Lost month
THE dry bulk market is definitely in the doldrums since the start of the year, in what was described as a “lost” month for industry players reports http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com. With China’s New Year holidays, things can only get worse, before a potential rebound, beginning after the first few days of February. The dry bulk market’s benchmark, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) was down last week, ending at 1127 points, losing an additional 21 points.
Clean-up
THE Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore coordinated the clean-up of the oil spillage in Singapore’s waters following two collisions south of Jurong Island and off Marina South in January.
A total of 24 craft and 120 personnel from MPA and oil spill response companies were involved in the effort reports http://worldmaritimenews.com.
National security
AMERICA’S six state maritime academies — in California Maritime Academy, Great Lakes Maritime Academy, Maine Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy, SUNY Maritime College, Texas Maritime Academy and the US Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, NY, will each receive $1.9million (US$1million) from a government program that recycles obsolete vessels, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration revealed. The funds will ensure highly skilled U.S. merchant marine officers meet their nation’s national security and economic needs reports http://worldmaritimenews.com.
No folk singer
THE shipping industry doesn’t have a folk singer, but if it did, it would probably be a shanty about the disappearing bulkers.
It’s a story which raises questions about what we are up to.
These basic steel boxes crawled into the 2000s on their knees after a couple of gloomy years in 1998 and 1999 reports http://www.hellenicshippingnews.com.
