12 minute read
Clean up
AMAZON PRESSURED TO REDRESS PLASTIC USE
The company’s shareholders will vote on a resolution which requires it to address its plastic packaging
This resolution is largely a result of the Oceana campaign, featuring ocean animals, which asks the company’s investors, executives and employees for “less plastic, please.”
“This is a prime opportunity for shareholders to have Amazon do right by its customers and the planet,” said Matt Littlejohn, senior vice president, Oceana. ”Pressure is mounting as more investors learn about the company’s plastic problem and more customers call for plastic-free alternatives. Amazon’s plastic packaging generates a massive amount of waste and plastic pollution is devastating the world’s oceans.”
Held to account
If the resolution is passed on 25 May, the e-commerce giant will need to issue a report describing how it can reduce its plastic packaging use and contribution to plastic pollution. It will also need to quantify the amount of plastic packaging it uses.
According to a 2021 Oceana report, Amazon, the largest retailer in the world outside of China, generated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2020, a 29% increase over Oceana’s 2019 estimate, referenced in the shareholder proposal.
Studies have estimated that for species, 55% percent of sea birds, 70% of marine mammals and 100% of sea turtles have ingested or become entangled in plastic and have found that plastic film, the type of plastic used by Amazon, is one of the deadliest forms of plastic for marine life.
Amazon, which is asking shareholders to vote against the proposal (while disputing Oceana’s estimates) does not currently report on its plastic footprint and according to Oceana, has not responded to multiple requests to share its data.
Additionally, the company has not committed to specific reduction goals for its overall plastic packaging use. Without this information, investors cannot assess their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) risk exposure on the very significant global issue of plastic pollution.
Oceana is campaigning on the ground at Amazon’s HQ 1 and HQ 2 in Seattle and Arlington, USA, to win support for the resolution. The organisation has created a dedicated website for the endeavour: www.amazoniansfortheoceans.com
8 Oceana says that
Amazon generated 599 million pounds of plastic packaging waste in 2020
Shipping threat to sea life
Scientists say that more monitoring is required in the Atlantic to help protect sea life on the at-risk register.
Research from the University of Portsmouth has shown a dramatic increase in North East Atlantic shipping traffic, in particular in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). ”Renewed monitoring effort is needed to ensure that protective measures are adequate to conserve species under threat where the footprint of human activities is expanding,” said James Robbins, Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Portsmouth, UK.
His report, published in Marine Pollution Bulletin, reveals rates of shipping in the area rose by 34% in a five-year period. Vessel movements in the MPAs increased by 73%.
Researchers used data from over 530 million vessel positions recorded by Automatic identification Systems (AIS) between 2013 and 2017 in a study area of 1.1 million km2 .
The researchers predict that shipping will continue to intensify with current predictions of a global increase of between 240% and 1209% by 2050.
8 One of the greatest shipping increases
was found in Spain’s Espacio Marino de la Costa da Morte MPA where there was a 413% in vessel activity
ANTISINK UNVEILS BUOYANCY AID
A company manufacturing devices to prevent boats sinking has brought on board gas cylinder fi rm Luxfer to provide an even more lightweight and sustainable solution
Norwegian maritime company Antisink began making systems comprising self-infl ating buoyancy bags with foam canisters to keep boats afl oat in 2017. A challenge for the developers was to deliver a high level of buoyancy, so they soon began researching alternatives to foam.
“We needed a smaller installation system but greater levels of buoyancy,” said Antisink’s Bjøro Karlsen, who helped design the product. “CO2 is used in life rafts, so we started looking at CO2 cylinders to provide the necessary air and contacted several aluminium cylinder manufacturers.
“That’s when we found Luxfer. We made contact in early 2021 and since then, we’ve designed a robust system incorporating Luxfer’s high quality cylinders, which can keep a boat afloat for weeks, with little maintenance required.”
Photo: Antisink
With Luxfer cylinders in place, the Antisink system is automatically activated once it senses flooding, filling the buoyancy bags in under a minute and keeping the boat above sea level.
The system is also designed to displace water from the boat’s internal compartments, keeping everyone safe until help arrives.
The system has green credentials too – the cylinders are aluminium, making them easy to recycle or refill. Plus keeping boats afloat is far less polluting than a shipwreck.
With access now to a variety of different sized cylinders, Antisink is hoping to extend the business to a wider market and the kit is currently being trialled by the Norwegian navy with ambitions to roll it out to the coastguard as well.
8 Antisink featuring
Luxfer cylinder technology
Covid fund remains open for merchant seafarers
A fund to support UK merchant seafarers made redundant through Covid-19 will remain open.
The decision was made to extend the MCG Redundancy and Retraining Bursary Fund, which provides up to £500 for training, following discussions by funders, the Merchant Navy Welfare Board, Trinity House and the Nautilus Slater Fund. It was due to close at the end of March.
“We have decided to keep the fund open to support those who have recently lost their jobs and want to stay in the industry but need further training or requalification to do so,” said Commander Graham Hockley LVO RN, chair of MCG.
The fund, which is administered by the Marine Society on behalf of MCG, is aimed at merchant seafarers who have lost their job due to the pandemic and want to stay in the industry.
Since it opened in November 2020 the fund has helped more than 80 UK seafarers by providing over £36k in funding for training to help them stay in maritime. So far over 30% of beneficiaries have already got back into employment.
“This fund has been a real success story for MCG at a time when Covid hit many of our seafarers very hard,” added Commander Hockley.
“By working together to fund training for those who have lost their jobs due to the pandemic, our members have made a real difference to their chances of getting another job in maritime.”
The closing date remains open-ended and will be reviewed according to demand and available funding. More information can be found at the Marine Society website.
UK TUG SIMULATORS TRAIN IN AUSTRALIA
Oxford UK-based HR Wallingford’s tug simulators are being used by Dutch towage contractor Kotug to run its Mates-to-Masters training programme in Australia
The principles may be similar but the power, technology and method of operation with modern shiphandling tugs, particularly with tethered escort towage operations, are a far cry from when a tug master’s skills were passed down from one generation to the next and training was carried out in real time during actual shiphandling operations.
Advances in technology now allow training of potential masters to be carried out in simulators ashore, where manoeuvres can be practised realistically time and time again, including experiencing the consequences of extreme situations but in a safe environment.
One such high-profile Kotug operation involves the fleet of nine Rotortugs at Port of Hedland, Western Australia, following Rotterdam-based Kotug’s acquisition of full operational management of Pilbara Marine’s towage operation at the port in 2021.
ART 85-32W Rotortugs are employed at Port Hedland, the world’s largest bulk export port, requiring specialist tugs and crews to be trained to meet the demands. As part of their ongoing development, Kotug trains existing mates to progress to masters on the vessels and the first simulationbased training courses were run at HR Wallingford’s Australia Ship Simulation Centre in Fremantle, Western Australia.
The trainees spent the first eight days of the course familiarising themselves with the handling of the tug manoeuvring model, created by HR Wallingford’s naval architects and verified by Kotug’s training masters.
The training allowed the mates to develop tug handling skills from performing basic open water manoeuvres to escort towage and assisting with complex ship movements within the port, including experiencing ship-to-tug interaction as well as tug wash in practical simulation exercises. Following the simulation element, ten weeks of on-the-water training follows under supervision of Kotug’s training masters, where the simulator-based exercises are repeated along with ongoing competency assessments utilising Kotug’s training app.
Ben Spalding, HR Wallingford’s Australia Ship Simulation Centre manager, said: “We have a long relationship with Kotug at our UK Ship Simulation Centre as well as through Shell Australia’s Prelude FLNG operation. It has been fantastic to build on this through the new training course, having previously established ourselves as one of the leading ship and tug navigation training simulation centres in Australia.”
8 The HR
Wallingford simulator showing tugs used in the training
Maritime industry warned to invest in safety
The managing director of a non-profi t technology accelerator fi rm has warned the maritime sector that lack of skills and investment are standing in the way of developing safety technologies in safety measures.
Speaking at a Financial Times webinar on the Future of Industrial Safety, Dr Maurizio Pilu, who is the managing director of non-profit Safetytech Accelerator, said funding was a ‘significant barrier to the adoption of safety technologies’.
“We hear too often that safety does not have the budget to innovate, but there are plenty of low-hanging fruit that can provide a safety benefit with an easily achievable ROI,” he said.
“We have been involved in a pilot using a
8 The maritime industry needs to get on
board with more safety technologies, says Safetytech Accelerator
sensor to monitor for fire which can alert 25-30 minutes ahead of statutory sensors onboard ships. This is a simple use of technology that could save money, lives, cargo and the ship itself.”
He said safety measures could become a matter for insurance companies and investors, and talked about fatigue monitoring for safety-critical jobs.
“We may soon get to a point where after a fatigue-related accident, employers may be faced with the question: why didn’t you invest in this?” Pilu said these safety technologies could not be rolled out if there were a skills deficit, which was another hurdle facing the industry.
“The marine sector is caught between the buyers of technology who have great industry knowledge, but little technological knowhow, and the technology providers who have the solutions, often pioneered in other sectors, but not the in-depth knowledge of the industry. The only way past this impasse is close collaboration,” he said
SHIP MANAGERS URGED TO REPORT CREW DEATHS
Two workers onboard ship have died in the past month - but historically there are likely to be more than fi gures show
The deaths of two workers in an enclosed space onboard a ship has prompted the international trade association for ship and crew managers InterManager to urge the shipping industry to improve its reporting of fatal and serious accidents.
Secretary General Captain Kuba Szymanski said two more workers had died in May, having apparently ‘entered the wrong space’ on a cargo ship and paying the ultimate price.
Although InterManager has been keeping statistics on incidents involving enclosed spaces since 1999, it does not believe the true figure has come to light because of the inadequate reporting of the numbers, It says that since then, enclosed spaces have claimed the lives of 104 seafarers and 51 shore workers, but this was unlikely to be the true number.
“The shipping industry is very slow in reporting accidents in enclosed spaces, as it also is with lifeboat incidents,” said Captain Szymanski. ”Accident reports take ages even for Flag States rated as ‘excellent’. The IMO’s Global Integrated Shipping Information System (GISIS) database is largely being ignored by Flag States. We have discovered that only 26% of enclosed space accidents were reported through GISIS – which means 74% were not reported at all.
“By not reporting accidents the shipping industry is not giving people the chance to properly investigate, understand and learn from them. This is potentially putting the lives of more seafarers and port workers in danger.”
Capt Szymanski urged the shipping industry to work harder to address the root causes of enclosed space accidents which InterManager has identified are particularly due to ship design, time pressure on staff and contradictory, confusing regulations.
InterManager is currently working with the members of the Human Element Industry Group (HEIG) to identify the biggest risk factors and potential solutions to minimise deaths and injuries in enclosed spaces.
8 Captain Kuba
Szymanski
Maritime autonomy research centre launched
Autonomy from smart ships to smart ports will be explored at a new research centre in Southampton.
Solent University has launched a research cen.tre to explore maritime autonomy, systems, teaching and consultancy in a bid to become an international leader in maritime research.
The Warsash MASS (Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships) Research Centre is part of Solent University in Southampton and has been launched to look at all areas of autonomy in shipping and ports. ”Our programmes feature ’academic industry’ collaborative knowledge exchange and targeted opportunities from business and industry,” said vice-chancellor Karen Stanton. ”We are committed to actively contributing to the development of human capital in key industries around the world, through the delivery of education and training, and collaborative research and knowledge exchange.”
The new wave of autonomous technology has seen rapid changes in the maritime industry but the changes, together with the drive towards zero-emission propulsion systems and so on, have not been receiving the attention they deserve with regard to the human element, Stanton says. ”Although there have been significant advances in MASS technologies, little research has been carried out on analysing the human element, the human-machine interface and seafarer training needs for working with Smart Ships, Smart Ports and MASS,” says Stanton. Professor Syamantak Bhattacharya, pro-vice chancellor, Research & Knowledge Exchange, said the overarching aim was to drive education, training, research and innoation ’to support this challenging technology – in practical ways, in real terms and above all with the safety of people and the industry in mind’.
8 (L-R) Associate Professor Zakirul Bhuiyan,
