|
MALAYSIA has
detained four
vessels on
suspicion of
illegally
transferring oil
in two separate
incidents in
coastal waters
over the
weekend,
according to the
Malaysian
Maritime
Enforcement
Agency.
One of the
organisation's
officials said
that on Saturday
two vessels
were seen
anchored close
to each other
about 3.5 miles
off Penggeran...
Haiti needs
compassion
By Lloyds List
Comment
Friday 15
January 2010
NOBODY can fail
to be moved by
the pictures
from Haiti now
filling the
world’s
television
screens.
The death toll
from Tuesday’s
earthquake is
already thought
to have topped
100,000. These
people urgently
need food,
medical
supplies,
clothing,
temporary
accommodation
and doubtless
many other
things, and much
of it will be
carried by ship.
Shipping is, of
course, a
business
proposition. As
the pages of
this newspaper
detail every
day, the main
thrust of
industry
activity centres
on such
quotidian
concerns as
moving coal and
iron ore to
China, consumer
durables to
Europe and North
America,
tourists around
sundry sunspots,
and oil to
everywhere that
needs it.
But it is also
the means by
which the
majority of
humanitarian aid
reaches hungry
mouths.
Officially, the
number one task
of EU Navfor in
the Gulf of Aden
is not the
keeping pirates
away from
merchant vessels
using the Suez
Canal, but also
making sure that
small general
cargoships on
charter to the
World Food
Programme are
able to
alleviate the
famine that
continues to
reign across
much of Somalia.
As the
international
community gears
up for a major
relief effort in
Haiti, tonnage
will need to be
found to enable
consignments to
reach the
poorest country
in the western
hemisphere.
There will also
be a long-term
need for project
cargo, as it
struggles to
rebuild its
pitiful
infrastructure.
Reports suggest
that Haiti’s
principal port,
Port-au-Prince,
is a bit of a
mess. Cranes
have toppled
into the water
and the main
pier has
collapsed.
However,
self-geared
vessels can
still make use
of such
facilities as
still exist.
Getting
Port-au-Prince
back into
working order
will obviously
be a major
priority.
In the meantime,
hats off to
French shipowner
organisation
Armateurs de
France for
immediately
putting two
vessels at the
disposal of the
Haitian
authorities for
such duties.
It is admittedly
a big ask, but
it would be nice
if shipowners
from other
nations could
also be
persuaded
temporarily to
put standard
commercial
considerations
to one side at
this time of
need. |
