 dB compared with a comparable internal combustion engine. Tests on the River Hamble and...
Oman Suspends Operations at Key Arabian Sea Port After Drone Strike
On March 29, Iranian drones struck Oman's Port of Salalah, damaging a large container crane and injuring a foreign worker. The attack forced the port, which handled over 3.3 million TEU in 2024, to suspend operations for an estimated 48 hours....
Panama Canal Announces Enhanced Long-Term Slot Allocation Program
The Panama Canal Authority (ACP) unveiled LoTSA 2.5, an upgraded Long‑Term Slot Allocation program designed to give shippers more certainty and flexibility. The new system introduces slot redistribution by package type and transit direction, sequential competitions, and expanded options for date...
Op-Ed: Who Speaks for America’s Maritime Workforce?
Aaron Smith’s op‑ed argues that the U.S. maritime sector is hamstrung by high labor costs versus cheaper foreign crews and shipyard workers. He cites Filipino mariners earning $30‑$50 a day versus U.S. mariners’ $200‑$450, and U.S. shipyard wages of $42k‑$49k...
Iran Launches Assault on Kuwait’s Ports During Regional Escalation
Iran launched coordinated drone and missile strikes on Kuwait’s two main ports, Shuwaikh and the under‑construction Mubarak Al‑Kabeer, causing material damage but no casualties. The attacks coincided with regional siren alerts in Bahrain, Qatar and Saudi Arabia, reflecting a broader...
Greenpeace Activists Confront FPSO Heading to Scotland's Rosebank Oil Field
Greenpeace activists boarded the PetroJarl Rosebank FPSO as it sailed from Namibia toward Scotland, spray‑painting a "they profit, we pay" slogan on its hull. The 95,000‑ton vessel, recently refitted and re‑flagged for the Rosebank oil field, is central to a...
River Cruise Ship Hits Amsterdam Bridge After Failing to Lower Wheelhouse
A‑Rosa Sena, a 135‑metre luxury river cruise ship, struck Amsterdam’s historic Amsterdamsebrug bridge on March 25 after its hydraulically retractable wheelhouse failed to lower. The collision crushed the wheelhouse, bent a radar mast, and caused significant hull damage, forcing the vessel...
Iranian Smuggling to the Houthis Continues
Iranian dhows continue to transport dual‑use goods and drugs to Yemen’s Houthis despite heightened naval conflict. The Southern Giants Forces, now under IRGC direction, intercepted a dhow from Bandar Abbas carrying medical supplies and drone‑manufacturing components, and also seized 623 kg...
Tanker Carrying Russian Oil Hit By Drone Attack in Black Sea
A Sierra Leone‑flagged Suezmax tanker, the Altura, was struck by drones near the Bosporus, damaging its bridge and engine room but causing no crew injuries. Turkish officials say the attack likely involved an unmanned underwater vehicle, a rare method in...
Two Bulkers Collide on Mississippi Near New Orleans
Two bulk carriers collided on the Mississippi River near Hahnville, Louisiana, on March 23. The geared bulker African Buzzard’s anchor became embedded in the bow of the downbound freighter Pac Dubhe, leaving both vessels entangled and the African Buzzard aground. No injuries or pollution...
Video: German Authorities Respond to Inland Vessel Wedged Under a Bridge
On March 24, the fire department in Neuss, Germany, responded to an inland cargo ship that became wedged under a railway bridge on the Rhine River after striking the structure. Several containers fell into the water and others teetered on...
Somali Pirates Hijack Iranian Dhow and Could Be Targeting Ships Warns MSCIO
Somali pirate groups hijacked the Iranian-registered dhow Al Waseemi 786 about 400 nautical miles east of Mogadishu, likely converting it into a mothership to mask their activities. The Maritime Security Centre Indian Ocean (MSCIO) warned that pirates are now operating up...
KR Publishes Guidance to Support Industry Ahead of 2028 IGC Code Amendments
Korean Register (KR) has finished assessing the upcoming International Code of the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code) amendments and released technical guidance for the maritime sector. The IMO plans to approve the revisions...
Updates to Guidelines on the Application of ILO Maritime Labour Convention
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) has released the fifth edition of its Guidelines on the Application of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention, consolidating all recent amendments into a single reference. The guide emphasizes new rights such as visa‑free shore...
Bureau Veritas Verifies Emissions Performance of Brittany Ferries' Vessels
Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore has independently verified methane emissions on four LNG‑fueled Brittany Ferries vessels, delivering measured slip rates that sit well below the EU’s default ceiling of 3.1 %. The verification, performed with French authorities, satisfies IMO Resolution MEPC.402(83)...