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Green expenses for shipowners
Volume 21/Number 6/June 1990 own oil spill arrangements, these will now be supplemented by the availability of six special self-contained oil spill response units. Since 1974, UKOOA have held oil spill equipment and dispersants for use by industry members. However, after the Piper Alpha disaster, when 40 t of dispersant was used to deal with the oil leaking from wellheads, problems were found with the packaging and deployment of the equipment. This was the first time that it had been used offshore. The UKOOA Oil Spill Working Group examined the issues and recommended that the equipment should be containerized. The new response units have been manufactured by Fergusons Seacabs Ltd and are fitted with the m;cessary equipment for dispersing oil spills at sea. They are completely transportable and contain lattice booms, high capacity pumps and a workshop area. They each have the capacity to disperse 7000 t of oil. It is hoped that these units will be safer and more efficient to operate and that they will provide long term protection.
Oil Slick Swiftly Dispersed Prompt anti-pollution action saved an area of north west Scotland from the danger of possible oil pollution after a threatening slick was reported in the area. A Bulgarian stern-trawling fish factory ship the Kondor struck rocks off the Isle of Skye in late April. After the crew had been rescued it was taken in tow by the mfv Agate from Stornaway but sank in 100 m of water and began to leak oil. 80 000 1 of light diesel oil and 5000-6000 1 of lubricating oil were thought to be on board and a 5 km long oil slick quickly formed. Within 2 hours countermeasures were under way as an anti-pollution aircraft and the fishery patrol vessel Sulisker started laying dispersant. One of the main concerns was to prevent the slick from damaging several fish farms in the area. By the next morning the Marine Pollution Control Unit reported that only rainbow sheens were in the area and that the danger was passing. Their second surveillance flight 2 hours later found that the sheen was rapidly breaking up and that the slick had been contained. The entire operation from the sinking of the ship to the dispersing of the slick took about 16 hours. PHIL1PPA AMBROSE
Pollution Protection for Malta The European Commission is to provide 2 400 000 ECUs to pay for equipment to combat oil pollution in Malta. The equipment is part of a scheme to provide Malta with an institutional structure by setting up an oil pollution control unit within the Ministry for Education for the Environment and the Arts, and establishing anti-pollution facilities. These would include floating dams, mechanical scooping equipment, tanks, spraying equipment, and dispersants, The Maltese archipelago is located on the route of many oil tankers and at present the region is poorly equipped to deal with a major oil spill incident. Such a
spill would produce serious ecological results. In addition, there could be serious economic consequences since 70% of Malta's drinking water comes from desalination plants, and tourism (which relies heavily on attractive beaches) accounts for 20% of Malta's gross national product. The funds for the scheme are being drawn from resources left over in the second Financial Protocol (1985-88) the E E C / M a l t a Association Agreement. This Protocol had resources of 29,5 million ECUs; 19 million as European Investment Bank loans and 10.5 million as grants from the E E C budget.
Philippine Oil Spill A 10 km stretch of coastline at Bataan in the Philippines was contaminated by an oil spill when the Liberty Bell Trading tanker Fernando sank off Limay. The ship was chartered by Caltex Philippines, an affiliate of Caltex Petroleum of Texas. The ship released 200 000 l of bunker fuel and the resulting 25 cm deep slick has damaged the fishing grounds of at least 400 families along this coast. Efforts to clean up the spill are continuing but little compensation has yet been paid to those affected. The Philippines have no specific authority responsible for such events nor does it yet have any appropriate legislation. A number of Congress and Senate committees as well as non-government run groups are investigating the spill. One of the Senate groups, the House Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources, held a month long enquiry into the incident. This has resulted in a number of allegations being made against Caltex. Although the spill occurred on 25 January it is alleged that it was not reported until 1 February. It is also alleged that the vessel was dilapidated, uninsured and unsafe as it had holes in it which caused its eventual sinking. Caltex consider the charges to be very serious as they amount to criminal negligence and they state that in hiring the Trading Bell tanker they met the requirements of the law. Caltex are attending the hearings but Liberty Bell Trading have not yet made an appearance. The final report is expected to be followed by new legislation to deal with oil spills. PHILIPPA AMBROSE
Green Expenses for Shipowners Environmental laws will push up the cost of ship repairs according to a recent report in Lloyds List. New legislation limiting repair activities such as washing down, blasting, coating, and waste discharges will soon force changes on European ship yards which could make them uncompetitive. The main problem centres on the use of tributyl tin (TBT) in antifouting systems, although problems with volatile organic compounds and solvent levels look as though they are also set to become a major issue. According to the report, Dutch ship repair yards have 265
Marine PollutionBulletin had a policy of "good environmental housekeeping and dock floor discipline" for the past three years. This means that blasting and paint residues are collected from the dock floor and disposed of in a safe way before the dry dock is flooded. One problem, however, which the Dutch, and other European ship repair yards find irritating is the disposal of empty paint tins even though the paint is often owner-specified and applied by an outside contractor. Whilst certain countries, such as the Netherlands, are fully aware of the implications of the impending legislation and are doing something constructive, others, such as Greece, seem oblivious to the problems that are just around the corner according to the report. Coupled with this is the environmental concern over self-polishing copolymers (SPCs), which could also lead to the biggest and most expensive changes in vessel operations for ship owners including reduced dry dock intervals, increased hull roughness and more variable anti-fouling performance. SPC antifouling systems rely again on TBTs because they are active against fouling organisms and their chemistry enables them to be bonded to the acrylic base of the paint system. SPCs work by the gradual release of the TBT through a controlled disappearance or polishing of the paint film. TBTs are now known to be environmentally damaging and there is great pressure to switch to TBT-free products. TBT-free systems, known as Controlled Depletion Polymers (CDPs) have been developed to replace SPC systems. The problem is that these antifouling systems are inferior to SPCs although they do offer great improvements over traditional systems. The number of dry dockings will have to increase with the use of CDPs since manufacturers are unable to offer in-service periods greater than 36 months compared to the 60 months provided by SPC. The report says that ship owners should prepare now for the possibility of tighter controls on dry dock discharges suggesting that within three years, rigorous standards will effectively prohibit the handling of SPCs in most developed countries.
Cod Ranching in the North Sea As the stocks of cod in the North Sea continue to diminish, Danish fishermen from the port of Hvide Sande are participating in a scheme to boost the cod population by growing the tiny larvae in the safety of cages. By protecting the young fish in the early stages of their life it is hoped to annually release at least 100 million young fish into the North Sea. The project is being financially backed by the local fisherman's association who recognized the importance of trying anything to boost natural stocks as the present resources are low. After the initial attempts proved successful 14 vessels are now involved in the collection of roe at sea which is then fertilized and stored in containers. Once ashore the hatched larvae are placed in cages in the Ringkoebing inlet where bright lights are used to attract their natural prey, a wide variety of small marine organisms, into the cages. This provides a natural and renewable 266
food source. The larvae grow well in the safety of these cages and are soon ready to be released back into the North Sea. Although the whole operation takes only a few months it is a very expensive way of increasing productivity. The mortality rate of the tiny fish once released is thought to be about 90%, but if 100 million are released this still increases the stocks by 10 million. Knud Rasmussen, who is running the project, has already proved the success of this type of scheme when he worked on the re-establishment of lavaret, Coregonus laveretus, stocks. The 10 million surviving cod will almost equal the total Danish quota for 1990.
New Students Join World Maritime University Over 90 new students from around the world attended an inauguration ceremony at the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmo, Sweden, on 19 March, 1990. The ceremony marked the start of a new academic year. The students, from over 50 maritime nations, were welcomed by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General William O'Neil and WMU Chancellor C. P. Srivastava. The WMU provides high level MSc courses for students, already well qualified, who have been selected by their countries for further training, equipping them to assume greater responsibilities on their return. The University's student population now totals some 200. The ceremony was opened by the University's new Rector, Captain Danny Waters, formerly Foundation Principal of the Australian Maritime College, Tasmania. He succeeds Eric Nordstrom, who has been appointed Managing Director of the Swedish Shipowners' Association. Mr. O'Neil reminded students that it was only 5 years since the graduation of the inaugural class, yet the University's 500 graduates had already established themselves as major contributors to the achievement of IMO's objectives: safer shipping and cleaner oceans. He told them that many WMU graduates now occupy key positions within national maritime administrations, training academies, port authorities, shipping companies and other maritime organizations. He said that the strong interest in providing students to attend the WMU is a clear testimonial to its success and proof of the high regard in which the University is held by the international maritime community. Mr. Srivastava welcomed the new students to the University. He paid tribute to the continued generosity of Sweden, the host country, and Malmo, the host city. He also thanked the many other nations, institutions and commercial interests which have supported the University.
North American News Invading Fish a Threat to Great Lakes Fisheries The ruffe, first sighted in the Great Lakes in 1987, is threatening to disrupt the $4 billion US fishing industry
Oil Slick Swiftly Dispersed Prompt anti-pollution action saved an area of north west Scotland from the danger of possible oil pollution after a threatening slick was reported in the area. A Bulgarian stern-trawling fish factory ship the Kondor struck rocks off the Isle of Skye in late April. After the crew had been rescued it was taken in tow by the mfv Agate from Stornaway but sank in 100 m of water and began to leak oil. 80 000 1 of light diesel oil and 5000-6000 1 of lubricating oil were thought to be on board and a 5 km long oil slick quickly formed. Within 2 hours countermeasures were under way as an anti-pollution aircraft and the fishery patrol vessel Sulisker started laying dispersant. One of the main concerns was to prevent the slick from damaging several fish farms in the area. By the next morning the Marine Pollution Control Unit reported that only rainbow sheens were in the area and that the danger was passing. Their second surveillance flight 2 hours later found that the sheen was rapidly breaking up and that the slick had been contained. The entire operation from the sinking of the ship to the dispersing of the slick took about 16 hours. PHIL1PPA AMBROSE
Pollution Protection for Malta The European Commission is to provide 2 400 000 ECUs to pay for equipment to combat oil pollution in Malta. The equipment is part of a scheme to provide Malta with an institutional structure by setting up an oil pollution control unit within the Ministry for Education for the Environment and the Arts, and establishing anti-pollution facilities. These would include floating dams, mechanical scooping equipment, tanks, spraying equipment, and dispersants, The Maltese archipelago is located on the route of many oil tankers and at present the region is poorly equipped to deal with a major oil spill incident. Such a
spill would produce serious ecological results. In addition, there could be serious economic consequences since 70% of Malta's drinking water comes from desalination plants, and tourism (which relies heavily on attractive beaches) accounts for 20% of Malta's gross national product. The funds for the scheme are being drawn from resources left over in the second Financial Protocol (1985-88) the E E C / M a l t a Association Agreement. This Protocol had resources of 29,5 million ECUs; 19 million as European Investment Bank loans and 10.5 million as grants from the E E C budget.
Philippine Oil Spill A 10 km stretch of coastline at Bataan in the Philippines was contaminated by an oil spill when the Liberty Bell Trading tanker Fernando sank off Limay. The ship was chartered by Caltex Philippines, an affiliate of Caltex Petroleum of Texas. The ship released 200 000 l of bunker fuel and the resulting 25 cm deep slick has damaged the fishing grounds of at least 400 families along this coast. Efforts to clean up the spill are continuing but little compensation has yet been paid to those affected. The Philippines have no specific authority responsible for such events nor does it yet have any appropriate legislation. A number of Congress and Senate committees as well as non-government run groups are investigating the spill. One of the Senate groups, the House Committee on the Environment and Natural Resources, held a month long enquiry into the incident. This has resulted in a number of allegations being made against Caltex. Although the spill occurred on 25 January it is alleged that it was not reported until 1 February. It is also alleged that the vessel was dilapidated, uninsured and unsafe as it had holes in it which caused its eventual sinking. Caltex consider the charges to be very serious as they amount to criminal negligence and they state that in hiring the Trading Bell tanker they met the requirements of the law. Caltex are attending the hearings but Liberty Bell Trading have not yet made an appearance. The final report is expected to be followed by new legislation to deal with oil spills. PHILIPPA AMBROSE
Green Expenses for Shipowners Environmental laws will push up the cost of ship repairs according to a recent report in Lloyds List. New legislation limiting repair activities such as washing down, blasting, coating, and waste discharges will soon force changes on European ship yards which could make them uncompetitive. The main problem centres on the use of tributyl tin (TBT) in antifouting systems, although problems with volatile organic compounds and solvent levels look as though they are also set to become a major issue. According to the report, Dutch ship repair yards have 265
Marine PollutionBulletin had a policy of "good environmental housekeeping and dock floor discipline" for the past three years. This means that blasting and paint residues are collected from the dock floor and disposed of in a safe way before the dry dock is flooded. One problem, however, which the Dutch, and other European ship repair yards find irritating is the disposal of empty paint tins even though the paint is often owner-specified and applied by an outside contractor. Whilst certain countries, such as the Netherlands, are fully aware of the implications of the impending legislation and are doing something constructive, others, such as Greece, seem oblivious to the problems that are just around the corner according to the report. Coupled with this is the environmental concern over self-polishing copolymers (SPCs), which could also lead to the biggest and most expensive changes in vessel operations for ship owners including reduced dry dock intervals, increased hull roughness and more variable anti-fouling performance. SPC antifouling systems rely again on TBTs because they are active against fouling organisms and their chemistry enables them to be bonded to the acrylic base of the paint system. SPCs work by the gradual release of the TBT through a controlled disappearance or polishing of the paint film. TBTs are now known to be environmentally damaging and there is great pressure to switch to TBT-free products. TBT-free systems, known as Controlled Depletion Polymers (CDPs) have been developed to replace SPC systems. The problem is that these antifouling systems are inferior to SPCs although they do offer great improvements over traditional systems. The number of dry dockings will have to increase with the use of CDPs since manufacturers are unable to offer in-service periods greater than 36 months compared to the 60 months provided by SPC. The report says that ship owners should prepare now for the possibility of tighter controls on dry dock discharges suggesting that within three years, rigorous standards will effectively prohibit the handling of SPCs in most developed countries.
Cod Ranching in the North Sea As the stocks of cod in the North Sea continue to diminish, Danish fishermen from the port of Hvide Sande are participating in a scheme to boost the cod population by growing the tiny larvae in the safety of cages. By protecting the young fish in the early stages of their life it is hoped to annually release at least 100 million young fish into the North Sea. The project is being financially backed by the local fisherman's association who recognized the importance of trying anything to boost natural stocks as the present resources are low. After the initial attempts proved successful 14 vessels are now involved in the collection of roe at sea which is then fertilized and stored in containers. Once ashore the hatched larvae are placed in cages in the Ringkoebing inlet where bright lights are used to attract their natural prey, a wide variety of small marine organisms, into the cages. This provides a natural and renewable 266
food source. The larvae grow well in the safety of these cages and are soon ready to be released back into the North Sea. Although the whole operation takes only a few months it is a very expensive way of increasing productivity. The mortality rate of the tiny fish once released is thought to be about 90%, but if 100 million are released this still increases the stocks by 10 million. Knud Rasmussen, who is running the project, has already proved the success of this type of scheme when he worked on the re-establishment of lavaret, Coregonus laveretus, stocks. The 10 million surviving cod will almost equal the total Danish quota for 1990.
New Students Join World Maritime University Over 90 new students from around the world attended an inauguration ceremony at the World Maritime University (WMU), Malmo, Sweden, on 19 March, 1990. The ceremony marked the start of a new academic year. The students, from over 50 maritime nations, were welcomed by International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General William O'Neil and WMU Chancellor C. P. Srivastava. The WMU provides high level MSc courses for students, already well qualified, who have been selected by their countries for further training, equipping them to assume greater responsibilities on their return. The University's student population now totals some 200. The ceremony was opened by the University's new Rector, Captain Danny Waters, formerly Foundation Principal of the Australian Maritime College, Tasmania. He succeeds Eric Nordstrom, who has been appointed Managing Director of the Swedish Shipowners' Association. Mr. O'Neil reminded students that it was only 5 years since the graduation of the inaugural class, yet the University's 500 graduates had already established themselves as major contributors to the achievement of IMO's objectives: safer shipping and cleaner oceans. He told them that many WMU graduates now occupy key positions within national maritime administrations, training academies, port authorities, shipping companies and other maritime organizations. He said that the strong interest in providing students to attend the WMU is a clear testimonial to its success and proof of the high regard in which the University is held by the international maritime community. Mr. Srivastava welcomed the new students to the University. He paid tribute to the continued generosity of Sweden, the host country, and Malmo, the host city. He also thanked the many other nations, institutions and commercial interests which have supported the University.
North American News Invading Fish a Threat to Great Lakes Fisheries The ruffe, first sighted in the Great Lakes in 1987, is threatening to disrupt the $4 billion US fishing industry