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Is Australia Doing Enough to Ensure Confidence in the AUKUS Sub Deal?   [By Jennifer Parker] At an estimated $368 billion cost, a Pentagon review underway and talk of the United States seeking a guaranteed commitment in the event of conflict, Australia’s push for nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS is never far from the headlines. But the idea that Canberra…

With Korean Support, Amogy Takes Ammonia Propulsion Tech Ashore   One of South Korea’s policy banks has made a significant investment in clean power company Amogy, which is designing a system to run hydrogen fuel cells with an ammonia fuel source.  Ammonia is one of the most promising available fuel options for low-emission propulsion, but…

The Shrimp Factory Whistleblower   On October 29 2023, a 45-year-old American named Joshua Farinella flew into the city of Amalapuram near India’s eastern coast to start his new job as the general manager at a shrimp processing plant owned by a company called Choice Canning. Farinella, who is softly spoken with a shaved head,…

MSC Baltic III Response Shows Significant Progress   After months of effort, salvors have removed the majority of the bunker fuel aboard the stricken boxship MSC Baltic III, substantially reducing the risk of pollution.  Taking advantage of calmer summer weather along the coast of Newfoundland, the salvage response team has been bringing a barge alongside…

EU Border Patrol Crew Rescued After Grounding and Sinking [Brief] On Monday, a European border patrol vessel ran aground and sank off the coast of Lesvos, Greece during a search and rescue mission, according to the Hellenic Coast Guard.  At about 1800 hours on Monday evening, an unnamed Frontex rescue boat was engaged in a…

Trafigura Employee Named in Pertamina Oil Graft Investigation   Commodity trader and shipowner Trafigura has been named in past scandals in Angola, Ivory Coast, Brazil, Myanmar and Mexico, and one of its employees is now implicated in Indonesia’s oil-import fraud scandal as well. A sales manager of the Switzerland-based commodities giant has been detained in connection with an…

How a Tragic Pilot Ladder Accident Led to Enhanced Protections   In a milestone for maritime pilots’ safety, on June 26, 2025, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) significantly improved Pilot Transfer Arrangement (PTA) requirements by adopting amendments to International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) regulation V/23, as well as new mandatory…

Challenging China’s Shipbulding Dominance   China has become the most dominant player in the shipbuilding industry since World War II, when American builders like Henry Kaiser cranked out thousands of ships for the war effort. U.S. tonnage ruled the waves in the 1940s, but times have changed. Chinese yards took home three-quarters of the world’s…

IMO and ILO Highlight Growing Issue of Seafarer Criminalization   Earlier this month, in my capacity as Director for the Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Center for Mariner Advocacy (CMA), I had the good fortune to attend two significant international meetings in London, both addressing critical issues concerning the rights and safety of seafarers. The first…

Terminal Expansion Project Kicks Off at Port of Long Beach International Transportation Services (ITS), which operates one of the six container terminals at the Port of Long Beach in California, started a major expansion program that will create 19 acres of new space for stacking containers. When the project is completed in 2028, it will…

Pioneering Ammonia Bunker Vessel Ordered by Itochu for Singapore Launch   The early efforts to develop the infrastructure for ammonia-fueled ships are taking another key step forward with the order of what is likely the first dedicated ammonia bunker ship. The vessel is being built in Japan for use in Singapore, which is at the…