Vol. 15 No. 4 July/August 2018

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Voicesfrom theSeafarers
Page 3Special Program for Marine Day

Our ‘Umi’: Seaside Story 2018

JSU President Morita goes on radio to talk on the importance, attraction of seafaringAradio show featuring
an interview with Mr.
Yasumi Morita, president of the All Japan
Seamen’s Union, went on the air for
Marine Day, a national holiday inJapan. Mr. Morita spoke to young
people aspiring to work at sea in
the future. He took on recent hot
topics and introduced the activities
the union is focusing on, hopingthat Marine Day would be a good
opportunity to freshly raise awareness of the seas surrounding Japan,
an island nation, and to think again
about the bounties we can enjoy
from the sea that are inseparably
linked with our lives. The president
was interviewed on June 29 by Ms.
Runa Tsuji, an announcer from
Tokyo-based radio station Radio
Nikkei, and broadcasted on July 16.

JSU activities
In a special program for Marine
Day, “Watashitachi no Umi (OurSea)—Seaside Story 2018”, Mr.
Morita answered questions asked by
Ms. Tsuji in an interview. Outlining
the JSU, the president said that it
was the first labor union organizedsince the end of World War II. He
emphasized that it strives to address
issues facing seafarers regardless ofthe enterprises they work for, making efforts to stabilize employment
and improving working conditions,among others.
Mr. Morita also spoke of some
impressive events the JSU has encountered in its history. During
the Pacific War, he said, even private vessels were requisitioned, andcrewmembers were forced to engage in the transport of soldiers andcommodities. The president thenRadio Nikkei’s Runa Tsuji interviews JSU President Yasumi Morita.

touched on a bitter experience. As
a result of getting involved in war
tribulations, he continued, morethan 60,000 of his past colleagues
lost their lives. To tell the miseriesof war to next generations, the JSU
released a two-volume book on July20, 2017, a revision of a collectionof notes taken by seafarers who wereon duty during the Pacific War thatwas published originally in 1986.
Mr. Morita told Ms. Tsuji the JSU
has distributed copies among juniorand senior high schools and libraries across the nation.
As for relevant specific activities,
the president said the JSU pays
floral tributes every year for vessels
lost while in service during wars at
a memorial ceremony in front of
the sculpture of a seafarer making
his ultimate sacrifice in Kannon-

zaki Park in Yokosuka, Kanagawa
Prefecture. At the resource center
for lost ships and the war dead, located at the JSU Kansai Regional
Office, he added, the JSU conducts a memorial service on Aug.
15, the anniversary of the end ofWorld War II, every year to offer
prayers to seafarers who died whileon duty during the war.
Tackling challenges
Never getting involved in war: As amajor challenge, the JSU upholds
activities to keep seafarers fromgetting caught up in war by anymeans, Mr. Morita said.
About actions against piracy:
In waters off the coast of Somalia
and in the Gulf of Aden, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense ForceStudents learn about the importance of careers in the marine industry, specifically being a seafarer, during a JSU-organized field trip

(JMSDF) and the Japan Coast
Guard (JCG) are working together
against piracy. They have one vessel and two patrol airplanes on
duty, for which the JSU is grateful, according to Mr. Morita. As
things are far from being stable inSomalia, it is highly possible thatthe number of pirates will increase.
Because the number of vessels on
duty has decreased from two toone, he said the JSU is requestingthat they raise it back to two.
About securing and developing
seafarer successors: Securing anddeveloping seafarer successors is
an important policy challenge. To
this end, Mr. Morita said the JSU
promotes the appeal of the shipping and fishery businesses andthe seamen’s career. It plays a role
as a labor union and works handin hand with relevant industries in
the J-Crew Project and demonstration cruise programs. The union
also carries out other activities topromote the career of being a seafarer or marine worker.
About seafarer taxes: As spending
long periods of time at sea, seafarers cannot enjoy as many administrative services as other people.
To reduce resident tax for them, as
such, the JSU is undertaking relevant measures to lobby local governments, Mr. Morita said. There
are, however, only two municipalities having reduced resident tax for
seafarers: Yokkaichi (since 2014)
and Toba (since 2016). The JSU
strives to have resident tax reduced
for seafarers all over Japan as soon

as possible. As for other challenges,
he stressed the union is making allout efforts to overcome them.
Giving heart to Marine Day
Marine Day had been called Marine Memorial Day before it was
first observed as a national holiday
in 1996. The memorial day wasset in 1941 to commemorate thehomecoming of Emperor Meiji to
the Port of Yokohama on July 20,
1876 in iron steamship the Meiji
Maru from his trip around the Tohoku Region. As such, it was necessary for Marine Memorial Day tofall on July 20, leading to the designation of Marine Day in 1995.
Unfortunately, however, Marine
Day was moved from July 20 to
the third Monday of July under the
Happy Monday System. Together
with Kaiji Shinko Renmei, a groupof Diet members who promote
maritime affairs, therefore, the JSU
is now working to immediately
have Marine Day observed permanently on July 20. Marine Day isthe day to appreciate the blessingsof the sea. Japan is the only country in the world to celebrate such anational holiday. The union hopes
the government of Japan will revise the National Holidays Law tomake Marine Day July 20 permanently, Mr. Morita said.
The interview is available on theWebsite of the show, “Watashitachi no Umi—Seaside Story 2018,”
which is located at <http://www.radionikkei.jp/seaside>.

MARITIME NEWS(2)

JULY/AUGUST 2018

Vessel performance impacted by an 80/20 ruleT

he shipping industry
risks investing billionsof dollars on vessel
optimization services
that fail to deliver on overall operational efficiency and performancedue to a lack of understanding andappreciation of weather which accounts for 80% of the impact on
vessel performance warns voyage
intelligence and insight specialist
StratumFive.
As vessel performance optimization becomes increasingly moresophisticated, ship owners and operators have access to a far broader
range of technologies, datasets andpotential avenues for optimization
than ever before. However, complex solutions which attempt to simultaneously optimize every aspectof a voyage are losing sight of thebasic fact that fuel consumption isa function of the resistance that thevessel has to overcome – and that
resistance is in turn a function ofseveral other factors, such as vessel
block coefficient, loading and trim,
water density, currents, waves, windand biofouling.
Of these factors, the currents,
waves and wind affect every voyage. The resistance when navigating in unfavorable conditions generally increases by 50% to 100%of the total ship resistance in calm
weather. Indeed, MAN Energy
Solutions’ analysis of trading conditions for a typical 140,000 dwt
bulk carrier shows that on someroutes, the increased resistance, orsea margin, can reach extreme values up to 220%.
Stuart Nicholls, CEO, StratumFive, commented:“The Pareto principle states that,for many events, roughly 80% of
the effects come from 20% of thecauses. We believe that the combined effects of weather accountfor around 80% of the effects on
vessel performance, whereas otherfactors make up the remaining
20%. While the 20% remains
important and can create important marginal gains, the impact
of weather significantly outweighs
them, but is often sidelined or ignored.
“This means that businesses missout on significant efficiency gains– not to mention avoiding adverse
weather conditions, which helps tominimise cargo damage, ensure thesafety of passengers and crew onboard, and deliver more precise arrival times while also reducing fuelconsumption and associated costs
and emissions. By factoring in theimpact of weather on a voyage, vessel owners and operators can makecrucial decisions about their route.
“Shipping is, ultimately, a question of time and distance, and weneed to stay focused on the factors that have the most impact onthese; weather is at the top of thelist. No matter how well optimized

a vessel’s engine or trim might be,if the vessel is experiencing adverse
weather conditions, this ceases tobe relevant.”
Huw Davies, Principal of Meteorology, StratumFive, added:“Weather affects the safety andperformance of vessels, cargo andseafarers. Forecast accuracy has
greatly improved and weather
forecasts are now some 20% moreaccurate than they were only
five years ago. Accurate, detailed
weather forecasts support effectiveplanning and operations and havea profound effect on a voyage’s
safety and efficiency. This not only
saves time, money and fuel, butalso minimises the environmental
impact of our ships, and most importantly keeps the crew safe.”
Founded in 2009, StratumFive
is one of the fastest growing voyage
intelligence companies in the shipping industry, servicing over 11,000
vessels within the global fleet. OTIS

(Online Tracking and Information
Software), is StratumFive’s voyage
tracking and monitoring software,
which provides highly accurate location data, with up to thousandsof locations transmitted every day
per vessel. This equips owners, operators and shore crew with themost accurate information available
on where their ship is located, andwhat it is doing and minimises therisk to ships and crew from adverse
weather conditions.
To enhance its platform for total voyage intelligence and insight,
StratumFive is leveraging the useof existing and new datasets to use
machine learning techniques tobuild predictive models based on
analytics and data from past voyages. The more datasets that areadded, the more detailed and accurate its predictions will become-ensuring that the platform is flexible, searchable, accessible and easy
to use. (Source: StratumFive)

Scrubber installation rate varies by ship type

KVH Videotel
A variety of strategies have emerged day for the first two years with charterer to extend for two more ted with scrubbers. Containership launches
among shipowners as they contend an option to extend the charter years. By contrast, Scorpio Tank- owners Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk
with the prospect of marine sulfur for another year at $34,500/day. ers, the world’s largest clean tanker noted last year that they will use task-based
emissions limits under IMO rules By comparison, around the same owner, noted that it plans to run 0.5pc sulfur bunkers to comply
time Frontline time-chartered its vessels on 0.5 pc sulfur bunkers with the 2020 regulation rather competency
set for implementation in 2020.
Owners of tanker fleets, containership fleets and dry bulk vessels
have all ordered scrubber installations as one mechanism for copingwith the change, but are installingthe scrubbers at widely varied paces on diverse timelines, althoughnone of the fleets have hit a highproportion of scrubber installation
despite the looming implementation deadline.
In early April, Koch chartered two newbuild VLCCs from
Kyklades Maritime for two years.
The newbuild VLCCs will be delivered from the shipyard in 2019.
They were chartered at $31,500/

two VLCCs—FPM C Noble and
FPMC C Melody with no scrubbers, build in 2012 and 2011 respectively at $21,750/day eachfor two years. In a report from
mid-June shipbroker SSY notedthat there has been some activity
for long term charters in the Suezmax tanker sector, with oil majors
taking vessels for delivery towards
the second half of 2018 at freightrates around the low-$20,000s/
day for three years, while newbuild
scrubber-fitted vessels delivering
towards end 2019 were booked atreportedly mid-$20,000s/day forthree years with the option for theinstead of installing scrubbers.
Dry bulk carrier scrubber installations grew to 127 vessels. Someof the shipowners with the biggest
dry bulk carrier scrubber installations are Foremost Group, Algoma
Central Corporation and Star
Bulk. Brazilian iron ore producer
Vale will time-charter 48 newbuild
dry bulk carriers – 47 with 325,000
dwt and one with 400,000 dwt to
be delivered in 2019-2023.
Containerships with planned
scrubber installation reached 96 inJuly, which accounts for less than
three percent of the containershipfleet. Of these 27 are already outfit-

than installing scrubbers. In 2017,
France-based CMA CGM signed
a memorandum of understanding
with the French oil and gas company Total, which will provide CMA
CGM with 3.5 pc sulfur bunkers
for ships outfitted with scrubbers aswell as 0.5 pc sulfur fuel and LNG
for bunkering. South Korean shipowner Hyundai Merchant Marine(HMM) has taken delivery of two
11,000 TEU, each containerships
with scrubbers. Italian shipowner
Grimaldi Group has scrubbers onfive of its containerships that arechartered to Atlantic Container
Line. (Source: Argus)

Major shipping losses in 2017 at 2nd lowest in decade
Large shipping losses have declined
by 38 percent globally over the past
decade, with the downward trend
continuing last year, according to
Allianz Global Corporate and Specialty’s (AGCS) Safety and Shipping Review 2018.
A total of 94 losses were reported
last year from around the shippingworld, down 4% year-on-year. Last
year’s losses were the second lowest
in 10 years after 2014, the report
noted.
Bad weather contributed to theloss of more than 20 vessels, according to the annual review, whichanalyses reported shipping losses
over 100 gt“Globally, the decline in frequency and severity of total losses overthe past year continues the positive
trend of the past decade. Insurance
claims have been relatively benign,reflecting improved ship design andthe positive effects of risk management policy and safety regulation
over time,” said Mr Baptiste Ossena, global product leader hull andmarine liabilities for AGCS.
AGCS is the corporate insurance
arm of German-based Allianz, one
the world’s largest financial services
companies.
Yet, incidents in the South
China, Indochina, Indonesia andPhilippine maritime region rose by
25% in the past year, and it remains
the No. 1 area worldwide for major
shipping incidents for the past decade.
Last year, almost a third of losses
globally occurred in this region,
mainly in Vietnamese waters.
The major loss factors include
weather—Typhoon Hato and Typhoon Damrey caused more thansix losses.
The East Mediterranean andBlack Sea region is the second major
loss hot spot, followed by the British Isles.
There was also a 29% annual
increase in reported shipping incidents in Arctic Circle waters, according to AGCS analysis.
Nature aside, man-made tensions
around major shipping routes in
Asia were also to blame.
The South China Sea is a key
transit route for East-West tradefrom China, South Korea and Japan and accounts for one-third ofglobal shipping trade.
It is also the center of territorial
disputes between several countries
within the region.
This has resulted in an increasing
military presence in the South China Sea, with the United States andChina conducting naval exercises.
Last year saw two major collisions
between US naval ships and com-

mercial vessels.
“The territorial claims and disputes may have larger implications
long term and threaten the very
freedom of the seas and navigation
in Southeast Asia, with far-reaching
implications for trade with Asia,”
said AGCS senior marine risk consultant Andrew Kinsley.
While piracy has hit record
lows globally, it remains a threat
in regional waters, accounting forthree-quarters of all piracy incidents
around the globe.
Southeast Asia had 76 piracy
incidents last year, up 11% from2016. Indonesia continues to be theglobal hot spot with 43 attacks.
Meanwhile, the number of attacks in the Philippines more thandoubled to 22 from 10 in 2016, according to the International Maritime Bureau. (Source: The Straits
Times)KVH Videotel announces a newfeature of its innovative Videotel
Performance Manager service thatprovides the ability to structuretask-based competency assessments for seafarers on any given
subject and monitor progress as
they develop their skills. Evaluating and documenting the competency of seafarers and enablingthem to perform at the peak of
their abilities are of critical importance to ship operators.
Based around the establishedmaritime concept of taskbooks,
this new feature allows seafarers to prepare for, and be evaluated against, any competency thatshould be demonstrated during
their time onboard ship. The results are made available to shore
staff in interactive reports withinVideotel Performance Manager.
In conjunction with regulatory
training, this information canhelp identify high-performing
staff eligible for promotion or help
ensure that all staff are performing
to the same recognised standards.
KVH Videotel provides its own
core set of task-based competencies applicable to various vessel types, with each competency
mapped to KVH Videotel’s own
extensive training catalogue,and
can help develop content for specific topics where required. Taskbased Competency also allows
customers to add their own existing taskbooks to the platform orcreate new content directly within
the application. (Source: KVH
Videotel)JULY/AUGUST 2018

SEAFARERS’ CORNER(3)

VOICES from SEAFARERS

Capt. Jan Ever Fred P. Nicha and crew of
MV SOUTHERN CROSS
I and my crew wholeheartedly appreciate your kind efforts in visiting our vessel in Kawasaki, Japan. Thank youvery much for your time. More power and God bless us
all.

Capt. Mark Gideon T. Pirante and crew of
MV NYK DEMETER
Thank you for visiting us and bringing some gifts andexplaining the present agreement especially regarding ourwages and benefits we can avail from the union. We hope
to see you again. Keep up the good work and God Blessus.

Capt. Jericho M. Duran and C/E Randy M. Cabantingof MV JP VERDURE
We understand fully with your explanation that thepresent wages have not been increased this year 2018.
Anyway, with the present state of the shipping industry,
present seafarers are in a better working and living condition compared to seafarers a decade ago. We at JP Verdureare happy to know that wage increase has been approved
for the year 2019. We appreciate your efforts in visiting
us and other ships regularly while in Japan ports. Thanks
so much!!!

Capt. Peter P. Carlon and some crewmembers of
MV BALTIC HIGHWAY
We try to work and live onboard as happy as we can.
With the present communication advances, seafarers are
not as homesick as ten years ago. Therefore, the batch2018 Ship Policy Onboard is “Always Be Happy; Frowning Is Not Allowed”. JSU staff are always welcome soplease visit us again.

Capt. Romeo Q. Raganas Jr. and some crew of MV
SAGITTARIUS LEADER
I have been in this company, Excel Marine Co., Ltd.
and our manning agency Fair Shipping Corp. for six years
now. We are grateful for the knowledge and skills that we
gained working under this company. We are also satisfied
with the present CBA and are thankful to the Union and
the Company for the job well done.

Capt. Marlon D. Papio of MV MUROTO with somecrew and company representatives
It is very inconvenient for us going ashore in some private ports, there are also no businessmen coming to thisport. So we are so thankful to the JSU Staff for coming toour ship and sharing us some information regarding our
CBA. We look forward to meeting you again…and thankyou for the souvenirs.

Capt. Arnold C. Perez and some Officers and Crew of
MV YUNA ORCHID
We very much appreciate the JSU Staff visit and having
friendly talk onboard. Thank you and we wish to see you
and hear from you again in the near future.

Some officers and crew of MV ORIENTAL IRISThe JSU is the only seafarers’ union that have dedicatedstaff who visit and communicate with the members. It isconvenient for us to consult or ask for assistance to the
JSU Filipino staff since they can talk to us personally. Being ex-seafarers themselves, they can understand our shipboard concerns if any and can give advice immediately.
Thank you JSU for having Filipino staff visiting the ships.

Capt. Sedric M. Pasana (4th from right) and somecrew of MV SKY JADEWe deeply appreciate your visit to our ship while at Kawasaki Port. We are hoping that you will continue yourexcellent support to all seafarers and providing necessary
benefits to the members of the Union. We look forward
to our next meeting when we arrive again in Japan.

Capt. Ramon Escaño Dela Cruz of
MV SHIN NICHIHO
Some officers and crew of
MV MINERAL UTAMARO
We are hoping that free Wi-Fi be provided onboard sothat we will not be looking for businessmen just to buy
sim cards. Also, we are hoping that competitive salarybe provided and additional food allowance since the present rate cannot purchase sufficient provision in Australianports. We hope you visit us everytime we are in Japan.

Capt. Freddie M. Alfaras of MV OCEAN COBALT
I think that the present ITF approved agreements arevery satisfactory especially for the Filipino seafarers because CBA wages are fully implemented and lots of benefits provided by JSU and our local union. Hospitals andMariners’ Homes in the Philippines are testaments that
the Unions are giving importance to its Filipino members.

I am very thankful, in behalf of my crew, that the JSU
Filipino Staff visited us in the Port of Kawasaki, Japan andinquired our living condition onboard. We appreciate
having discussion with you and providing answers regarding our queries on JSU Union Dues and Provident Fund.
I hope you continue visiting us and other ships so that wewill all be updated with the Union policies and shipping
matters.

(4)ADVISORIES/WARNINGS

JULY/AUGUST 2018

on piracy
UK P&I Club warns on hepatitis risk War
just got freshM

edical examination results obtained from the
UK P&I ClubPEME clinic network show that
10.1% of crew unfitness is related
to hepatitis, while 8.5% of the total crew found unfit due to Hepatitis B.
Hepatitis is an inflammatory
condition of the liver. The condition can progress to fibrosis(scarring), or liver cancer. Other
infections, toxic substances, andautoimmune diseases can also
cause hepatitis.
According to the World HealthOrganization (WHO), hepatitis is
responsible for 1.34 million deathsin 2015. Moreover, 325 million
people worldwide carried hepatitis
B or C virus infections. Althoughvaccines exist for hepatitis A andhepatitis B, the development of ahepatitis C vaccine has presented
challenges.
The symptoms of Hepatitis include:• Fatigue;• Flu-like symptoms;• Dark urine or pale stool;• Abdominal pain;• Loss of appetite or unexplained
weight loss;• Yellow skin and eyes,which
may be signs of jaundice.
Chronic hepatitis develops slowly, so these signs and symptoms
may be too subtle to notice.
Furthermore, there are five typesof hepatitis viruses, identified by
the letters A, B,C,D, and E. While
all cause liver disease, they havemay differences:
1. Hepatitis A virus (HAV)
Present in faeces and most oftentransmitted through consumption of contaminated water orfood. Certain sex practices canalso spread HAV. Infections are inmany cases mild, with most people
fully recovering. However, HAV
infections can also be serious andlife threatening. Safe and effective
vaccines are available to prevent
HAV.
2. Hepatitis B virus (HBV)Transmitted through exposure
to infected blood, semen andother body fluids. HBV can betransmitted from infected mothers to infants at the time of birthor from family member to infant
in early childhood. It can also betransmitted through transfusions
or contaminated injections. Safe
and effective vaccines are available
to prevent HBV.
3. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
Mostly transmitted throughexposure to infective blood. Thismay occur through transfusionsof HCV-contaminated bloodand blood products, contaminated injections during medical
procedures, and through injection drug use. There is no vaccine
for HCV.
4. Hepatitis D virus (HDV)
Infections happen only in those
who are infected with HBV. The
infection of HDV and HBV canresult in a more serious disease anda worse result. Hepatitis B vaccines
provide protection from HDV infection.
5. Hepatitis E virus (HEV)
Mostly transmitted throughconsumption of contaminatedwater or food. HEV is a common cause of hepatitis outbreaks
in developing countries. Safe andeffective vaccines to prevent HEV
infection have been developed but
are not widely available. (Source:
SAFETY4SEA)

Sailors’ Society shortlisted for charity of the year
An international maritime charity has been shortlisted for charityof the year.
Sailors’ Society, which has its
head office in Southampton, willcompete against six other organizations at the Charity Times
Awards in London on October 3.
The awards recognise leadershipand professionalism in charitableorganisations and celebrate bestpractice across the sector.
Stuart Rivers, Sailors’ Society’s
CEO, said: “It’s fantastic to berecognized for such a prestigious
award, especially in the charity’s

200th year.
“The nomination is testament
to the hard work of our staff
around the world, which is madepossible by our dedicated volunteers and supporters.”
Sailors’ Society was founded in
London in 1818 to support destitute seafarers returning homefrom the Napoleonic Wars.
The charity supported seafarers
through both world wars, global
depression, natural and manmade disasters and huge changes
in technology and the shipping
industry.

Stuart added: “In the past five
years, Sailors’ Society has transformed into a forward-thinking
charity, which effectively cares for
seafarers not just in port, but from
cradle to grave.
“We can uniquely describe ourselves as a 200-year-old start-up:
with a combination of experienceand innovation, legacy and agility
which is having a demonstrable
impact on the lives of the oftenoverlooked men and women whobring us the goods we rely on every day.”
The charity works internation-

ally to provide practical, emotional and spiritual welfare support to
the world’s 1.6m seafarers, regardless of background or faith. Sailors’
Society chaplains and ship visitors
have a presence in 91 global ports,
with wider projects and services
covering 30 countries.
Earlier this year it celebrated its
bicentenary with an anniversary
service at Southwark Cathedral,
where His Royal Highness Prince
Michael of Kent spoke about the
royal family’s longstanding links
with the charity. (Source: Sailors’
Society)

ITF: Australian ban ‘the kind of enforcement seafarers deserve’
ITF statement on the decision by
the Australian Maritime Safety
Authority (AMSA) to ban the
Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier
MV Shandong Hai Wang for one
year from Australian waters.
ITF seafarers’ section chair andjoint chair of the ITF fair practices committee, Dave Heindel,

said: “We wholeheartedly welcome this action by the AMSA.
This is the kind of enforcementthat seafarers deserve from all
authorities in all countries at all
times. Only when unscrupulous
ship owners know that there is
nowhere to hide will we start tosee an end to the gross exploita-tion of seafarers.”
ITF dockers’ section chair andjoint chair of the ITF fair practices committee, Paddy Crumlin,
said: “Well done to the ITF inspectors who played a key role inalerting the AMSA to this shocking case. And well done to the
AMSA for taking such swift anddecisive action. We urge otherport state authorities to follow
this example and enforce the ILO
maritime labour convention thesame way. The ITF will continue
to praise authorities who do agood job in protecting seafarers
and shame those who do not.”(Source: ITF)

Shipping industry puts environment preparedness before blockchain
In a survey conducted by global
law firm Reed Smith, assessing
which technology will be the mostsignificant driver of change inshipping over the next five years,
respondents placed environmental issues and emissions above
blockchain.
Environment and emissions
Analysis of big data and technology to address environmental issues
and emissions were equally significant, at 40 percent each, while
blockchain was considered themost significant driver of change
by only 20 percent of respondents. Broken down by sector, 67

percent of owners said technology
to address environmental issues
will be the most significant driver,whereas 57 percent of professional
services said analytics of big data.
However, blockchain was considered the most significant driveramong 50 percent of charterers
and financiers. Researchers also
asked industry participants to rate
their “preparedness” as well as the‘urgency’ of emissions regulations,big data and blockchain for theircompany. Sixty-three percent of
the industry said complying withemissions regulations was a highpriority for their business, this roseto 88 percent among operators and90 percent among owners. Among
the respondents, 50 percent said
they were “very prepared” and already taking action, while a further
31 percent said they were still considering their options.
Big data
Predictive analytics of big data,
was considered of medium priority for 47 percent of respondents
with 25 percent already taking
action within their company,
while 41 percent of respondents
were still considering their options. Only 14 percent of the
respondents deemed blockchaina high priority concern for theircompany and therefore only 8
per cent are ‘very prepared’, withthe remainder yet to make a decision or still considering theiroptions. Nick Shaw, global headof shipping at Reed Smith, said“companies are prioritizing their
responses to the upcoming 2020
Sulfur Cap deadline over otherdevelopments such as blockchain
and big data, and while not surprising, those within the industry
will need to keep a closer eye on
developments around blockchain,
particularly from new market entrants, if they want to keep theircompetitive edge.” (Source: GlobalLegalPost)

help from space
A surveillance system that can track
ships and boats all over the worldin real time and can be accessedfrom an iPhone has gone online.
Italian firm Leonardo launched its
SEonSE (Smart Eyes on the Seas)
platform recently at the Farnborough International Airshow in theU.K.
The defense company claims the
new platform makes it possible toview the exact position of a vesselat any moment.
Piracy on the high seas costs
shippers and insurers hundreds ofmillions of dollars each year andis particularly prevalent around
Southeast Asia and West Africa.
The new platform has been touted as a big step as it can spot if aship has stopped or deviated fromits mapped course.
“Within seconds, people will beable to note unusual activity from aship,” said Luigi Pasquali, Leonardo’s coordinator of space activities.
Aside from security threats,
Pasquali said the technology would
aid in the fight against illegal fishing, help marine law enforcement
and provide better market analysis
for firms that regularly use shipping lanes.
“A huge amount of data is automatically processed in real-time forthe protection of people and themaritime environment,” Pasquali
added in a statement.
The raw data is collated fromseveral satellites, some of whichtransmit a radar system providing
the exact position of vessels. Others
provide imagery, meaning the system will be able to track vessels thatchoose not to comply with identification requirements at sea.
SEonSE also factors in the Automatic Identification System (AIS)of small transponders fitted to shipping vessels worldwide. These continuously broadcast each vessel’s position and Leonardo said there are 7
million AIS signals sent every day.
Information from the world
registry of ships, as well as weather
and oceanographic information,
are also crunched by Leonardo’s
big data platform. (Source: CNBC)

All JApAn SeAmen’S Union
15-26, Roppongi 7-Chome,
Minato-Ku, Tokyo 106-0032
Tel.: (03) 5410-8320
Fax: (03) 5410-8336
E-mail: iss@jsu.jp
Internet: http://www.jsu.or.jp
Publisher: Hiroyuki Tachikawa
Send inquiries to the attention of
Mr. Hiroyuki Watanabe,
Director, Foreign Trades Dept.