Road to Asia Pacific
WORKS minister Timoci Natuva has encouraged the exchange of ideas and experiences in maritime safety for the drafting of a roadmap that will benefit Asia Pacific.
Speaking to heads of maritime from around the Asia Pacific region last week, he said the agenda of two-day meeting was to focus on four key pillars including regional co-operation, protection of maritime environment, safety at sea including seafarer welfare and, maritime search rescue.
He said co-operation among leaders would ensure the regulation of maritime safety in the region.
New vessel to the fleet
A SECOND landing craft has been added to the Government fleet of vessels.
The Vunilagi was commissioned by Prime Minister Rear Admiral (Retired) Voreqe Bainimarama in Suva last week.
“Before the first of these vessels — the Sigavou — was commissioned in March, the Government Shipping Services hadn’t acquired a new vessel for 29 years.
“I described it at the time as a national embarrassment for maritime nations such as ours,” he said. A third vessel is expected next year.
New cruise liner
AS a result of strong customer demand, Viking Ocean Cruises will launch two additional ocean ships, bringing the total number of ships in its new fleet to three.
Viking Sea and Viking Sky will both debut in 2016 and will be sister ships to the 930-passenger Viking Star, which is currently under construction and will set sail in early 2015.
Like their sister ship, Viking Sea and Viking Sky will sail in Scandinavia and the Baltic; and the Western and Eastern Mediterranean.
Source: worldmaritimenews.com
Icebreaker to guide oil
RUSSIAN ship builder Baltiysky Zavod has won an open tender for the construction of the next two LK-60 nuclear icebreakers of Project 22220 for the Russian State Corporation Rosatom.
The contract for the first LK-60 icebreaker, worth billions of dollars was signed in August 2013.
These new icebreakers, whose detailed design was developed by CDB Aisberg in 2009, will be among the largest and most powerful in the world.
Owing to a greater width than that of the existing icebreakers, the universal icebreakers will be able to steer tankers of up to 70,000 tons displacement in the Arctic.
Source: worldmaritimenews.com
