Shipping november14

CONTENTS

KΩΔIKOΣ 1612

INTERNATIONAL MONTHLY REVIEW

Between us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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Spotlighting the industry news for nearly six decades!

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NOVEMBER 2014

Events . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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NAFTILIA Period A No 1-149 SHIPPING Period B No 511 Vol. 357 Publisher Evlabia Babili

Special Surveys Flags and Manning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Consultants of the edition

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Letta Makri Dimitris Kapranos

Editor in Chief

Salvage & Towage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22

Letta Makri

Advertising Manager L.D.M.

Μaritime Εducation and Τraining . . . . . . . . . 20 Forum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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BETWEEN US

Greek coastal shipping should be supported We were not in any way surprised by the findings of the recent study by the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE), The contribution of coastal shipping to the Greek economy: Performance and outlook.

However, it gave the Greek Shipowners’ Association for Passenger Ships (SEEN) an opportunity to make its problems better known to the general public and to remind us that the “ocean-goers” often refer to the maritime minister as the “minister for coastal shipping”!

What is to be done though? When a country like Greece wants to take pride in its islands, it should support them somehow. Shouldn’t it?

You will perhaps say, “does the state have to do everything in this country?”

The answer is simple. When we discussed the report with our colleague and friend, Dimitris Kapranos, we made a list of the businesspeople who had ventured into the sector of coastal shipping, i.e. the transportation of human beings.

Well, almost all of them perished ingloriously!

Some names came to mind: the Typaldos brothers, Karageorgis, Fragopoulos, Efthymiadis, Sfinias.

They gave it their “best shot”, but the first time they went off course, they floundered in a sea of problems and no one came to their aid! What should we recall first? The Heraklion, the Eleanna, the Chrysi Avgi, the Express Samina? Public opinion is relentless against such incidents. We have had fatal wrecks in our oceangoing shipping too, but these were “out of Greece”, “no one saw them”, “we didn’t find out the details”, and “they weren’t on TV”.

But, as we all know and as the study showed, the (currently) problematic and (due to the crisis) un-

stable Greek coastal shipping sector: • Employs 50 percent of Greek seafarers • Contributed an estimated total in terms of GDP, of 11.8 billion euro or 6.5 percent of the country’s total GDP in 2013 • In terms of employment, provides 260,000 jobs (or 7.2 percent of total employment), a figure which corresponds to about half of employment in island regions (on ships and in offices and businesses associated with its activity) • Contributed 1.5 billion euro to the country’s economy in 2013, from the demand for domestic coastal shipping transportation • Provides 21,400 “primary” jobs, of which 5,000 are estimated to be on ships and at the offices of the coastal shipping companies Here, then, in general terms, is the contribution of the Greek coastal shipping sector, which is besieged on all fronts and constantly threatened not only by creditors but by... the state (through taxation, VAT, third party taxes, and so on).

No one can deny that the current minister is making every effort and has solved significant problems in the sector. Nonetheless, much more still needs to be done in order for this vital aspect of the economy to survive and remain standing after the crisis has passed.

Under these circumstances, the Greek coastal shipping sector needs the assistance of the state and it should be given it, in order to avoid a return to the “unforgettable” era of “public coastal shipping” with all the familiar problems that it created...

LETTA DIMOPOULOU - MAKRI

NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 3

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Private mari me educa on… on instalment!

by Dimitris Kapranos The measures announced by the ministry of shipping with regard to private maritime training may not solve the problem, but could be a good start.

The correct solution is not, of course, the operation of “private KESEN” (Seafarers Further Education and Training Centres) but to accommodate training for the thousands of young people who are left outside the maritime professions, due to the inability of the public “academies” to cater for all of those who sit the exams.

What is going on, in truth, with those who do not manage to gain entry into the “academies”? Are they perhaps incompetent? Are they less intelligent? Perhaps they love the sea less than those who gain admission?

Of course not. It’s simply that the ridiculous Greek system in effect forbids them to become officers of the merchant marine!

In the same way it also forbids graduates of the Naval Lyceums to receive a “first-degree” certificate and thus it “marks” their certificates as “second-degree”. Such behaviour cannot be taken seriously!

It is unacceptable that a country which (likes to say that it) holds top position in the global shipping sector, should be preventing young people from becoming seafarers – because this, in effect, is what is happening in Greece.

The state tells you “If you are not admitted into my ‘academies’, then you are not worthy of becoming an officer in my merchant navy”. It is the same with the universities. This is why other European countries that offer private universities (namely all of them, with the exception of Greece) are making a mint!

Thousands of young Greek people are currently studying medicine, mathematics, and physics at private universities in Cyprus. The economy of Cyprus, which was hit hard by the crisis, is recovering. Our own is still crawling along and, unfortunately, does not appear to be making much headway.

Can you imagine how many jobs, taxes, national insurance contributions, market turnover, and other profits, are being lost due to the veto (unprecedented government inaction) on the operation of private universities and private higher education institutes for the merchant marine?

In Greece, however, we prefer... “closed” universities, “occupations”, deans besieged in their offices, the invasion of university institutions by “students”, Molotov cocktails, and illicit laboratories inside the universities! Such things would never be found in private universities, and, of course, if there were competition, neither would they occur at state institutions!

Here, though, our misconceived “free education” has demolished everything and turned universities into incubators of political party leaders and hotbeds for the parties. Something similar is also taking place with the “academies”, where the “professor caste” has turned them into levers for exerting pressure on the government, against the “privatization of education”.

Matters are simple, Minister: we need private maritime education to be liberated to open the way to the ships for all.

Unless, of course, the owners of the ships actually prefer the current system, which leaves plenty of leeway for signing on foreign seafarers, and they are just “having us on”...

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EVENTS

BV: 23rd HMTC mee ng

A chance to exchange views The Marine Technical Committee meeting of Bureau Veritas for 2014 took place on November 13th at the Yacht Club of Greece. The well-attended meeting started as always with the social time, where attendees had the chance to exchange their views and latest news from the shipping world.

The technical presentation introduced by the Committee’s Chairman, George Sarris, President of Enterprises Shipping & Trading S.A. Anastasios Angelopoulos, Deputy Country Chief Executive for Greece & Cyprus, Secretary of the Committee started with a small presentation regarding Bureau Veritas organization.

The technical discussion started with Dr. John Kokarakis, Vice President Technology & Business Development of Hellenic, Black Sea Region & Middle East Zone, presented the challenges associated with uti-

lization of ultra-low sulphur fuel in the ECAs. This regulation dictates use of 0.1% sulphur content in the ECAs starting January 1st. The introduction outlined the problems and was followed of lively workshop-style exchange of ideas and input from the participants.

Ballast water treatment was also discussed, being one of the spiky issued in the shipping industry. Ratification of the convention is imminent and the shipping community is hard pressed to select and install a treatment system. Unfortunately, regulatory uncertainty makes these tasks very difficult. Bureau Veritas is currently under preparation to tackle the flood of the oncoming technical work.

Like always the meeting was finished with the traditional dinner, where there were ample opportunities for everybody to fraternize and enjoy the delicious food offered by the restaurant of Yacht Club of Greece.

(l to r) Chr. Christoforou, L. Chahalis, G. Sarris, A. Angelopoulos, J. Kokarakis

(l to r) V. Sarris, Th. Baltatzis, J. Ioannidis, H. Giantzikis, A. Angelopoulos, D. Vitzileos, M. Migadis, J. Kokarakis, G. Papagiannopoulos 6 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

EVENTS

ClassNK-NAPA GREEN named top maritime IT Solution at IBJ Awards

ClassNK Chairman and President, Noboru Ueda (center) receives the IT Solutions

Vessel performance monitoring and optimization solution ClassNK-NAPA GREEN was named the maritime industry’s top IT system by earning the IT Solutions Award at the International Bulk Journal (IBJ) Awards held at the Beurs-World Trade Center in Rotterdam on 17 November. The software solution, developed jointly by leading classification society ClassNK and leading global maritime software company NAPA, was recognized both as an advanced technical achievement and for reductions in fuel costs it has helped achieve and validate on actual vessels in service.

Held annually by the International Bulk Journal, the IBJ Awards recognize companies and individuals for their contributions to the bulk cargo sector and wider maritime industry in a variety of categories including environmental protection, bulk logistics and innovative technology. The Awards independent panel of judges chose ClassNK-NAPA GREEN from a number of nominated IT solutions for the technical achievement represented by the system, as well as its contribution to reductions in fuel costs and CO2 emissions from global shipping.

NAPA and ClassNK began developing ClassNK-NAPA GREEN to provide shipowners, operators, charterers, and shipyards with an integrated software system capable of monitoring and optimizing vessel and fleet performance. The software solution, which can be used on all major vessel types, combines advanced monitoring and analysis systems to optimize trim, speed and voyage routing among other factors, with a unique, selflearning Dynamic Performance Model which can estimate a vessel’s performance in actual vessel operating conditions with

an accuracy of as much as 99.6%.

In addition to installations on container carriers and Ro-Ro vessels, which have produced verified fuel savings of between 4-6%, ClassNK-NAPA GREEN has also been installed on bulk carriers built by Imabari Shipbuilding and Sanoyas Shipbuilding among others, and is currently being used by a number of shipbuilders to better understand the performance of their vessels in actual ocean conditions and optimize future designs.

ClassNK Chairman and President Noboru Ueda attended the ceremony, and accepted the award on behalf of NAPA and ClassNK. Speaking on the occasion, Chairman and President Noboru Ueda said: “It is an honor to receive this award and have ClassNK-NAPA GREEN recognized both by IBJ and the distinguished panel of judges. This is a testament to the capabilities of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN, which we began developing in 2012 and is now being used by shipowners and operators around the world. Trials of ClassNK-NAPA GREEN have consistently achieved significant fuel savings for vessel operators and we are proud to see so many new owners and operators adopting this solution.”

NAPA President Juha Heikinheimo said: “NAPA is very honored to have worked in developing ClassNK-NAPA GREEN with the many shipowners who have provided vessels to carry out pilot testing.

We are very proud of the significant fuel savings which have been proven in not only full scale pilot tests, and but also in commercial installations for a variety of customers around the world. NAPA is privileged to be a part of this development that has such a huge economic impact and positive environmental effect.”

NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 7

EVENTS

A “Viking Lady” for DNV GL The “Viking Lady”, an offshore supply vessel in daily operation in the North Sea, is a full-scale "test laboratory". At the Greener Shipping Summit – Ships of the Future conference held in Athens recently, Dr Nikolaos Kakalis, Head of DNV GL Strategic Research & Innovation in Greece, showed how the vessel could lead the way to a significant improvement in the safety and efficiency of high-risk operations.

Dr Kakalis presented the specific battery hybrid propulsion system and its benefits for “Viking Lady” to the Greek shipping community. These results stem from the FellowSHIP III research and development project between DNV GL, Eidesvik Offshore and Wärtsilä, co-funded by the Research Council of Norway.

DNV GL Research & Innovation in Norway and in Greece are working together with shipping companies and manufacturers to realise projects like FellowSHIP that advance the industry’s state of the art. “We went from idea generation through a fusion of innovative scientific approaches to technology development and fullscale testing in a structured and effective way,” said Dr Kakalis.

The “Viking Lady” uses a conventional diesel-electric propulsion system, comprising four dual-fuel engines driving five thrusters for propulsion and manoeuvring/dynamic positioning (DP). In this project, a lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 450 kWh was added – enabling the vessel to use hybrid-electric propulsion. The battery acts as an energy buffer that is able to cover the intense load variations that can occur, especially in DP and standby operations.

This effectively increases the propulsion system’s

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available power and redundancy – thereby increasing the level of safety in high-risk operations. This means that the gen-sets can operate with a relatively constant load and in an optimal way – making operations safer and more energy-efficient.

The battery hybrid installation has been tested in sea trials, which showed that a 15 per cent reduction in fuel consumption, 25 per cent reduction in NOx emissions and 30 per cent reduction in GHG emissions can be realised in practice, especially for DP operations. “Considering that the global fleet of offshore supply vessels of relevant sizes is over 4,000, such technologies have the potential to make an impact when it comes to improving sustainability,” Dr Kakalis noted.

COSSMOS, DNV GL’s in-house computer platform for modelling and simulating complex integrated ship machinery systems, played an important role in FellowSHIP III. COSSMOS provides an early-phase feasibility analysis, estimating the expected benefits in terms of energy efficiency, emissions and economics.

Dr Kakalis explained how advanced simulations and optimisation can direct the implementation of optimal power management strategies to arrive at maximum gains while ensuring the safety and operational capabilities of the vessel. “DNV GL invests 5 per cent of its revenue in research and innovation every year, which is a reciprocal investment to our customers and the industry as a whole, through technology development and better services. In the FellowSHIP series of projects we have invested more than 2.5 million USD and we are glad to share such developments that improve safety and sustainability of our industry in practice,” Dr Kakalis said.

SPECIAL SURVEY

FLAGS AND MANNING

Malta’s GM s cks to blue-chip owners

A strict preference for blue-chip shipowners is the key to surviving downturns, says John A. Gauci-Maistre, the chairman of Malta-based GM International Services. With forty years’ experience in the shipping business, GM has seen the Maltese maritime flag grow to number one in Europe and seventh worldwide.

Malta’s “strong and safe” status has paid off through the recent crisis, with the Malteseflagged vessels topping the 50m GT mark at the end of last year. Cooperation with Greek owners remains strong, with two Greek lawyers manning the “Greek Desk” in Valletta. “We are grateful for the confidence that Greek owners have shown in GM,” says Mr Gauci-Maistre.

What distinguishes a successful maritime flag are now the wider financial services it can provide, such as collective investment schemes, tax agreements, funds and trusts. This is especially true now, as the EU’s recent bank “stress tests” didn’t really solve the wider problem of EU banking stability.

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What are the advantages that would attract someone to the registry that you represent?

Malta continues to be regarded as a strong and safe maritime jurisdiction and I must admit that it’s very satisfying to speak to various industry stakeholders and hear them say that they’re actively looking at Malta for various opportunities. The country’s presence is almost tangible at various conferences and exhibitions and this is testament to the efforts of many in both the private and public sectors, particularly Transport Malta’s Merchant Shipping Directorate. The Malta flag continues to be the largest maritime flag in Europe and the seventh largest maritime flag in the world and all efforts are constantly being undertaken to ensure that this is improved upon.

The largest maritime flags all offer similar key attributes which any shipowner and manager worth their salt demand as the bare minimum. That is to say that being on the white list of the respective MoUs, successful completion of the IMO VIMSAS audit, ratification of the major IMO and ILO conventions and a stable legal and fiscal regime, are an absolute must. In my opinion, what has begun to distinguish one flag from another are other factors such as the wider financial industry elements.

Nowadays, due to industry demands and partly heightened by the economic crisis, shipowners and managers have begun to demand more sophisticated and tax efficient structures. We have therefore seen a shift in the requirements which both shipowners/managers and banks need satisfied. We are seeing more and more interest in Maltese financial structures such as Collective Investment Schemes/Funds, trusts and corporate entities. The range of double tax treaties that Malta has are also being relied upon more and more. We were recently reminded of the importance of these agreements towards the end of summer when solutions were being sought by many in relation to China’s State Administration of Taxation’s notice for the Provisional Measures on the Collection of Tax on Non-resident Taxpayer Engaged in International Transportation Business, which came into force on the 1st August 2014. These Provisional Measures state that income such as charter hire, freight and surcharges, charges for loading and unloading, warehousing costs, amongst others, received by non-resident enterprises conducting International Transportation Business in China, must be declared and taxed accordingly. Whilst certain questions still remain as to how China’s State Administration of Taxation will be interpreting these Provisional Measures, one solution that was found in order to mitigate any further tax obligations was

FLAGS AND MANNING

SPECIAL SURVEY

whether a vessel owning company has been incorporated and has its place of effective management in a country with a treaty-based tax exemption. Given Malta’s double tax treaty with the People’s Republic of China, it is no wonder that we’ve since received enquiries requesting clarifications and advice on the applicable articles. Similarly we often process similarly requests concerning other Double Tax Treaties such as those with India and Australia, amongst others.

In 2014 the market showed some serious indications that it was heading towards recovery. Do you think this will continue in 2015? What are your organization’s plans for the near future?

It is probably the most over used cliché in the industry, however, it is true for this very reason… shipping is a complex and volatile sector and despite all the available data it hasn’t gotten any easier to predict market directions. We are constantly dealing with geo-political forces beyond our control. Whilst issues such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Ebola outbreak are all over the news, one matter of particular interest to the shipping industry was the results of the European Central Bank’s (ECB) “stress tests”. Whilst more encouraging than initially anticipated, they may do little to allay the fear of many institutions to begin actively lending in the near future. After all, despite the better than expected results, German banks in particular didn’t emerge unscathed, with accounting practices being called into question. Personally, I think this will give rise to interesting times ahead as, if the rate at which dis- Dr. Jean-Pie Gauci-Maistre posal of loans increases, coupled with market consolidation, we’re bound to see further casualties. And as bigger slice of the pie. Ensuring that we only represent we know, one person’s loss is another one’s gain, so I’ve reputable companies or new companies, which from almost come to expect that some big players, particu- the outset show a serious commitment to quality and larly privately owned companies, emerge from the cri- performance, served us well in the down turn. The sis bigger and better, whilst some other companies will shipping industry is a closely knit network and whilst fold. word of mouth has been our biggest marketing tool, For us at GMI, this does not all make for grim reading. the reverse can also be said to be true when we take on It simply means we need to position ourselves well for a new client. the future. The firm has been around for some 40 years We are also going through a generational transition now and we’ve learned a good deal throughout. Hav- within our group of companies. A few years ago we being been so actively involved throughout the economic gan the process of ensuring that all steps are taken to down turn, I would attribute two core factors which ensure continuity and rejuvenation. In this respect, tohave helped us stay at the forefront of the shipping in- gether with my son, Dr. Jean-Pie Gauci-Maistre, we’ve dustry in Malta. First is the conscientious and unwa- undertaken internal procedures to ensure that from my vering decision to only represent blue-chip ship own- end lessons learnt over the last four decades are passed ers/managers. Second is the on, whilst the company also The Malta flag continues collective effort and attention embraces new procedures and to detail by all the GMI team. services. In this respect we’ve to be the largest maritime bolstered our product range Ultimately, you cannot choose to satisfy the first criteria withto include full legal services as flag in Europe and out having the second. well as financial services. The As we know all too well, it is group now boasts of a fullythe seventh largest very easy in a booming market fledged law firm, with lawyers to get overzealous and get carfrom various countries as well maritime flag in the world as a fully licensed corporate ried away wanting to capture a

NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 11

SPECIAL SURVEY

FLAGS AND MANNING

and fiduciary service provider.

ceeded the 50million GT mark for the first time, totalling 51.8 million GT. On a broader scale, 2014 got off to a positive start as the Maltese economy was one of the best performers of the EU whilst the annual real GDP reached 3.2% up from 2.5% for 2013. Malta’s financial services sector in general performed very well notably in areas such as funds, insurance and wealth management.

What has been your experience, from your presence in the Greek shipping sector to date?

As a company, GMI’s presence in Greece dates back to the 70’s when I began to personally promote the benefits of the Malta maritime flag to Greek ship owners and managers. Throughout the years an overwhelming portion of Greek owned tonnage registered under the Malta maritime flag was in fact represented by GMI and What is your opinion about the way in which the insome shipowners who had chosen to be represented by ternational community is handling the problem of GMI in the 70’s continue to be represented by us to piracy? date. This is immensely motivating for us and spurs us There is no doubt that piracy remains a veritable on with great pride. We are extremely grateful for the threat to the industry. The decision by Transport Malta confidence that Greek shipowners and managers have back in 2011, in line with many other flag state adminshown in both our firm and the Malta maritime flag and istrations, to start allowing the carriage of arms on it behoves us to keep at the forefront of our mind the board Maltese-registered vessels on a case-by-case bacontribution of such important sis, provided that the proper industry players. protocol is applied, was in fact As many Greek shipowners correct approach. Till today As many Greek shipowners the and managers are well aware, we process applications on beour physical presence in half of ship owners and manand managers are well Greece is very active and onagers who wish to avail themgoing. We make it a point to selves of this option. The threat aware, our physical visit Greece not only to attend of piracy was significant and the many conferences and beyond those which presence in Greece is very measures seminars but also to maintain were being implemented a continuous, open and faceneeded to be enforced. active and ongoing to-face dialogue. I don’t think Malta was intent on finding a a day goes by without somebalance between industry one from our office exchanging some sort of commu- needs which would be seriously regulated. Initially the nication with our Greek counterparts. Jean-Pie had also General Authorisation (Protective Security Measures on gotten the opportunity to work in Greece within the le- Board Ships) Regulations were enacted to reinforce gal department of a world renowned shipowner/man- the protocols that had to be adhered to onboard. Subager and having spent time on board both wet and dry sequently, The Licensing of Private Maritime Security vessels has provided him with a wealth of knowledge Companies Regulations was enacted to ensure that no and experience that he finds extremely beneficial in his company may offer a private maritime security business day-to-day work. We’ve also seen the benefits of hav- without a licence. The regulations further outline the ing a Greek desk setup at our office in Malta, manned parameters under which a private maritime security by two very capable Greek lawyers. This is our way of company incorporated in Malta may obtain a licence ensuring that no detail gets lost in translation but more following the satisfaction of more than twenty obligaimportantly a way for us to be as pro-active as possible. tions.

Statistically speaking, the international decision to It helps us understand the industry demands in Greece and is a move that has been most welcomed by our allow privately armed guards on board vessels, coupled with measures already undertaken, bore fruit. Accordclients. ing to the latest figures released ICC IMB’s piracy report, What was the impact of the economic crisis on your the pirate attacks have fallen for the third consecutive registry and how did you address it? year although it does appear that smaller tanker hijacks Despite the economic crisis Malta has continued to by armed gangs remain a real threat in Southeast Asia. perform relatively well compared to other European The number of incidents reported in Nigeria seem to Member States. This is not to say that we did not suf- have dropped and in Somalia only ten incidents have fer any fallout from the recession but given that Malta been reported so far. IMB acknowledges that this has was not over exposed provided a much needed air of been achieved thanks to a combination of factors, incertainty and stability for many investors. Registered ter alia the key role of international navies, the hardtonnage under the Malta maritime flag saw year on ening of vessels, the use of private armed security year increase throughout the down turn and in fact as teams, and the stabilizing influence of Somalia’s central at the end of December 2013, registered tonnage ex- government.

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SPECIAL SURVEY

FLAGS AND MANNING

Marshall Islands register on a growth curve

The Republic of the Marshall Islands shipping register is growing, and is now the world’s third biggest, with 112m GT inscribed, says Theophilos Xenakoudis, the world business operations officer and managing director of International Registries - Piraeus, which represents the MI register.

Greek owners account for 27% of the register’s business. Piracy risk assessment, cautiously, is best left to owners/operators, says Mr Xenakoudis.

What are the advantages that would attract someone to the Registry that you represent?

International Registries, Inc. and its affiliates (IRI) provide administrative and technical support to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Maritime and

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Corporate Registries. One of the key competitive advantages is the ability of the RMI Registry to provide efficient service in a timely fashion through qualified personnel. The RMI is represented by a network of 26 worldwide offices and recently the number of IRI staff outside of the United States (US) has surpassed those in the US. By continuing to strengthen its team worldwide, IRI ensures a high level of service and continuous improvement to the decentralization of registry related services.

All IRI regional offices can register a vessel, including those under construction, and record a mortgage or financing charter, allowing owners to conduct closings during regular business hours. The RMI Maritime Administrator (Administrator) also provides technical support to owners and operators, and ensures that marine safety and Port State Control (PSC) matters are monitored on a 24-hour basis. Furthermore, emergency issues are handled through an expanded duty officer system, which includes e-watch from experienced overseas marine personnel. IRI has a dedicated IT network that gives each regional office direct access to the RMI maritime database, allowing for smooth handling of operations from registration and mortgage recordation to technical and seafarers’ documentation. The RMI Registry considers its customers and staff of qualified personnel to be its most important assets and IRI strives to provide full service from any office, 24-hours a day. By expanding its model of decentralization, IRI provides owners and operators with the quality service they expect regardless of time zone, in order to “keep the ships moving.”

Additionally, the RMI has been included on the United States Coast Guard’s Qualship 21 roster for the tenth consecutive year, which is unprecedented, and continues to be included on the White Lists of both the Paris and Tokyo Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs). In addition, the RMI meets the flag criteria for a low risk ship under the Paris MoU’s New Inspection Regime. A quality fleet, high PSC rankings, and timely service anywhere in the world have made the RMI the fastest growing registry in the world.

What procedures do you follow for the registration of ships and how time consuming are they?

A ship can be registered in the RMI from any of IRI’s 26 worldwide offices or where an RMI Special Agent is located. The procedure for the registration of a vessel in the RMI is straightforward. Seagoing vessels of any tonnage engaged in foreign trade and vessels under

FLAGS AND MANNING construction are eligible for registration in the RMI. At the time of registration, the vessel must be under 20 years of age and classed with one of the International Association of Classification Societies members.

Waivers may be granted for older vessels depending upon their condition and classification.

Applications for vessels 15 years of age or older should be submitted with a Status Report of the vessel’s Statutory Survey and Certification and a copy of its latest Intermediate or Special Survey Report. Due to the strong network worldwide, a unified database, experienced personnel, and streamlined ISO certified procedures, the RMI can register a vessel within a few days of application, without compromising any of the procedures in place.

Additionally, and in order to ensure that all new ships that apply for registration can meet the safety standards of the RMI Maritime Registry (Registry), the RMI has established a vetting system which reviews all new requests. Under this system, a joint overview of applications is made by the registration and technical teams, the record of ships and managers is carefully reviewed, and a risk assessment is made prior to acceptance of new vessels. Thorough vetting assists in maintaining the quality and reputation of the RMI which industry stakeholders have come to expect, as well as attract new tonnage to the RMI fleet worldwide.

Could you give us a picture of your Registry today?

What has been your experience from your presence in the Greek shipping sector to date?

The RMI Registry is the third largest registry in the world, surpassing 112 million gross tons and 3,300 vessels of all types at the end of October 2014. This substantial growth has created high expectations from the shipping community, which are met by the Registry's 26 worldwide offices, the largest network among any registry. This network of offices allows the Registry to effectively manage the increasing number of RMI flagged vessels and maintain the expected high level of service and quality.

The RMI celebrated the registration of its 200th vessel in the Korean market at Marine Money Busan in November 2014, showing the sustainable growth of the RMI and the increase of Asian owners in the RMI fleet. Greek owners/operators account for more than 27% of the overall tonnage of the RMI Registry, and according to a paper published by the Greek Shipping Cooperation Committee (GSCC) earlier this year, the RMI Registry is reaching the top position in the Greek market, gaining more than 43% of the gross tonnage noted in the GSCC report and nearly 55% of the total number of vessels gained overall last year. The report also shows the RMI to control 16% of the Greek market in terms of flag States.The RMI has seen an increase in the registration of energy and offshore tonnage, with many new supply ships and drilling units entering the

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Registry. In an effort to meet the needs of owners and operators and ensure first class technical and support services are provided, the RMI has hired liquefied natural gas (LNG) technical experts with significant knowledge of the sector and IRI has opened up two key offices related to the offshore and energy markets in Houston, Texas and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. These areas are overseen by personnel with both the experience and capacity to deal with routine matters, as well as liaise with owners and Classification Societies in new projects.

What is your opinion about the way in which the international community is handling the problem of piracy?

Combating the threat of piracy remains a challenge today. In an effort to prevent hijacking, the Administrator provides regulation, guidelines, and Ship Security Advisories to apprise owners and operators of the latest intelligence, practices, and official points of contact with respect to piracy. The RMI maintains a strict policy on the use of private contracted armed security personnel (PCASP). Although the RMI does not object to vessel owners, operators, and/or Masters taking appropriate measures in regards to the safety and security of their vessels and crew, the decision to hire an armed security detail is left to the vessel owner/operator after assessing the piracy related risks in the area where the vessel will be operating. Additionally, the potential risks and benefits of available anti-piracy related countermeasures as described in Best Management Practices for Protection against Somalia Based Piracy (BMP4) and the Interim Guidelines for Owners, Operators and Masters for Protection Against Piracy in the Gulf of Guinea Region are evaluated.

This risk assessment is required to be made in accordance with the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO’s) MSC.1/Circ.1405/Rev.2 guidelines regarding the use of PCASPs, and could include discussions with charterers, legal counsel, underwriters, labour representatives, and port officials. If so decided, a formal request must be made to the Administrator, after which a thorough vetting of the private maritime security company (PMSC) operations, PCASP personnel, weaponry inventory, the ship's current location and itinerary, compliance with port regulations, etc. is conducted before a letter of non-objection is issued.

The RMI Registry has a dedicated team of worldwide personnel that respond to ship security related inquiries and incidents (shipsecurity@register-iri.com).

Should a vessel be attacked or hijacked, the Administrator immediately coordinates with the shipowner and official authority points of contact. Aggressive long range identification and tracking (LRIT) and information sharing is commenced and maintained until the incident is over. A post-incident investigation is made and the results reported.

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FLAGS AND MANNING

Liberian Registry: Recovery is slow but it’s there The present shipping recovery may be painfully slow, but it’s happening, opines Michalis Pantazopoulos, a senior vice president and general manager of the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry’s (LISCR) Piraeus office. The main problem is that operators are squeezed between low rates and more stringent rules, which is why a registry needs to be proactive, especially with piracy an ever-present threat. “Hard times need hard work”, he says.

What are the advantages that would attract someone to the registry that you represent?

The Liberian Registry is the world’s leading open registry, with an established independent reputation for safety, quality and first-class service that really matter to responsible owners and managers.

Liberia has been confirmed as the best-performing major ship registry worldwide over the last three years in the latest statistics from the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control. The Paris MoU statistics confirm that Liberia had the best detention rate during the last three years of those registries with more than 100,000 gt of shipping under their flag. Liberia’s detention rate was 2.03 per cent, based on 82 detentions arising from 4,046 inspections.

This positions it well ahead of the Marshall Islands, which had a detention rate of 2.50 per cent based on 63 detentions of 2,521 vessels inspected. Panama was in third place, with a detention rate of 4.89 per cent, resulting from 305 detentions out of 6,238 inspections.

Liberia also received its QUALSHIP (Quality Shipping for the 21st Century) certification for 2014 from the United States Coast Guard. Only a small percentage of foreign-flag ships calling at US ports are admitted to the QUALSHIP program, based on the excellence of their port state control record and such ships are recognized and rewarded by the USCG for their commitment to safety and quality. The USCG has congratulated the Liberian Registry on its “exceptional commitment to quality”, highlighting its “excellent” detention ratio.

In difficult economic times and markets, responsible

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shipowners and operators are likely to be more discerning than ever in their choice of service providers and business partners. So once again it is time for owners to be asking themselves if their ship registers are doing enough for them, and whether they are taking a proactive approach to problem-solving rather than simply reacting to industry events, when it is often too late to take the sort of initiatives which can make the difference between success and failure.

In 2014 the market showed some serious indications that it was heading towards recovery.

Do you think this will continue in 2015? What are your organization’s plans for the near future?

We are starting to see a recovery in the market. But shipping is still going through one of the toughest periods in its recent history. Low freight rates and a slow recovery from a worldwide economic downturn have conspired to pile pressure upon owners and operators, at a time when they are required to comply with stringent regulations covering safety and the environment, and when piracy continues to pose a major threat to ships and their crews.

Recent indications, however, suggest that the shipping markets are recovering, and that confidence is returning to the sector. The shipping industry has historically shown itself to be extremely resilient, and we believe that the indications for the next twelve months are encouraging. Owners and operators will continue to need the services of a ship registry which is capable of adopting a proactive approach to the problems they face and, where possible, identifying the problems before they occur. Liberia is committed to providing those services.

The true test of a Registry providing support to the owners and operators arguably comes during the tough and challenging times. Liberia has been shown to have conclusively passed that test, and will continue to work with owners and managers to help them run their ships safely, efficiently and in full compliance with all operational and environmental regulations and legislation.

As the world fleet expands and Liberia’s market share in Greece, Germany and Japan has increased, the fleet has achieved a healthy balance which now includes a large share of bulkers and container ships.

The Registry has recently opened offices in Panama City, Rio de Janeiro, Seoul, Shanghai and Singapore. We are also experiencing strong growth in Greece, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan. We expect to see continued growth in our traditional shipping markets, and we are

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FLAGS AND MANNING

pleased with the continuous developments and growth in the Far East, generally, and Japan in particular.

What procedures do you follow for the registration of ships and how time consuming are they?

The Liberian Registry is open to any ship owner in the world. In order to enter the Liberian Registry, a vessel must be less than 20 years of age and must meet high safety standards. The owner can register a vessel in Liberia while under construction, or immediately upon delivery of the vessel by the builder, or transfer a vessel to Liberia while trading or under repair or in lay-up.

Registration can be performed while at port, yard, anchorage or at sea.

Registering a vessel with Liberia is a user-friendly process that is designed to meet the international standards in regards to safety and documentation, while not delaying operations. The documentation required for registering a vessel is available on the Liberian Registry’s website (www.liscr.com).

Registration of vessels is eligible to Liberian entities or registered business entities incorporated under other jurisdictions and registered as a Liberian Foreign Maritime Entity (FME).

What has been your experience, from your presence in the Greek shipping sector to date?

Today the Liberian fleet is comprised of 793 Greekowned vessels of more than 35 million gross tons. The Liberian flag is the flag of choice of many Greek shipowners.

There is a strong historical tie of the Liberian Registry and the Greek shipping community that started with the first Liberian flag vessel the WORLD PEACE of Stavros Niarchos that raised the Liberia flag on March 11, 1949. In the fifties, more than 50% of the Greek owned fleet was flying the Liberian flag.

Piraeus has always being a home for the Liberian flag, and is one of the Liberian Registry’s longest-established offices with dedicated staff available to provide assistance to clients whenever it is needed. The Greek shipping community appreciates the broad spectrum of quality services and support offered locally including corporate, vessel registration and mortgage, plan approvals, seafarers’ certification, inspections, technical, safety and security assistance.

Senior Vice President and General Manager of LISCR Hellas, Michalis Pantazopoulos says, “Liberia and Greece share a strong maritime tradition of successful cooperation dating back more than 65 years to the birth of the Liberian Registry. It is a source of great satisfaction to know that Greek owners still value the efficiency, safety and responsiveness of the Liberian Flag Administration. It is often said that it was the Greeks who gave birth to the Liberian Registry, and it is very gratifying to see that they have remained with us.”

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What was the impact of the economic crisis on your registry and how did you address it?

We regard ourselves as partners with our clients and we work extra hard for them during difficult times.

While it is our responsibility to ensure that regulatory standards are met, we have also developed innovative concepts to help shipowners conserve money, yet still maintain high standards. These initiatives include a progressive lay-up concept, drydock extensions, harmonized audit programs and fleet consolidation opportunities.

Liberia, notably, developed a pilot scheme to extend compulsory drydocking intervals to periods of sevenand-a-half-years to help provide the flexibility required in a difficult economic climate. The program defines the requirements which need to be fulfilled so that owners can keep their ships in lay-up with valid statutory certificates, or keep them running in order to earn money.

Such programs ease some of the pressure which has built on owners and managers, and it is the responsibility of service providers such as ship registers to alleviate by proactive initiatives wherever possible, without compromising safety or efficiency.

Owners are ordering ships again, and there is a great deal of private equity funding entering the market, in the US and elsewhere, filling the shortfall created by a reduction in traditional bank finance. Liberia has the second-highest share based on market capitalization of shipping companies listed on the US stock exchange, behind only the US. Well-informed private equity investors recognize Liberia’s pedigree in shipping, and understand that Liberia is a key player in the market. We expect that the use of private equity capital will continue to fund newbuilding and secondhand ship purchases throughout 2015 and 2016.

What is your opinion about the way in which the international community is handling the problem of piracy?

Liberia condemns piracy in all its forms, and was the original signatory of the Declaration Condemning Acts of Violence against Seafarers. Liberia is determined to help identify and implement a global solution to this growing epidemic. This includes its efforts at the IMO to help develop guidelines for seafarers, shipowners, ports and security staff and its affirmed commitment to supply to IMO all information which is provided to it following acts of piracy or armed robbery involving its ships.

Responsibility for protecting ships from the threat of piracy cannot be easily assigned. But flag states have an important role to play in this respect. Responsible ship registries such as Liberia have led the way in promoting Best Management Practice, in concluding agreements with US and EU naval forces which allow naval detachments to board vessels flying their flags, and in creating clear lines of communication with naval forces.

Owners and managers of Liberian-flag vessels who are

FLAGS AND MANNING concerned about the threat which piracy poses to the safety and security of their ships and personnel can turn to the Liberian Registry for advice on issues which concern them.

Could you give us a picture of your registry today?

The Liberian Registry is one of the world’s largest and most active shipping registers, with a long-established track record of combining the highest standards for vessels and crews with the highest standards of responsive service to owners. It has recently surpassed all-time tonnage records, with a registered fleet of approximately 4,000 ships, aggregating more than 133m gross tons, with an average age of 12 years. Liberia is the leading independent ship register of choice for Greek-controlled shipping companies, with 793 Greek-owned ships registered under the flag of Liberia.

Liberia is featured on the White List of all Port State Control Memorandums of Understanding, worldwide, and is included in the US Coast Guard’s QUALSHIP (Quality Shipping for the 21st Century) program, to which only a small percentage of foreign-flag ships calling at US ports are admitted, based on the excellence of their port state control record.

Moreover, the latest annual Shipping Industry Flag State Performance Table published by the International Chamber of Shipping and the International Shipping Federation awarded Liberia positive performance indicators in every category covered by the report - port state control, ratification of major international maritime treaties, use of compliant recognized organizations, age of fleet, reporting requirements, and attendance at IMO meetings.

Liberia has firmly established itself as the leading international ship registry for successful Maritime Labour Convention 2006 compliance. Ninety-seven per cent of qualifying Liberian-flag ships that is 3,080 oceangoing vessels had achieved successful Maritime Labour Convention 2006 compliance and certification just weeks after the convention entered into force, putting Liberia far ahead of any other international ship registry.

This past year the Liberian Registry also launched an online Maritime Labour Complaint Resolution Form for seafarers prior to the Convention’s entry into force, committed to ensuring that seafarers who serve on Liberianflag ships have decent working and living conditions, a safe and secure workplace and fair employment and encouraged them to use the ship’s onboard complaint procedures to resolve complaints at the earliest possible opportunity and in the event that a complaint is unable to be resolved on board, Liberia has provided the online Maritime Labour Complaint Resolution Form (accessible from the Registry’s website at www.liscr.com) to help seafarers resolve all genuine and valid complaints.

The Liberian Registry also recently launched a powerful state-of-the-art mobile application (app) to enable owners, managers, operators and others to communicate and interact with the Registry on a round-the-clock ba-

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sis. The FlagState App builds on Liberia’s commitment to provide innovative technology and services to its clients, who own, manage and operate more than 4,000 vessels worldwide.

From an iPhone, iPad or an android device, users can read up-to-the-minute news and developments; access a comprehensive Global Maritime Events Calendar and, with the click of a button, add events to their calendar and share upcoming events; verify the authenticity of certificates and documents for Liberian-flagged ships; search Liberia’s global network of inspectors and ISM/ISPS/MLC auditors; validate seafarer credentials; submit an MLC Complaint Resolution Form; track the daily vessel positions on an interactive world map of all Liberian-flagged ships; browse photos of Liberia’s quality fleet; and quickly access the registry’s Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn profiles. Liberia’s FlagState App is available for download in both the Google Play (http://bit.ly/NQnwgV) and Apple’s iTunes App Stores (http://bit.ly/1q0gKnS).

In terms of your sector, do you see any prospects, in relation to maritime education, of attracting as many young people as possible to the maritime profession?

The need for skilled manpower is such that traditional maritime labour supply countries can no longer meet the requirement, which is why the Liberian International Ship & Corporate Registry’s (LISCR) parent organization, the YCF Group, has established the Ethiopian Maritime Agency (EMA), a leading workforce development agency based in Germany, and the Ethiopian Maritime Training Institute (EMTI), a renowned maritime academy based in Ethiopia, Africa, which is currently training more than 1,000 marine engineers a year.

As the shipping industry searches for new long term reliable sources for highly qualified crew, EMTI has experienced remarkable growth over the past three years and is becoming increasingly well-known throughout the international shipping community.

EMTI was established to provide professional marine training to highly qualified post-graduate marine engineers and electricians. Its candidates must obtain a fiveyear university degree in Polytechnic Mechanical or Electrical Engineering and successfully complete university-level courses in English. EMTI only selects applicants who have exemplified the highest level of academic aptitude and achievement at their respective undergraduate universities. EMTI’s cadetship program meets the highest standards of marine professional training and fully complies with all international standards and regulations such as STCW and MLC, 2006.

Presently, more than 800 cadets and officers have successfully completed the maritime training program and are sailing on board vessels. Among a great variety of clients worldwide, EMTI’s officers are employed by wellestablished shipping companies such as Goldenport Shipmanagement Ltd., Tsakos Columbia Shipmanagement S.A., and W Marine Inc. in Greece, and with Peter Doehle and Hamburg Süd in Germany.

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MARITIME EDUCATION AND TRAINING

ABS Academy:

Adding value to Greece’s shipping community

By Lefteris Karaminas, Learning Centre Manager, Europe Division, ABS Academy

much our industry can learn from best practices regarding web-based training in addition to face to face sessions.

It is also important, when considering the training of ABS surveyors, that they are trained not just to a high standard, but also to be in a position where rather than just do the job and tick the box, they are able to actively add value.

This can also be expressed in terms of intangible benefits that go beyond simple application of the rules. Such benefits are easy to overlook in a compliance-led culture, but when surveyors are truly able to implement what they’ve learned, they can begin to provide a more comprehensive service.

When we consider the Academy’s relationship to its members and Lefteris Karaminas (centre) presents a certificate of appreciation to Sun Enterprises on behalf of the ABS Academy clients, we try to identify who the client really is – the man or woman in There has arguably never been a more pressing need to expand the room, the company they represent or the decision-maker the pool of competent, knowledgeable personnel in the marbehind them – and what their goals are. itime industry. A combination of the need for greater operational By working first with the business to identify what skills they efficiency and new regulations and standards are imposing everwant in terms of business impact if the training is successful, we stricter demands on both shore-based and seafaring personnel. can develop the right support to reach those goals. We can creAt the ABS Academy, we are continually striving to bridge the ate short assessments to be given several weeks after the traingap between mandatory education and the application of proing to help the students recall the material. We can provide job fessional competencies in order to meet the needs of the rapaids for employees to use in the workplace to reinforce training idly-changing industry. material. There is so much that learning organisations can do to As such, the Academy’s Athens office is home to a multi-disimprove the transfer of learning. ciplinary team of instructors, each with hands-on marine expeOf course, when the person actually comes in for training, they rience supported by detailed subject matter knowledge. And are learning for themselves how to do a task. People are genwhile the Academy exists to help the staff of ABS members and erally able to follow company procedures and their work can clients meet the requirements placed upon them in a cost efusually be defined as duties and responsibilities which are fective manner, it also goes much further, providing real added made up of a series of tasks. value to shipping and offshore owners and operators.

Tasks and competency go together so training is designed to show a student how to perform that task in a competent manBeyond box ticking ner. Achieving this is when the client benefits. If the individual For example, the Academy recently implemented a new learndoes their job competently then client will prosper; costs are ing management system that will allow us to deploy web-based kept down because mistakes are reduced. training, video-on-demand and virtual classroom (webinar) courses to our clients in the near future. Sometimes there is no Applying innovative methods substitute for being in the room, but we can see from other inBut teaching tasks and encouraging competency is not somedustries that that this is no longer the only way forward. There is thing that can be done just by showing a slide. At the ABS Acad-

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MARITIME EDUCATION AND TRAINING emy our focus is more on the instructor than the materials.

Our interactive learning model is designed to motivate clients beyond the traditional PowerPoint presentation. For example, information-sharing sessions allow clients to fully engage in discussions covering their experience onboard their own ships, making the process two-way.

Learning blocks are designed to serve the intended business outcomes with the required skills and learning modalities, giving participants the appropriate information to draw on during the process of applying what they have learned.

We also believe that preparing the participants is a key component to delivering effective training. Studies suggest that as little as 15% of non-technical information - and only 25-30% of technical information - is retained from classroom-based learning.

To maximize learning transfer (the process of putting new learning to work), ABS emphasises the need to design the entire complement of experiences a trainee needs to apply new skills on the job.

We define what should happen before, during and after training and then design and develop the steps to build a comprehensive framework for learning.

Creating this added value is not always easy, but in InstructorLed Training, a good instructor is able to identify knowledge gaps of those in the room and fill them, rather than simply deliver a lecture. Helping students to understand how to perform tasks and show the benefits of doing so competently is the hallmark of a good trainer.

This ‘blended’ approach shifts the session away from the traditional lecture-based model towards interactive sessions in which internal and external participants can examine case studies and join group workshops and simulations to build a mixture of technical, business and soft skills.

Once they have the student’s attention, a good trainer is able to put in the messages they want to convey and at the ABS Academy we spend a lot of time finding the right people to put in front of the right audience.

In Athens, Capt Titos Giannakakis is our specialist for training on management systems such the ISM and ISPS Codes, the Maritime Labour Convention, Port State Control inspection and vetting processes and TMSA standards. Leonidas Noulas trains on all matters relating to classification and statutory requirements while Antonis Bessis trains for all matters pertaining to hull inspection of drillships.

Keeping the industry compliant Seminars have previously been run on the IMO Ballast Water Management (BWM) Convention in the phase when owners and managers needed to understand the principles of compliance

ABS Academy Training - Athens

and what the regulations implied. During these seminars ABS conveyed the message around what BWM systems are available and how owners may undertake the process of implementation.

In September this year, ABS launched its BWM Systems Selection Service to assist designers, shipyards, owners and operators in selecting the solution suited to the unique needs of their vessels. As such our role has evolved from one first provided by the Academy, towards broader advice on the regulations and how to match equipment to individual requirements.

ABS also provides certification in accordance with the new requirements of the STCW Convention as regards the training, instruction and assessment provided to seafarers. These activities have to be continuously monitored under a Quality Standards System and ABS has developed a guide for this certification to assist clients in effectively implementing the respective STCW regulations by the required deadline of January 1, 2017.

In terms of the roadmap for future courses, it is clear that there will be further diversification in sources for marine fuel. Interest in the use of LNG is already increasing fast, with many enquiries to the Athens office concerning newbuildings and potential conversions and it is logical to expect that dedicated training resources will be needed here.

As a local centre for the ABS Global Gas Solutions Team, we are able to leverage company-wide knowledge to bring in trainers who have worked on LNG both as a cargo and a propulsion fuel and have detailed knowledge on issues such as fuel/cargo handling, bunkering regulations and LNG technology.

Looking even further ahead, we need to think in terms of a continuing trend towards the ‘all-electric’ ship which, while it is happening at a slower pace than adoption of LNG as fuel, is a technology that is being implemented on a step by step basis.

Both topics will require the creation of dedicated training programmes as they become ever more embedded in the commercial world of shipping.

Delivering the Spirit of ABS As the leading classification society in Greece for existing tonnage and number one for newbuilding orders committed in 2013, ABS plays a critical role supporting owners and operators.

This support has increased as local owners have diversified into new ship types and sectors and will continue as they face up to the use of new fuels, new regulations and operational challenges.

Central to the Athens ABS Academy’s ability to serve these needs is our approach to training and the team we deploy to deliver that training. The knowledge and experience of our team makes a real difference to outcomes for clients – training after all, is about people not about software.

It is through our people that we express the Spirit of ABS and this is something we see being put into practice with every training course we deliver. By putting the right person in front of our own surveyors or the staff of a shipowner, manager or charterer, they are able to share real life operational experience that contributes to problem solving. At that point the door is open to creating trust - and adding value.

ABS Academy Training - Houston

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SALVAGE & TOWAGE

Gigilinis cites “X-factor” in success Quality of service matters more than traditional ties, and is the “X-factor” in success for a salvor, says Alexandros M. Gigilinis, managing director of Thessalonikibased Gigilinis Salvage and Towage. The policy has enabled Gigilinis to stay afloat after a difficult 2013 and prohibitive security costs for piracy-afflicted regions. An Aegean emergency station would be unfeasible in terms of costs and who would set it up.

tor it is not the strong traditional ties that affect the market relationships but rather the quality of the services we offer as tug owners and operators for which we are well-known as a company and we can be very proud of since this is our “X-factor” that intensifies the bond with our clients, Greeks or not.

How much is the constant decrease in average ship age affecting the activities and finances of your company?

The decrease in average ship age does not truly affect our operations and hence finances especially in the specific sectors of harbour towage and ocean going towage. The number and type of tugs necessary for a successful towage do not depend on the tow’s age nor to the technical specifications of the tow (i.e. a vessel with a bow thruster or not), but rather on the towed/ assisted vessel’s tonnage and length.

On the other hand, salvage as an industry has been affected by the decrease in the average ship’s age with fewer casualties and accidents which can be partially attributed to the vessels’ more modern equipment and navigational systems that usually come with younger tonnage.

Recently investors appear to have been turning to LNG carriers. Is your sector becoming more “sensitive” with the addition of this type of vessel?

No, not at all, especially at the time being where the bulk of our activities is in harbour and ocean going-towage and with no LNG terminal in Thessaloniki that is our home port.

Does your relationship with the Greek ship-owning community remain close?

We are a family owned company with a tradition dating back to the 1970s and we have long established strong ties with the Greek ship-owning community, which we foster and uphold.

Many of the Greek-interest ship-owning companies, especially in the tanker market, are long standing clients of ours in the harbour towage sector, in particular, in the ports of Thessaloniki and Kavala where we operate. In addition in the international salvage and ocean-going field we maintain same close ties.

We value the quality and acuteness of the Greek shipowners and this is a constant source of inspiration for us, however, we may as well point out that in our specific sec-

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While piracy was on the decrease until early 2014, there has recently been a new spate of attacks. What is your sector’s position on this issue?

Piracy has affected our operations and we have not seen a real improvement until it first became an issue around 2009 till present, although there has been a decrease in attacks altogether in late 2013 early 2014.

It is not only the risk of a pirate attack that was needed to be taken into account but the associated extra costs for security and insurance as well, which meant that in many cases, depending on the exact circumstances, the passage from Red Sea down to Indian ocean was excluded from our business plans and trading limits altogether. And even in cases where we were willing to quote and undertake a risk, the projects were in many instances cancelled as they were not cost-effective any more.

SALVAGE & TOWAGE The piracy situation affected the revenues in our ocean going towage sector at first, but we then swiftly diverted our business in other operations and other trading areas to fill the gap of the long ocean going transits from the Med to Arabian Sea and Indian Oceans.

West Africa has become a sensitive area in this regard as well and we have encountered a different type of problem there where for example our Filipino crews would not accept to work based on guidelines of the POEA in Philippines.

Hopefully the problem will decline in the near future with the combined efforts of all countries involved and all the navigational routes worldwide restored.

Have you implemented any special training courses for your onboard personnel in order to deal with potential piracy situations?

Yes, indeed, in many instances. As we needed to employ security for the sea transit sensitive to a potential pirate attack we followed all the procedures including training courses and drills on how the crew would react in case of an emergency.

Our magazine has argued that an emergency station should be established in the Aegean, which would be able to intervene immediately in cases of accidents that could affect the marine environment of the islands and, of course, tourism. What is your opinion?

It is an interesting thought indeed and the idea is not entirely new to our business.

For example there is a European Union project, funded by the European Union, called EMSA, by virtue of which a vessel suitable for environmental protection and combat is on station in the Mediterranean Sea. Additionally, UK has a tug on permanent station in the coast of Scotland, known as ETV, and the UK government is funding the contract of hire.

Given the present financial situation in Greece I believe that a schedule of a government funded salvage and emergency response station in the Aegean is not realistic. This business venture could be, however, realised by private initiative, although it is easier said than done since fierce competitors would have to work together, without distorting the free competition regulations in the first place, and agree and implement a commercially viable venture. Discussions on such a venture in the past were unsuccessful.

If however agreement on the business aspects was secured in a mutually beneficial way for all participants, the Aegean is probably ideal for such a station, es-

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pecially the naval base in Skyros, which has been offered in the past to tug owners wishing to station their emergency response vessels there, in exchange of gratis towage assistance to the naval ships berthing at Skyros, as well as any shelter harbour in the area of Kos / Rhodes.

Could you tell us about your company’s activities in 2013?

2013 was a difficult year altogether for towage (harbour and ocean going) as well as salvage.

The financial crisis and the adverse world economic climate had a negative influence in various projects which had recourse to our ocean going towage business – we had seen a decline in the fixtures and hire rates. In the harbour towage we were severely hit in our home port due to an outrageous internal regulation by the oil installation major Hellenic Petroleum in Thessaloniki that requested implementation of additional technical specs policy which only incidentally a company would have been able to cover (i.e. age limitations, propeller limitations, fire fighting specific pre-requisites etc.) and which are not provided for in the overriding State Port Regulations.

Thankfully we were able to divert our business in other plans and 2014 was a much better year so far, busy with ocean going towages and some off shore projects – our tugs remained idle for no more than 50 days combined throughout 2014 as we have secured fixtures till the end of the year already.

What are your plans for 2014?

Our goal for 2014 was to maintain our presence in the harbour towage in the port of Thessaloniki, which we managed, to enhance the harbour and off shore operations in Kavala that boosted the branch business and the financial results of same remarkably, and to focus in ocean going which was exceptionally fruitful.

For 2015 we strive to complete our corporate massive restructuring that has been initiated in the final trimester of 2014 and to implement our business plans with focus in the port operations (with addition of extra units) and in the off shore business with new exciting ventures and joint ventures that will see the light in the dawn of 2016.

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Vernicos: Salvors are a “shipowner’s best friend” nomical and hence new types of ships were introduced. The electronic revolution introduced the automatisation, and a new generation of propulsion and navigational systems are now compulsory with evident requirement of a new generation of seafarers, which are educated and conversant with the safety and navigational practices with consequent reduction of ship personnel.

This inevitably brought a very serious reduction on the number of marine casualties as the units in question. However when casualties occur have much higher salved values than before. The technical handling of salvage operations became more complex particularly due to pollution control requirements of the neighbouring states as well as due to rules imposed such as detailed salvage plans prior to undertaking an operation.

Thanks to their task, salvors should consider themselves the “shipowner’s best friend,” according to Jean Jacques Benzonana, the managing partner of Vernicos Tugs and Salvage. While casualties are fewer thanks to younger ships and better technology, they tend to be more serious where factors such as pollution control are concerned. LNG carriers remain potentially hazardous in that regard. The idea of a permanent Aegean emergency station is a good one, and should go ahead.

Does your relationship with the Greek ship-owning community remain close?

In general the relationship with the Greek shipping community has always remained close. Professional salvor is simply a businessman committed to solve unique and challenging problems in an environment of competition just like any other service provider.

Salvors have managed to successfully repackage their image.

They should no longer be thought of as enterprising pirates, but rather a shipowner’s best friend that is happy to assist in mitigating liability, controlling risk and restoring business.

How much is the constant decrease in average ship age affecting the activities and finances of your company?

The introduction of tougher safety construction quality and safety requirements on ships made a lot of older units uneco-

24 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

Recently investors appear to have been turning to LNG carriers. Is your sector becoming more “sensitive” with the addition of this type of vessel?

As the LNG market grows rapidly, the fleet of LNG carriers continues to experience tremendous growth.

LNG carriers are required to berth and unberth with the assistance of tugs. Tugs are also required to remain in close proximity to the LNG carrier throughout their stay at the terminal, so as to provide fire fighting support and to assist the vessel in case of emergency departure requirement.

Lignified gas cargoes pose significant potential hazards. Most of them are hydrocarbons and combustibility makes them inherently hazardous. As we are involved, in some way, in LNG transportations, we take safety very seriously.

Our tugs have very high technical specification and are built essentially to render services in refineries. On the other hand our personnel on board are adequately trained and sufficiently motivated in their work. “Safety first” is the slogan in our long term history of operations.

While piracy was on the decrease until early 2014, there has recently been a new spate of attacks. What is your sector’s position on this issue?

Piracy is a very complicated issue. It is an international political problem and has to be handled in such way in order to be minimized.

In fact piracy decreased last years due to the presence of military vessels in the regions with counter piracy activities.

However, international counter-piracy military operations provide only a short-to medium term-solution. Relevant effects are merely alleviating part of the problem and they are not solving it.

The long term solution to piracy is to be found in Somalia or other countries related to piracy. The challenge is to re-establish Somalia as a state that is able to control its own territory and its own waters. This requires political and diplomatic efforts.

SPECIAL SURVEY

SALVAGE & TOWAGE

Have you implemented any special training courses for your onboard personnel in order to deal with potential piracy situations?

In our waters, where our tugs operating, we have no piracy case so far. Therefore there is no need for regular training course for our personnel on board in order to deal with potential piracy situations.

Our tugs maintain ISPS Code and crews are subject to regular training in matters concerning on board security. They also have some experience with piracy as in the past we did have passage at the horn of Africa.

But any theoretical training is not enough to deal with potential piracy situations.

The piracy has become more sophisticated in the recent years and assault techniques have evolved dramatically. Therefore, in case we make passage from a high risk piracy area, we recruit legally armed ship security teams, that are highly trained and working in compliance with IMO recommendations, they provide another level of protection above and beyond those provided by our crew.

Our magazine has argued that an emergency station should be established in the Aegean, which would be able to intervene immediately in cases of accidents that could affect the marine environment of the islands and, of course, tourism. What is your opinion?

Your support to the idea that an emergency station could be established in the Aegean, is in the correct direction and worth congratulations.

Special character of Aegean Sea makes it vulnerable in case of an oil tanker accident. The area has a particular geography. Innumerable islands and reefs are dispersed in all Aegean Sea putting obstacles to the maritime traffic. Stormy winds prevail during long periods. Furthermore, nobody can ignore the density of maritime traffic, that increases statistically the danger of maritime accidents.

In our country a marine accident has to happen so that substantial discussions commence among authorities, the media, scientists and citizens in order to address the issue of protection of the Greek sea and the islands.

The sinking of the Sea Diamond in Santorini illustrates the lack of effectiveness of a national mechanism in confronting a seriThe new acquisition of Vernicos Tugs and Salvage

26 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

ous marine accident.

If our national mechanism cannot deal with the emergency crisis of a marine accident of a cruise ship in daytime, with ideal weather conditions, with easy access to a busy port, then what will happen in case of a serious oil tanker accident, under unfavorable weather conditions in a region difficult to access.

In our opinion the cost of an emergency salvage tug stationed permanently at selected places near shipping lanes, will be recuperated in reducing the catastrophic cost involved in the aftermath of a maritime accident.

Could you tell us about your company’s activities in 2014?

Our company is continuing in 2014 the upward trend, characterized by the increase of share in the market of towage in the main ports of the country.

We continue with success the renewal as well as the signing of new agreements for exclusive towage services of ships, with major companies operating in the international transportation of oil and containers. Despite the poor demand in the salvage operations, we manage to have good records. In 18th August 2014 the salvage tug ALEXANDER 5 dispatched on LOF terms to the assistance of M/V MARINE STARS, laden with 51.000 tons Russian Milling Wheat, which had grounded south off Oinousses Island. Attempts to refloat the vessel were immediately undertaken but without success. The next days a part of cargo was transshipped and underwater repairs such as patching and welding of cracks in the bulbous bow and the forepeak were performed. After an operation of 20 days, the vessel was refloated and delivered in safe condition.

What are your plans for 2015?

Our future plans revolve around the renewal of fleet and other potential port services, even outside Greece. We insist in our commitment to invest for the present and the future, in the towage and salvage sector. We have to demonstrate that we are prepared to invest money, time, resources to provide a valuable towage and emergency response and salvage capability.

We also strive to maintain our position as the leading Company in the business of towage and salvage in Greece and the East Mediterranean.

SPECIAL SURVEY

SALVAGE & TOWAGE

Tsavliris: Over 90% of Greek shipowners are our loyal clients Tsavliris Salvage Group has witnessed a continued spate of activity following on from the 14 Lloyd’s Open Forms secured in 2013. The Group continues to hold the world record with regard to the number of LOF's signed. The current year has seen Tsavliris appointed to undertake 10 salvage cases so far. Nicolas A. Tsavliris explains the Group’s views for the market.

Does your relationship with the Greek ship-owning community remain close?

Yes indeed, our relationship with the Greek ship-owning community remains very close. Over 90% of Greek shipowners – the high quality segment- are our loyal clients.

How much is the constant decrease in average ship age affecting the activities and finances of your company?

There is virtually no effect. The casualty business remains stable. Ships of all ages unfortunately have accidents.

Recently investors appear to have been turning to LNG carriers. Is your sector becoming more “sensitive” with the addition of this type of vessel?

International salvage companies must have contingency plans for all types of ships, including LNGs,

VLGGs, mega containerships etc. Our company has sophisticated contingency plans and is able to deal with all vessel types.

While piracy was on the decrease until early 2014, there has recently been a new spate of attacks. What is your sector’s position on this issue?

This is something we are monitoring with concern.

Additional casualties (piracy related) occur and that translates into more business. Of course we have to protect our salvage tugs, equipment and personnel from the risk of piracy.

Have you implemented any special training courses for your onboard personnel in order to deal with potential piracy situations?

Yes we have – both for the protection of our own assets and personnel and for dealing with piracy related casualties. The best solution would be for measures to be taken to eradicate piracy altogether, however that is the job of governments and their military.

Our magazine has argued that an emergency station should be established in the Aegean, which would be able to intervene immediately in cases of accidents that could affect the marine environment of the islands and, of course, tourism. What is your opinion?

That is a very unrealistic proposal. Who is going to pay for it? We have sufficient commercial salvage and antipollution capacity available in Greece to deal with casualties/pollution etc. Indeed we even export our services to adjacent seas and counties.

Could you tell us about your company’s activities in 2013-2014?

Tsavliris Salvage Group has witnessed a continued spate of activity following on from the 14 Lloyd’s Open Forms secured in 2013. The Group continues to hold the world record with regard to the number of LOF's signed.

The current year has seen Tsavliris appointed to undertake 10 salvage cases so far.

The cases include: bulk carrier "CASSIOPEIA STAR" laden with 27,500MT of barite ore, an immobilization due to engine failure 1,500 nautical miles west of the Canary Islands; laden containership "HANJIN ITALY" involved in a collision off Kusu Island, Singapore Straits - Tsavliris was engaged to project manage the anti-pollution services.

MEGAS ALEXANDROS: Tsavliris’ Tug 28 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

SALVAGE & TOWAGE

SPECIAL SURVEY

Furthermore, bulk carrier "LIGARI", laden with 66,000MT of corn, involved in a collision, in Korea Straight, South of Busan; bulk carrier "CAPE ELISE" laden with 164,000 MT of coal, immobilized 200 miles west of the Irish coast; bulk carrier "RAPALLO" laden with 71,000 MT of coal, grounded east of Anholt Island, Denmark, and bulk carrier "LMZ ARIEL" laden with 50,000 tons steel slabs, suffered loss of propulsion and immobilized about 400 miles north east of Ponta de Madeira, Brazil.

Moreover Tsavliris has been KATHERINE: After collision with bulk carrier "BARU SATU", bulk carrier "KATHERINE" was taken to place of refuge Thoriko Bay (Attika), north of port Lavrio with the aid of salvage tug "MEGAS ALEXANDROS" (towing), engaged in the salvage oper- tug "ALEXANDER 5" (escorting/assisting) and "AEGIS I" (escorting) ation of container vessel "YUSUF CEPNIOGLU", laden with containers, grounded islet, northeast of Corfu island. on the north western coast of Mykonos Island, Greece, RORO Cargo Ship "SALOOS, laden with containers, What are your plans for 2015? which capsized off Cabinda, Angola, and bulk carrier To maintain our leading market position. We are the "TEKTONEOS", fully laden with 39,000MT sulphur in number one salvage company worldwide in the Lloyd’s bulk, following engine room fire, about 150 nautical Open Form casualty market. At the same time, we miles South West of Pylos, Greece, Passenger/Ro-Ro plan to keep up the standard of our work and to imvessel "EUROPALINK" allided with rocks at Peristeria prove continuously the quality of our services.

YUSUF CEPNIOGLU

SPECIAL SURVEY

SALVAGE & TOWAGE

Andreas Va stas: “Broad partnerships are the future” In the shipping industry for more than 25 years, Andreas Vatistas, president of the Tugowners Union, and director of UNITUG, believes in broad partnerships to offer customers the modern services that this new era requires.

Mr. Vatistas thinks that it is more than obvious that ship standards have been upgraded but the human factor and instantaneous error remain critical parameters.

We met him at his office, in Ikonion, where we had the following conversation: Does your relationship with the Greek ship-owning community remain close?

I have been working in shipping industry for more than 25 years and I can assure you from the post of the President of the Tugowners Union that our relationship with the Greek Shipowners, as well as with all shipowners around the globe, remains steady and close because our sector’s services are absolutely tied with the ship and her support.

How much is the constant decrease in average ship age affecting the activities and finances of your company?

I wouldn’t say that this fact has negative impacts. In any case the decrease in average ship age is accompanied with an average increase of ships’ size, meaning that these ships continue to need our services in order to sail in and out of the Greek ports.

As far as the subject of marine accidents is concerned, it is more than obvious that ships’ standards have been upgraded but the human factor and the instantaneous error remain the critical parameters.

Recently investors appear to have been turning to LNG carriers. Is your sector becoming more “sensitive” with the addition of this type of vessel?

It was an evolution we expected to happen. It has to do mainly with the need for technical improvement of the quality of the terminal’s facilities in order to serve this type of vessels. When referring to our sector, the use of LNG ships is rather positive as it means an increasing need for better services.

While piracy was on the decrease until early 2014, there has recently been a new spate of attacks. What is your sector’s position on this issue?

Have you implemented any special training courses for your onboard personnel in order to deal with potential piracy situations?

The issue of modern piracy has seriously concerned the international maritime industry, as well as our sector too. It is clear that the treatment depends mainly on the determination of the international community and the will of the financially power30 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

ful countries to take the appropriate measures in order to prevent and suppress the phenomenon. I appreciate that piracy is linked to several parameters, such as measures to enhance transparency concerning the handling of weapons and ammunition, as well as measures against money laundering from illicit sources of all kinds and much more. Regarding the services provided by the tugs and salvage ships, whenever it is required our vessels to sail in the areas of the dangerous zone, they are adequately insured and we cooperate with specialized companies able to provide us with properly trained armed guards.

Our magazine has argued that an emergency station should be established in the Aegean, which would be able to intervene immediately in cases of accidents that could affect the marine environment of the islands and, of course, tourism. What is your opinion?

I don’t believe that such a station could be as effective as you claim. But I would say that the Regional Antipollution Centers which the Greek State has legislated and established through the National Plan, should be reorganized in order to form local units capable of addressing such events like the ones you refer to, instead of being abandoned to their fate, with hardly any staff and with incomplete or outdated means.

I would even move the debate one step further and point out that this subject raises an urgent need since in the near future the process of drilling for hydrocarbon extraction in Greek marine areas is expected to start. In the context of prevention and within the sense of the relevant EU Directive, Ι suggest that the companies who will undertake the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons should contribute to the organizing and functioning of the nearest coastal stations for emergency response.

Could you tell us about your company’s activities in 2013?

According to me the year 2013 was a good one, not only because we undertook and completed successfully several cases of serious maritime accidents, but mainly because we decided the creation of the new consortium, UNITUG, which brings us one step forward concerning our plans to strengthen our position in the market and to upgrade the services we offer to our clients.

In a time of crisis it is important to look ahead and create the conditions for a prosperous tomorrow. This is the path we have decided to follow.

What are your plans for 2014?

We will continue this policy focusing in two main goals: a) To open wide our partnerships and b) To offer to our customers the modern services that our era requires. I will not comment any more at this point. I'd rather talk about these when our plans become reality.

FORUM

Size ma ers: it gives ďŹ nancial op ons, economies of scale and market credibility

On 15th October 2014 at the Athens Ledra Hotel Marine Money Greece hosted the 16th annual Marine Money Greek Ship Finance Forum with over 370 delegates in attendance. This is 80 more than last year and the second best attendance ever. We did not hear exciting news about the shipping market sectors, we heard that new private equity investment in shipping has largely come to an end and with the equity markets in turmoil this past month, there is not much optimism there either currently. So why the huge interest in the conference?

The world economy seems to be on a fix thanks to the US. China may be seeing decelerating growth and Europe is still struggling to keep its head above water, but the US growth in the next year or 2 is expected to be excess 3.5%. This puts more spending power into the pockets of US consumers and ultimately this is good for the world economy. Even the Chinese story is seen to be sustainable at about 7% growth and Europe will

32 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

benefit from a weakening Euro such that exports will be cheaper and thus grow.

When discussing how industry experts pitch product and timing the private investment representative said that differentiation means controlling costs, generating above market revenues and timing the entry point.

But beyond timing there has to be additional value and for private equity that might involve buying distressed debt (which enables the acquisition of large fleets in one transaction), investing in cost effective newbuilds, creating a joint venture with a seasoned owner or offering mezzanine debt. Generally PE sees shipping as a simple, straightforward industry compared to many other investments they make. The investment banker says a difference today is the plethora of financial tools available to shipping companies between pure debt and pure equity. The investment banker today must guide the owner in choosing the best available product at the best time. A technical

FORUM

expert stressed that the differentiating factor in shipping today is energy efficiency. This is because of the high cost of fuel and owners must consider carefully the options available to make their engines and ships – newbuilds and existing – as fuel efficient as possible.

Finally a shipowner made the point that shipping is in fact not an easy industry and on the contrary an owner must take into account all that has already been said by the previous speakers plus many, many more issues. To name but a few supply/demand, geopolitical issues, new trade routes, new technological regulations, operational matters involving crew, insurance, environmental policies and so on. Shipping is characterized by volatility, unpredictability and risks.

The shipowner panel drew huge interest with delegates standing down the side of the room. Greece is a small country with no meaningful exports or imports that assist shipping. This is seen as an advantage because Greeks from the start had to seek international business and make global partnerships. Also Greek owners are good at adapting to market changes and learning what is best for the business. This can be seen on countless occasions where owners have diversified into new sectors, have taken decisions to adopt technological initiatives, have built solid relationships with business partners.

Indeed the panel agreed that strong and trustful relationships is the key to a successful shipping business. Size is important for a shipping company, particularly listed shipping companies. It gives liquidity to your stock, access to diverse financial options and ultimately better shareholder value. When asked about whether their private equity partners are getting restless with the lack luster market, the owners answered that PE investors are skilled businessmen and they will take all

the same factors into account as a shipowner does when buying or selling assets. There may come a time when a rational decision may be taken to divest, but it will be fuelled by market fundamentals and financial acumen, not by panic.

The banking panel agreed that liquidity is back in the market but still as a rule only the bigger, stronger companies get finance. The preference is a holding structure, modern ships, experienced owner and employment. Cross selling remains an important aspect of creating a relationship and the overall client return to the bank is a calculation made by all banks.

When asked from the floor whether the banks had

FORUM

lent to new clients over the past year as opposed to existing clients, all the bankers claimed they had and one banker from the floor said they have established 10 new banking relationships over the past year. The equity panel stated that not much fresh private equity is entering the industry and that many such investments from the past two years have proven to be disappointing. Today there may be better value in investing in depressed shipping stocks rather than ships. However, if vessel values fall further we may see some fresh money coming in. The point was made that PE is good at buying but extremely good at selling and that is why we are not currently seeing sales. The public equity markets are currently going through a torrid time and it goes to show that companies looking to raise equity must be ready at all times and take opportunities of any windows that open.

The second shipowner panel closed the day. It was stated that shipping markets are bad 80% of the time, as at present, and running a shipping operation is a struggle. The 20% good times are however highly profitable and enable the industry to be sustained and also enable the shipowner psyche to remain positive in anticipation.

34 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

That said it is not expected that the next 12 – 24 months will be very exciting, but in a common theme with earlier presentations it was mentioned that shipping is anything but predictable. Regarding private equity it was stated that it is essential to set the rules on day 1. It may well be the kind of document, common in shipping, which takes a long time to negotiate and agree, but more often than not when this hard work is done the two parties know exactly where they stand and the document can be locked in a drawer and never again consulted. Another point regarding PE is that they are smart and sophisticated and they understand the mathematics of shipping. Operations is another matter and that is where the owner comes in.

This conference was very well attended and there were many shipowners on the agenda. We heard the news and views straight from the horse’s mouth. There was a buzz during the coffee breaks and the lunch.

People were happy and enthusiastic. It just goes to show that it is not only the market that determines the spirit of Greek shipowners and all those involved in the shipping industry.

The 17th annual Marine Money Greek Forum, will take place in Athens next year on 14th October.

INTERTANKO

INTERTANKO: Nikolas Tsakos is the new Chairman INTERTANKO’s Council of Members met early in November in Dubai and elected Nikolas Tsakos as Chairman of the Association. Tsakos has been a member of Council since 2002 and Vice Chairman since 2012. He succeeds Graham Westgarth who stepped down after five years in post.

“The last five years of leading the independent tanker owners have been both rewarding and challenging,” said Westgarth. “The industry has been through one of the worst recessions in recent history, while at the same time we have had to deal with the scourge of piracy and a plethora of new legislation. This meant that INTERTANKO had to remain focused on our mission of providing support to our members, being a respected voice in the legislative environment and raising awareness of the importance of shipping to the global economy, while at the same time increasing our emphasis on the commercial sustainability of the industry.”

“I believe that INTERTANKO has continued to exhibit real leadership in all these areas and is well-placed to deal with the challenges of the future,” continued Westgarth. “The selection by Council of Nikolas Tsakos as the next Chairman is an inspired one and I am cer-

tain he will continue to lead the organisation for the benefit of INTERTANKO Members and of the tanker industry.”

Nikolas Tsakos, President and Chief Executive of Tsakos Energy Navigation, is ready and willing to continue the work started by Westgarth in shifting the focus of INTERTANKO more towards commercial sustainability while retaining its emphasis on technical and operational issues.

“Graham has been a charismatic leader during the tanker industry’s unprecedented downturn,” said Tsakos. “I am honoured to take over from him at a time when INTERTANKO’s role in today’s challenging environment is more prominent than ever. Operational excellence and environmental protection together with commercial sustainability will continue to be the Association’s main goals.”

“I look forward to leading INTERTANKO as it continues to advance the interests of the independent tanker owners. We can make a difference in the technical, operational, regulatory and commercial arenas in which we work; we can make a day-to-day difference for our Members; and we can make a difference for our industry.”

Quality control of bunkers IMO takes a step in the right direc on The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has agreed to consider introducing measures to improve controls of bunkers delivered to ships. After six submissions to the IMO over 4 years, to which INTERTANKO made a major contribution, persistence with another submission has resulted in progress to assure the quality of fuel delivered to ships.

A correspondence group will develop guidelines for states to ensure fuel quality compliance with MARPOL Annex VI. It will also consider the adequacy of the current legal framework for assuring the quality of fuel.

INTERTANKO’s Managing Director Katharina Stanzel says: “We welcome this decision. However this is only the beginning as we believe that control of compliance should be transparent along the entire supply chain. Our members and all ship owners should be able to have confidence, and documented proof, that fuels they receive are at or above the mandated standards.”

In order to control whether bunkers delivered and used by ships are compliant, most parties to MARPOL Annex VI control fuels used by ships (i.e. sampling fuel in the engine room). INTERTANKO has been arguing that there should be given first clear evidence of the quality of fuel supplied to the ship is compliant.

From 1 January 2015 tighter SOx emissions limits (<0.1%) will 36 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

mean increased control on ships arriving in port. “Port authorities such as the EU Member States will have a real challenge in demonstrating non-compliance by testing fuels used by ships,” says INTERTANKO’s Technical Director Dragos Rauta, “when ships may hold test results demonstrating that the fuel delivered to them was not compliant.”

In order to protect their ships, INTERTANKO has advised its members to issue a Note of Protest to the Flag Administration, bunkering Port Authority and to Port State Control at the next port whenever bunker suppliers do not use IMO Guidelines to take the MARPOL sample and that sampling is not witnessed by the crew.

The latest submission, co-sponsored by INTERTANKO, Marshall Islands, Liberia and other industry representatives, found widespread recognition and support for amendments to the current rules to increase the control on fuels delivered to ships, arguing that there is ample evidence that the current regime is falling short.

However arguments that regulatory changes aimed at improving control with bunker suppliers would be too burdensome for many countries and would fundamentally change the supplier/customer relationship led to a successful US proposal to develop non-mandatory guidelines to ensure that bunker suppliers provide fuels that comply with the quality requirements in MARPOL Annex VI.

ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Protec on of the Mediterranean and Interna onal Law

by Prof. Dr. Nicholas M. Poulantzas Professor Emeritus of the International Law of the Sea and of Maritime Law of the University of Piraeus [Greece].

Hon. Barrister at the Supreme Court of Greece.

Formerly Director of the Canadian Institute for International Order [C.I.I.O.] in Ottawa

1. Introduction The Mediterranean is a large and almost land-locked arm of the Atlantic Ocean between southern Europe, western Asia and northern Africa. It is as well a vast expanse of water of 2.5 million square kilometers, with a coastline of 46.000 km. long, extending to 4.000 km. from east to west and to 700 km. maximum from north to south. The biodiversity and the marine and coastal ecosystems of this area are unique; they house eight per cent of known marine species in only 8% of the global sea surface1.

At the same time, the Mediterranean hosts today more than two hundred active off-shore platforms with more to come, because of the discovery, in recent years, of large fossil fuel reserves in its southeastern areas2 The greatest, however, dangers for the environment of the Mediterranean continue to be the marine pollution from land-based sources3 as well as any major oil pollution from any undesirable accident of an oil tanker.

Besides, in fairly recent years the Mediterranean has been used by various organizations, for allegedly unlawfully dumping

into it various dangerous materials4.

Finally, another, beneficial however, danger for the Mediterranean is tourism and the growing number of tourists, including cruisers and other pleasure boats that visit this area. This number has exploded in recent years5. Besides, the number of people fleeing their countries from terror and war stricken Middle East and North African states, or from famine and disease threatened areas of West Africa, who try to illegally emigrate to southern European states of the Mediterranean, has grown by leaps and bounds6.

2. Hydrolysis of Dangerous Chemicals in the Mediterranean Quite recently, the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, with the assistance of NATO, after having destroyed the chemical weapons arsenal of Syria [the use of chemical weapons has been banned by general consensus]7, they undertook to neutralize 700 tons of chemicals found in Syria, among which were the very toxic sarin and mustard gases. The method they proposed to this effect was “Hydroly-

1. Pascal Gauchon, Jean-Marc Huissoud, La géopolitique, 4th ed. Paris, 2008, pp. 40-41; Pascal Gauchon [coordinator], Manuel de géopolitique et de geoeconomie, Paris, 2008, pp. 508, 513, 517, 555 2. See European Commission, Mediterranean Offshore Activities: Enhancing Their Environmental Safety, European Environmental Commission: COM [2010] 560 final, 12.10.2010 [2011688 final, 27.10.2011 3. See, Nicholas M. Poulantzas, The Law of the Sea, 2nd ed. 2007 [in Greek], pp. 101-107; idem, “Maritime Land-Based Pollution in International law: Some Recent Developments” Shipping International Monthly Review, December 1989, pp. 21-24, 44 4. See also N.M. Poulantzas, “The New International Law of the Sea and the Legal Status of The Aegean Sea”, Revue Hellénique de Droit International, Athens, 1991, pp. 251-272 5. See N.M. Poulantzas, The Law of the Sea, op.cit. At p. 102. See also in this connection, the grounding of the Express Samina, in September 2000, off the Greek island Paros, when eighty passengers lost their lives, which also resulted in some pollution of the area. See further the grounding on April 6, 2007, of the cruiser See Diamond, in the caldera of the Greek island Santorini, which also resulted in some pollution of the waters of this tourist island. See also the grounding of the cruiser Costa Concordia off the Italian island Isola de Giglio, on January 13, 2012, which also resulted some pollution and the drowning of 35 passengers, etc 6. See also N.M. Poulantzas, “Search and Rescue Operations in International law: Some Recent Developments”, Shipping International Monthly Review, June 2014, pp. 40-41 7. See :”The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production and Stockpiling of Bacteriological {biological] and Toxin Weapons and on Their destruction”, opened for signature on April 10, 1972, at London, Moscow and Washington; see also “The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction”, signed on January 13, 1993, at Paris [not yet in force]. See, however, The Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environment Modification Techniques”, adopted by U.N.G.A. [Res. 31/72, Dec. 10, 1976 [xxxi], Supp. No.39, A/31/39. at 37-38 [opened for signature May 18, 1977, entered into force in 1978].

NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 37

ENVIRONMENT sis”, a chemical reaction in which one of the reactants is water.

Consequently, they contacted several European states, which refused to accept these chemicals. The last state was Albania, which, following the reaction of its people to this process also refused. Then, a covert operation under great secrecy, started on July 11, 2014, in the Mediterranean. It was expected to last until the end of September 20148.

The Cape Ray, a special vessel of the U.S. Navy was used to this effect; it was accompanied by warships of the U.S. Navy and of other NATO states. The hydrolysis operation started secretly and without any communications, for not being located, somewhere in the Mediterranean and allegedly at the junction of the Exclusive Economic Zones [EEZ] of Greece, Italy and Libya. It should be noted here that hydrolysis on a boat of dangerous chemicals was tried for the first time, and is highly hazardous.

Despite several demonstrations against the “hydrolysis” operation by people of Crete island, accompanied by several Italians of Sicily island, the operation of “Hydrolysis” went on unheeded9.

Then suddenly, it was announced that the “hydrolysis” operation with The Cape Ray was completed on August 19, 201410.

3. The Barcelona Convention [1976 and 1995] a. “The Barcelona Convention for Protection against Pollution in the Mediterranean Sea” was signed by fourteen states and the European Union in 1976. It entered into force on February 12, 197811.

The key goal of the Convention is to “reduce pollution in the Mediterranean Sea and protect and improve the marine environment in the area, thereby contributing to its sustainable development”12.

The Barcelona Convention was revised is 1995 and all parties signed it again. However, the amendments to the Convention, entered in 1995, have yet to be ratified by all members. Members of the Convention are all states with a Mediterranean coastline, as well as the European Union13. The Barcelona Convention and its Protocols, as well as the Mediterranean Action Plan, form a part of UNEP's Regional Seas Program14.

Under the Barcelona Convention seven Protocols were elaborated addressing specific aspects of Mediterranean environmental protection and conservation15.

1. The Dumping Protocol [from ships and aircraft].

2. The Prevention and Emergency Protocol [pollution from ships and emergency situations].

3. Land-based Sources and Activities Protocol.

4. Specially Protected Areas and Biological Diversity Protocol.

5. Offshore Protocol [pollution from exploration and exploitation].

6. Hazardous Wastes Protocol.

7. Protocol on Integrated Coastal Zone Management [ICZM]. b. The accident of the BP Oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010, when a large and long-lasting catastrophe occurred in the environment and in the biological and the biodiversity of that area, apparently alarmed the E.U. Commission to a similar situation occurring in the Mediterranean. Owing to the semi-enclosed nature, special hydrodynamics and seismic zones in this area, a similar accident in the Mediterranean, because of increasing activity, would have immediate and transboundary consequences16.

Therefore, the E.U. Commission focused her attention on the Offshore Protocol of the Barcelona Convention dealing with pollution from exploration and exploitation activities17.

It should be mentioned that the “Offshore Protocol” covers a wide range of exploration and exploitation activities and touches upon permit requirements, the removal of abandoned or disused installations, the removal of harmful substances, and provisions on safety, contingency planning and monitoring.

On October 25, 2011, the E.U. Commission adopted a proposal for the European Union to accede to the Protocol of the Barcelona Convention, which protects the Mediterranean against pollution from offshore exploration and exploitation activities. Also, a Conference of the parties of the Barcelona Convention met in Paris between the 8th and the 10th February, 2012, while flyers on marine litter and offshore activities in the Mediterranean were published on February 10, 2012. Besides, a new “Science for the Environment Future, Brief on Offshore Exploration and Exploitation in the Mediterranean” was published on April 4, 2012.

Finally, on December 17, 2012, the E.U. Commission approved the accession of the European Union to the “Offshore Protocol”; it also underlined the E.U. commitment to reduce environmental impacts of offshore activities in the Mediterranean through efficient regional cooperation for safety reasons. The legal consequence of this Council Act is that the Offshore Protocol now becomes part of EU legislation. c. One is really astound by this hurried activity of the EU Commission and the Council to push the “Offshore Protocol” and all the activities of exploration and exploitation provided in it under EU legislation.

As the only members of the European Union, which have already started, or are planning to start within short time exploration and exploitation activities for oil and gas in the Mediterranean, are Cyprus and Greece, one is inclined to look sceptically to all these efforts by the EU Commission and the Council for the Environmental Protection of the Mediterranean Sea. After all, world renown and with an excellent record companies like NOBLE, ENI. etc. have undertaken the exploration and exploitation of gas and oil reserves in blocs 12 and 9 of the E.E.Z. of Cyprus, and the same companies will probably be used in the exploration and exploitation of oil and gas reserves in Greece.

However, during the recent crisis in the relations between Greece, Cyprus and Turkey, when the last state reserved a part of the E.E.Z. of Cyprus, where already exploitation for gas and oil was taking place, and sent the oil exploration vessel “Barbaros” with naval units in this area, the reaction of the EU leaders during their recent two-day summit in Brussels, was tepid18.

All these actions by Turkey are not warranted in international law. It is submitted that the Government of Cyprus should urgently file in the Registry of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea [ITLOS] an Application instituting proceedings against Turkey19. In addition, pending proceedings, provisional measures should be asked by the Court against Turkey not to proceed to any further actions in this area19. d. The EU Commission should equally push for the implemen-

8. See TO VIMA, June 8, 2014 [in Greek].

9. See Greek newspapers of July 20-21 and 26-27, 2014 10. See Kathimerini, August 20, 2014 [in Greek] 11. See International Legal Materials 290 [1976] 12. See also N.M. Poulantzas, “Sustainable Development and Legal Consequences for the Mediterranean” [in Greek], Greece and International Transport, March 1996, pp. 42-43 13. See also Wikipedia [Barcelona Convention] 14. Ibid 15. See European Commission [2010] 560 final. 12.10.2010, COM [2011] 688 final, 27,10,2011, 2008/56EC, 17.06.2008 16. See E.C. Mediterranean Offshore Activities: Enhancing Their Environmental Safety, supra. Note 2. Comp. Also the blow-out in April 1977, of an oil well in the Ecofisk field in the Norwegian sector of the North Sea, as well as the blow-out, which occurred in 1979, in IxtocI, on the Mexican continental shelf off the Yucatan Peninsula.

17. See also the great number of EU policy documents, including the proposal for a regulation for safety of oil and gas offshore activities, now under discussion in the EU institutions.

18. See International New York Times, October 27, 2014 19. See also for the dispute between Bangladesh and Myanmar in the Bay of Bengal, decided by the ITLOS on March 14, 2012, N.M. Poulantzas, “The Status of Islands in the International Law of the Sea: The Megisti Island”, Revue hellénique de droit international, 2/2012, at pp. 370-371 38 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

ENVIRONMENT tation and the protection of the Mediterranean under EU legislation of the “Hazardous Wastes Protocol” of the Barcelona Convention. Several cases of pollution of the Mediterranean Sea due to trans-boundary movements of dangerous wastes have already been reported and documented.

The “Dumping Protocol” from ships and aircrafts and the “Prevention and Emergency Protocol” [pollution from ships and emergency situations], as well as the “Protocol on Land-based Sources and Activities” are those that need urgently to be reinforced and implemented by EU legislation. So far, the EU Council has only adopted the decision on September 13, 2010, to ratify the “Protocol to the Barcelona Convention dealing with integrated Coastal Zone Management” [ICZM]20.

4. De-Pollution of the Mediterranean21 The Horizon 2020 initiative, a project funded by the European Union and the European Investment Bank, was launched in 2006, at the tenth anniversary of the Euro-Mediterranean Process”, when partner country governments, which were present, promised to join their efforts to reduce the pollution of the Mediterranean by the year 2020; their promise extended to the provision of adequate financial and technical resources.

The Horizon 2020 initiative is composed of four sections: i. Pollution reduction actions, which include the development and implementation of priority investment projects, which aim at identifying the most significant sources of pollution. ii. The development of legal and institutional structures, which are required to achieve sustainable environmental protection. iii. Research initiatives aiming at creating and sharing scientific knowledge to support the “Horizon 2020” objectives. iv. Monitoring activities in order to develop and use indicators and information sharing systems, easily accessible to the Mediterranean partners, allowing the recording and monitoring of the progress made in achieving the de-pollution targets.

Under the “Horizon 2020” initiative, the “Mediterranean Hot Spot Investment Programme-Project Preparation and Implementation Facility”22 was launched in March 200923. The Program aims at identifying and preparing high-priority sustainable investment projects, which will contribute to de-pollution of the Mediterranean and will have a demonstrative effect on target sectors.

The European Investment Bank [EIB], in cooperation with UNEP-MAP, identified several “priority hotspot investment projects” across the southern Mediterranean Sea24. The “Mediterranean Hot Spot Investment Programme” has already been completed.

The 7th Progress Report of MeHSIP-PPIF [Phase ΙΙ] is now available25. It presents the four investment projects supported

by MeHSIP-PPIF in Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Tunisia. Three of these projects, namely 1] Al Ghadir in Lebanon, 2] Lake Bizerte

in Tunisia and 3] Kafr ElSheikh in Egypt, “have made significant progress to secure a financing in order to move towards the implementation phase”26.

A Validation Report also contains an analysis, which can provide information for “an assessment of the realistic time needed to develop a project from feasibility study through to commissioning and operation”27. The MeHSIP-PPIF is also responsible for updating the Horizon 2020 Pipeline. This last project, however, which contains 35 investment projects with an estimated value of 2,53 bn, has yet to secure funding28.

Nevertheless, the “Mediterranean Hot Spot Investment Programme”, which up to now contains projects dealing with landbased pollution of the Mediterranean, advances slowly enough.

Moreover, all these expensive projects, which have been finalized, could only be implemented if the appropriate funds would be approved and apportioned.

5. Concluding Remarks The environment protection of the Mediterranean Sea is a complex problem. Owing to the geographical configuration of this area, the multicultural element of its component, the geopolitical, geoeconomical, and geostrategic conditions prevailing in the Mediterranean, which also bears indelible marks of so many centuries of wars, violence, piracy, etc. People of the Mediterranean and extraneous have treated this sea with rather contempt and indifference.

However, the Mediterranean, and especially its eastern, north and south parts, have been the birthplace of western civilization and it still needs our respect and worship.

It has been a mistake that in recent years so much emphasis has been given only to material and economic means for saving the environment of this area.

It is high time to turn to the environmental protection of the Mediterranean on the basis of the human rights protection of its inhabitants. Beginning with customary law, and progressing to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights29 and to the Stockholm Declaration, it now becomes evident that sufficient legal precedent exists now for states in this area to cooperate in order to reach common solutions. Moreover, the U.N. World Charter for Nature30 could serve as a model for this type of an informal agreement.

Already, a third generation of human rights, like the “solidarity rights” is emerging and simultaneously expanding, which also include the protection of the environment31. A voluntary participation of people around the Mediterranean for the protection of their sea should be further publicized and promoted.

A good example in this direction is HELMEPA's Marine Environmental Awareness [MEA] initiative32

20. See Tackling the Threat of Marine Litter, European Union, 2012 [http://ec.europe.eu/environment/water/marine/directive en.htm] 21. See Brochure Horizon 2020, Investment Component 22. See Mediterranean Hot Spot Investment Programme-Project Preparation and Implementation Facility, [MeHSIP-PPIF]. [info.mehsip-ppif.eu]. The Mediterranean partner countries are: Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Syria and Tunisia 23. This is an NGO, financed, under the FEMIP support Fund, which utilizes non-repayable aid granted by the European Commission in support of activities in the southern Mediterranean countries and assisting promoters during different aspects of the project cycle. It is also financed by the European Investment Bank. The NGO is composed of a consortium made up of WS Atkins international Ltd., LDK Consultants and Pescares Italia Srl 24. Currently, the Horizon 2020 initiative List consists of 78 de-pollution investment projects amounting to 5,35 billion euros. The three main target sectors, which account for 80% of the pollution of the Mediterranean Sea, are: Wastewater [69,1%], Solid Waste [9,8%], Industrial emissions [18,5%], and Integrated [2,6%] 25 See Horizon 2020, Investment Component/MeHSIP-PPIF, PHASE II, 7th Progress Report of MeHSIP-PPIF, January-June 2013, TA2008/s 140-186933 [RG/2008/01/FSF, September 2013, MeHSIP-PPIF, Mediterranean Hot Spot Investment Programme, Project Preparation and Implementation Facility, European Investment Bank, A TA operation, funded by the European Union-FEMIP Support Fund, pp. 48 26. See Latest News, Febr. 2014, 7th progress report of MeHSIP-PPIF [PHASE II] 27. See Validation Report, February 2014 28. See Executive Summary, MeHSIP-PPIF-Progress Report [Jan-Jun. 2013] pp.5-7 29. Under this international instrument, the right to life is protected in its Preamble and in its Article 3. See also Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, Article 2 of the European Convention of Human Rights and Article 4 of the American Convention 30. The U.N, World Charter for nature was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on October 29, 1982, by a favourable vote of 111 states to a single dissent by the United States. This “soft law” is evolving into binding customary international norms. See also Lang, “Environmental Protection”, Journal of World Trade Law, 1986, at p. 489 31. See Hasan, “Solitaridy Rights: Progressive Evolution of International Human Rights Law”, N.Y.L/Sch.Hum.Rts.Ann, 1983, p. 51. See also N.M. Poulantzas, “International Protection of Human Rights”, Revue hellénique de droit international, 1972 32. See News, Hellenic Marine Environmental Protection Association, (HELMEPA), Oct./Nov./Dec./2011, etc.

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REPORTAGE

Greeks take the lead in orders in China It’s not difficult to see why we have been in the hearts of the Chinese in recent years!

Anyone who thinks that the inhabitants of that vast country love us only as their trade gateway to Europe (see Cosco), is mistaken.

Greeks, today, constitute the Chinese shipyards’ biggest client. One need only consider that approximately 100 Greek ships are repaired yearly at Chinese shipyards and that ten percent of Greek merchant vessels over 100 tonnes have been built there.

With only limited experience in shipbuilding (their neighbours, the Japanese and Koreans are far ahead of them in this sector), and following a flexible policy, while accepting the presence of technical consultants from the companies involved (who in effect functioned as trainers), the Chinese have already started to gain ground in the field.

Today around 50 Greek businesses are active in China, while the total of Greek production investment in the country, from August 1978 until 2012, was comprised of 114 investment plans with implemented investments of about 92.99 million dollars.

These are small amounts if one considers the population of China, or the extent of Cosco’s investments in Piraeus!

At present Greece is in 54th position in terms of exports from China, with exports to Greece coming to 3,949,368,486 dollars, and in 92nd position in terms of China’s imports from other countries, with total imports for 2013 at 433,266,752 dollars.

As statistics from the General Administration of Customs of the People’s Republic of China show, Greek exports in 2013 increased to 434,140,000 dollars, record-

ing a percentage increase of 1.35 percent over the previous year. Chinese exports to Greece fell further, to 3.216 billion dollars (less 10.5 percent).

ELSTAT figures for 2014 show an increase in Greek exports of ten percent (419.7 million euro) and a decrease in imports of four percent (2.19 billion euro).

Due to the increase in Greek exports and the decrease in Greek imports over recent years, Greek exports are now equivalent to about one fifth of Chinese exports to Greece, as per data from ELSTAT. The basic Greek products that travelled to China in 2013 were marble (dolomite and travertine), cotton, metals (aluminium products and scrap metals), petroleum products, leather and fur, chemicals and plastics (medications, waste plastics and dyes), electrical goods (mainly small electric ovens), pulp and paper (mainly paper and cardboard for recycling), and food and beverages (mainly olive oil, pasta products and wine).

However, the basic Chinese product in 2013 in Greece was... ships: passenger ships, cruise ships, ro-ro ferries, cargo ships and tankers! The “small stuff” was diodes, transistor semiconductors etc., computers (data processing machines, etc.), mobile phone products, aluminium sheets and strips, toys, air conditioners, marine loading winches, cranes and overhead cranes etc., footwear, and travel goods.

In China over the last 10 years, more than 400 Greekinterest ships have been built, while around 300 new orders are pending.

As figures from the Union of Greek Shipowners indicate, in September 2013, and while shipbuilding programmes had been reduced worldwide due to oversupply of capacity, Chinese shipyards had a total of 188 orders for the construction of Greek-interest vessels. This demonstrates China’s vested interest in maintaining its relationship with the Greek shipping sector. The existing five billion dollar financing agreement from Chinese banks for the building of Greek interest-ships in Chinese shipyards is, therefore, expected to strengthen the mutually beneficial ties between the two countries in the fields of shipbuilding and maritime freight.

The interests are mutual then, but if each Chinese person bought a pin from Greece, we would pay off the troika!

D.K

42 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

REPORTAGE

The Russians are here!

Mil adis Varvitsio s meets Maksim Sokolov

The Russians are here and they are interested in OLTH and TRAINOSE! This is the conclusion that emerged from discussions on “matters of mutual interest relating to investments and cooperation in shipping issues” at the recent meeting in Piraeus between Minister for Shipping and Aegean Miltiadis Varvitsiotis and Russian Minister of Transport Maksim Sokolov.

“On behalf of the Greek government, I am giving you a clear message today. That we are interested in a Russian presence in our country. We are interested in Russian investments in Greece, as the benefits that can arise for both countries will be many”, said the maritime minister in his farewell to the Russian official, thus also signalling the matters that had been discussed in an office with a view of the Lion of Piraeus.

The ministers of course spoke of “the historical ties between Greece and Russia” and confirmed the close cooperation that has been developed in recent years between the two countries in the shipping sector, while Mr Varvitsiotis reiterated his longterm conviction that regulations in the sector should be applied globally rather than regionally.

“This is exactly the philosophy I tried to convey to the European Union during the six-month Greek Presidency. I pointed out at all times, that the adoption of regional measures which do not conform with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will be detrimental to European shipping itself and will reduce its prospects on the global scale”, said the Greek minister.

The Russian transport minister agreed and expressed his concern about specific legislative proposals that are being put forward at the moment at an EU level and which “do not corre-

spond with the requirements of the international shipping community”. He asked Mr Varvitsiotis for cooperation between the two countries, in view of the forthcoming elections for the new General Secretary of the IMO. The “pith” of the meeting, however, is to be found in the extended discussion had by the two sides on matters relating to investment, with an emphasis on the upgrading of Greece’s port infrastructure. Mr Varvitsiotis reiterated that the government wishes to proceed with the denationalisation of the large ports of Piraeus and Thessaloniki, noting that “apart from the fact that our lenders have set it as a prerequisite, it is our belief that their infrastructure should be upgraded, attracting investment and exploiting our country’s strategic advantage. For this reason, particularly in Thessaloniki, the process is moving forward rapidly and we will soon have completed the second stage, presenting the investment plan and a draft of the concession contract to potential investors.”

Mr Sokolov, for his part, noted that Russian interest in investing not only in the port of Thessaloniki but also in TRAINOSE, continues unabated. Reference was also made to the ports of Alexandroupoli and Volos.

“Due to their strategic positions, these ports have potential which we should now promote in the context of attracting investment interest”, said the shipping minister.

The minister for transport of the Russian Federation issued an official invitation to Mr Varvitsiotis to visit Russia and expressed the certainty that cooperation between the two countries in the shipping sector will remain at the excellent level that it is at today.

NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 43

REPORT

Chios Marine Club:

A successful conference on: “Ballast Water Management Systems”

Markos Tripolitis - President of Chios Marine Club

Chios Marine Club organized its “Ballast Water Management Treatment Systems” conference on 21st of October 2014 with great success. The conference was held at Athens Metropolitan Hotel and the panel consisted of distinguished representatives from five companies, providers of ballast water treatment systems.

Markos Tripolitis, president of the Chios Marine Club, made the welcome note to the audience, followed by the opening speech of the director of technical services in Hellenic and Black Sea region of Bureau Veritas, Dr. John Kokarakis. Dr. Kokarakis presented a brief update on the implementation schedule of the convention, current regulatory requirements and critical points for treatment systems to be considered from technical and operational point of view.

During the first session of the conference, Tom Perlich of ECOCHLOR, represented in Greece by EUPLOIA DRY DOCKS AND SERVICES, Andreas Toliopoulos of INTERNAFTIKIrepresentingSUNRUI in Greece and Eleni Polychronopoulou of ERMA FIRST, presented the technical aspects of their systems. The Technical Manager of Minerva Marine, Stavros Daniolos, acted as the moderator for this session.

During the second session of the conference, Tom Kennedy of OPTIMARIN, represented in Greece by AEGEAN DYNAMIC

44 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

SERVICES and Markos Vekris of OCEANKING representing in Greece NK CO (KOREA), presented the technical aspects of their systems. The Senior Auditor of Hellenic Lloyd’s, Panagiotis Kamarados, acted as the moderator for this session.

The conference was attended by an audience of about 280 persons, which was mostly made of executives from maritime and technical companies, including also few students from the University of Piraeus. Overall, the opportunity was given to get informed about the challenges the shipowner will face when called to choose from the ballast water treatment technologies available and to make a comparison between the treatment systems that the five companies presented.

It is worth mentioning that the shipping industry is expected to face difficulties in certifying the systems fitted on board, due to lack of sufficient number of classification societies’ surveyors, according to the panelists. However, all panelists agreed that there will be enough production capacity, as far as their companies are concerned, to cover the vast demand for purchasing and retrofitting such a system on board ships when the convention will enter into force.

COMPANIES

Navios Midstream announces pricing of IPO Navios Maritime Midstream Partners L.P. ("Navios Midstream"), a recently formed subsidiary of Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: NNA) ("Navios Acquisition") and owner and operator of tanker vessels, announced today the pricing of the initial public offering of 8,100,000 common units representing approximately 42.5% of the limited partner interest in Navios Midstream at a price of $15.00 per unit, for aggregate gross proceeds of $121,500,000. Navios Midstream has granted the underwriters a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 1,215,000 common units. Following the initial public offering, Navios Acquisition expects to own approximately 55.5% of the limited partner interest and the 2.0% general partner interest in Navios Midstream. The common units being offered to the public are expected to begin trading on November 13, 2014, on the New York Stock Exchange under the sym-

bol"NAP." BofA Merrill Lynch, Citigroup and J.P. Morgan are acting as joint book-running managers and representatives of the underwriters for the offering.

Genco sets for huge profit in Q3 Genco Shipping & Trading is expecting to post earnings of $870.7m for the third quarter.

The New York bulker owner said it will not file its report within the required time limit but it provided guidance on its performance to 30 September in an SEC filing.

The Q3 profit compares to a net loss of $37m in the same period of 2013.

It is attributable to an estimated net gain of $901.2m from “reorganisation items”, the company said.

Voyage revenues are expected to decrease to $48m from $58.6m in 2013, while voyage expenses will rise to $2.5m from $2.2m.

The operating loss will be $25m, compared to a loss of $13.4m a year ago.

Hapag-Lloyd: Positive operating result in third quarter Hapag-Lloyd ended the third quarter of 2014 with a positive operating result of EUR 33.1 million. “Although it is a first step in the right direction, we are not satisfied with the result. We are, however, on a good path,” said Rolf Habben Jansen, Chief Executive Officer of Hapag-Lloyd.

Alongside the expected synergies of USD 300 million from the combination with CSAV’s container business, Hapag-Lloyd is also using a comprehensive optimization package to face the continuing challenges of the market and the competition. At the centre of this are targeted measures to further cut costs, but also optimization of sales. In addition to this package, the Company is preparing for the planned integration of Chilean shipping

company CSAV’s container business. As soon as all relevant antitrust authorities have approved the transaction, CSAV’s container business will be integrated into the Hapag-Lloyd Group.

Closing is expected to occur in the coming weeks.

In the first nine months of 2014, Hapag-Lloyd had a transport volume of 4.3 million TEU, a year-on-year increase of around 6%.

Despite this increase in transport volume, transport expenses fell

by EUR 46 million to EUR 4.33 billion. At 1,432 USD/TEU, the average freight rate was down almost 5% on the previous year’s figure. Revenue totalled EUR 4.9 billion, a fall of 2.5% compared to the previous year. This was due to a weak US dollar, in addition to the low freight rate. Adjusted for exchange rate effects, revenue remained stable. Hapag-Lloyd reports an EBITDA of EUR 178.6 million for the first nine months of 2014 (previous year: EUR 305.4 million). The operating result came to EUR -40.6 million (previous year: EUR 80.4 million) and resulted largely from the freight rates, which fell again sharply in 2014. The Group net result came to EUR NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 45

COMPANIES -224.0 million (previous year: EUR -56.1 million).

“We expect 2015 to be yet another challenging year. But we all have good reason to look ahead with optimism. With CSAV’s container business, Hapag-Lloyd will become the fourth-largest

liner shipping company in the world. In addition to our market leadership in the North Atlantic, together we will also become one of the leading providers in the attractive North–South trades,” continued Habben Jansen.

GasLog Partners LP Refinances its existing Credit Facilities GasLog Partners LP announced that the Partnership’s vessel owning subsidiaries have signed the previously announced $450.0 million credit facility to refinance the $486.7 million outstanding under the Partnership’s existing three credit facilities (the “Existing Facilities”). The borrowers under the New Facility are the Partnership’s vessel owning subsidiaries (the “Borrowers”), and the lenders and arrangers are Citibank, N.A., London Branch, Nordea Bank Finland plc, London Branch, DVB Bank America N.V., ABN Amro Bank N.V., Skandinaviska Enskilda Andrew Orekar Banken AB and BNP Paribas.

Andrew Orekar, Chief Executive Office of GasLog Partners commented, “I am very pleased to have signed this financing, at what I believe are attractive rates, six months after completing our initial public offering in May. This financing simplifies the Partnership’s funding arrangements, bringing the existing loans into one single facility.”

The obligations of the Borrowers under the New Facility are guaranteed by the Partnership and GasLog Partners Holdings LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Partnership, and the New Facility is secured by a first priority mortgage on each of the

Partnership’s vessels. The New Facility will be payable over five years in 20 equal installments of $5.6 million with a balloon payment of $337.5 million payable together with the final quarterly payment. The New Facility contains the terms disclosed in our Registration Statement on Form F-1 (File No. 333-198133).

In connection with the refinancing, GasLog Ltd. will be released from its guarantee of the borrowers’ obligations under the Existing Facilities and will not be a guarantor under the New Facility. The Partnership and GasLog Partners Holdings LLC will also be released from their guarantees of the obligations of GAS-eighteen Ltd., a subsidiary of GasLog Ltd., under the Existing Facilities. GAS-eighteen Ltd. and the LNG carrier it owns are subject to the Partnerships purchase option under an omnibus agreement entered into in connection with the Partnership’s initial public offering.

CSAV reduces losses in Q3 Companía Sudamericana de Vapores (CSAV) cut its losses in the third quarter of 2014 by 24.2% to$35.4m compared to the same period a year ago, when the company registered a loss of $46.7m.

The company said that the result of the third quarter is explained mainly by the complex scenario which the shipping industry still faces, which shows low freight rates compared to the second quarter of this year and particularly compared to the same quarter of 2013. In the third quarter of 2014, freight rates fell by 6.9% compared to the same period of the previous year, according to the container business rate index published by the company. However, as it has occurred during the last quar-

46 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

ters, CSAV obtained further improvement in its unit operating costs.

Despite the increase in transported volume –which rose by 0.6% compared to the second quarter of this year and 2.8% compared to the same quarter of 2013- the company reduced its operating costs during both comparative periods, CSAV said in a statement.

CLASS SOCIETIES

ClassNK Expands Veracruz Office Society increases support for Gulf of Mexico offshore industry Leading classification society ClassNK has announced the expansion of its Veracruz Office in order to better support the growing offshore oil industry in the Gulf of Mexico. The expansion will increase the survey capabilities and management of the Veracruz office in response to growing demand from the offshore sector in the region.

The liberalization of Mexico’s offshore industry is driving increased interest in Mexico’s growing offshore sector. Over the past year, a number of major vessel operators have increased the size of their fleets in the region to take advantage of new exploration and production opportunities. ClassNK is expanding its operations in the region to support these efforts.

The expansion, which took effect on 1 November 2014, will increase the survey and management authority of the Veracruz Office, while increasing its survey and support capabilities. As part of the expansion, current Veracruz Office Manager Mr. Emilio Reyes Galindo has been promoted to General Manager of the expanded office.

Founded in 2004, ClassNK’s Veracruz Office is one of 11 ClassNK offices in North America, and one of three of the society’s offices that supports vessels in the Gulf of Mexico. While the Veracruz Office has traditionally provided classification and certification services to the ocean going vessels calling at Mexico’s ports, the growing number of NK-classed offshore vessels in the region spurred ClassNK to expand its local operations.

According to ClassNK Chairman & President Noboru Ueda the move reflects recent efforts by the class society to better sup-

port the industry: “As we’ve increased our support for the offshore and workboat sectors, our share in those markets has rapidly grown. OSVs and other workboats accounted for nearly 25% of the vessels added to our register in 2013, including a number of Mexican-owned vessels transferred from other classification societies. The expansion of our Veracruz Office not only reflects this growth, but also represents the next step in our efforts to support this vital industry.”

New Veracruz Office General Manager, Emilio Reyes Galindo agreed with Mr. Ueda, adding: “The expansion of our capabilities here in Veracruz sends an important message about our support for the local maritime and offshore industries and will mean that we can provide an even greater range of classification and ISO-based certification services for industry in the region.”

ClassNK: First chemical tanker to use combina on of duplex stainless steel and stainless clad steel delivered The world’s first chemical tanker to use a combination of duplex stainless steel and stainless clad steel in the construction of its cargo tanks was successfully delivered to Oita-based Hiro Naviera S.A. (President: Tomonori Yoshimura) on 15 November 2014 by Usuki Shipyard Co., Ltd (President: Jiro Kadota). The application of the duplex steels in the vessel’s cargo tanks was made possible thanks to an expansive joint research program involving steel manufacturers, leading technical universities, and ship designer, as well as ClassNK (Chairman and President: Noboru Ueda) which supported the project as part of its Joint R&D for Industry Program.

The 12,500MT chemical tanker Sunrise Hope, owned by Hiro Naviera S.A., will be operated by Nippon Marine Co., Ltd (President: Shinichi Igata). The eco-ship design vessel is equipped with 14 cargo tanks, all which employ duplex stainless steel technology. Construction of the vessel was carried out in accordance with ClassNK’s Guidelines on Welding of Duplex Stain-

less Steels, which were released in January 2014, marking the first time the Guidelines have been used in the construction of an actual vessel.

Duplex stainless steel provides not only significantly greater strength and excellent corrosive resistance in comparison with the commonly used austenitic stainless steel SUS316LN, but its low nickel composition also makes it economical. Although duplex stainless steel technology has been used previously in shipbuilding internationally, this marks the first time in the world that a combination of both duplex and stainless clad steels have been used in the construction of a chemical tanker’s cargo tanks. It is also the first time that duplex stainless steels have been used in a Japanese shipyard, while the lean duplex stainless steel which contains lower nickel compared to duplex stainless steel have been used in some cases.

Duplex stainless steels consist of a mixture of both of austenite and ferrite phases and offer enhanced strength and corrosion NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 47

CLASS SOCIETIES resistance superior to that of commonly used austenitic stainless steels. On the Sunrise Hope, duplex stainless steel KSUS329J3L replaces the commonly used SUS316LN for the

The 12,500MT Sunrise Hope is the world’s first chemical tanker to use a combination of duplex stainless steel and stainless clad steel in the construction of its cargo tanks

bulkheads inside the cargo tanks, while the bulkheads adjacent to the cargo tanks were constructed using stainless clad steel, in which stainless steel and carbon manganese steels have been compression bonded together into a single plate. The stainless clad steel of the ballast tanks also ensures the coating quality of the tanks is protected.

The application of the steels in the construction of the Sunrise Hope was achieved as part of a joint research project carried out as part of the ClassNK Joint R&D for Industry Program by JFE Steel Corporation, Nippon Steel & Sumikin Stainless Steel Corporation (NSSC), Taseto Co., Ltd, and ClassNK, with the support of Professor Hiroshi Yajima and Associate Professor Tadakazu Tanino from Nagasaki Institute of Applied Science and Toshiaki Mori from Consultancy Juk Fnadyke. The team’s wealth of specialist knowledge and extensive expertise spanning from material development to ship construction ensured the technology was successfully applied to this first vessel.

ClassNK grants approval in principle for new H2/CO2 FPSO design by MHI and Chiyoda ClassNK has granted Approval in Principle (AIP) to a new H2/CO2 FPSO (floating production, storage and offloading) to a new design developed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Chiyoda Corporation.

FPSO are commonly used in the offshore oil and gas industry process and store crude oil and liquefied gas from offshore wells until it can be transported via pipelines to shore or via shipto-ship transfer. This new concept H2/CO2 FPSO, however, uses steam reforming and shift conversion to extract hydrogen (H2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) from the associated gas produced as a byproduct of oil well production.

Due to its overwhelming environmentally-friendliness and excellent availability, there is growing interest in the use of hydrogen as a fuel, and research is ongoing around the world. The storage and transport of hydrogen continues to present a number of difficult technical challenges for industrial and commercial use.

In order to address these challenges, the H2/CO2 FPSO uses a new organic chemical hydride method to convert hydrogen into highly stable methylcyclohexane (MCH), which can be stored in liquid form at an ambient temperature and pressure. As MCH can be transported in standard chemical tankers, converting

Concept design of MHI and Chiyoda Corporation’s H2-CO2 FPSO

48 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

hydrogen into MCH not only reduces the risks and challenges related to hydrogen storage, but also optimizes it for transport using existing transportation networks. MCH produced by the H2/CO2 FPSO could then be transported by chemical tankers to hydrogen demand sites and converted back to hydrogen using a dehydrogenation reactor developed by Chiyoda.

The carbon dioxide extracted by the unit would be stored onboard and be used for enhanced oil recovery (EOR), a commonly used process that uses gas injections to displace and subsequently extract residual oil from subsea reservoirs.

The facility’s topside plant and floating body were developed

by Chiyoda and MHI respectively with support from ClassNK’s Joint R&D for Industry Program. The new design is understood to be world’s first H2/CO2 FPSO design, as well as the first such facility to receive Approval in Principle.

Approval in Principle (AIP) is an essential step in the process of developing conceptual designs for practical application in the maritime and offshore industries. As part of the process, ClassNK conducted an extensive review of the concept design, including both risk assessment and a thorough review of structural and topside plans for the H2/CO2-FPSO to ensure the design complies with both ClassNK’s independently developed rules and relevant international regulations and standards.

ClassNK is committed to using its extensive knowledge and expertise in overseeing the development of offshore structures and facilities to support the development and diffusion of new offshore energy resources and technologies.

NEWS DIGEST

WORLD ROUNDUP

Univan Shipmanagement joins World Ocean Council Univan, the first name in shipmanagement, has become a member of the World Ocean Council (WOC), which brings together the diverse ocean business community to collaborate on stewardship of the seas.

“We support the aims and goals of the World Ocean Council and feel we can contribute to developing a sustainable strategy to minimise the impact that shipping has on the environment,” said Bjorn Hojgaard, CEO of Univan.

Richard Hext, Non Executive Chairman of Univan added: “We are very proud to be the first shipmanagement company to join the World Ocean Council. We share the WOC’s vision of a healthy and productive ocean and its sustainable use and stew-

ardship by responsible businesses.”

Univan, was the original shipmanagement company established in 1973 by Captain Vanderperre and during the last four decades built up expertise and experience of managing different types of vessels, including LPG tankers, chemical tankers, oil tankers, container carriers, general cargo vessels, multipurpose vessels, bulk carriers, ore carriers, woodchip carriers, reefer ships, RORO vessels, ocean-going, salvage tugs and livestock carriers.

Univan also provides a first class new building and conversion supervision service for all vessels types, including VLCCs, chemical tankers, containers and bulk carriers from major ship yards in Japan, Korea and China.

Univan: Ship Manager of the Year Univan has been named as the Ship Manager of the Year by the Hong Kong Mission to Seafarers at a fundraising dinner and ceremony at the Sheraton Hotel in Hong Kong.

“This award has great significance and meaning to me and Univan as we strive to continuously improve the quality of life onboard and ashore for our seafarers. The Mission to Seafarers does excellent work and provides invaluable services to help those in need,” said Bjorn Hojgaard, CEO of Univan.

“We are committed to working with owners and seafarers to enhance safety, security and life onboard all of the ships in our fleet,” he added.

The Ship Manager Award was awarded to Univan following an independent poll of seafarers by the Hong Kong Mission to vote for the company they thought was the best.

Univan, was the original shipmanagement company established in 1973 by Captain Vanderperre and during the last four decades built up expertise and experience of managing different types of vessels, including LPG tankers, chemical tankers, oil tankers, container carriers, general cargo vessels, multipurpose vessels, bulk carriers, ore carriers, woodchip carriers, reefer ships , RORO vessels, ocean-going, salvage tugs and livestock carriers.

Univan also provides a first class new building and conversion supervision service for all vessels types, including VLCCs, chem-

ical tankers, containers and bulk carriers from major ship yards in Japan, Korea and China.

About Univan Univan Ship Management Limited is a leading third party ship manager, managing a wide range of ship types. Univan also provides a number of ancillary services to its clients including new building and conversion projects, sale and purchase of vessels, crew management and vessel chartering. The Company's goal is to be the best third party manager in the world. It recognizes that, to do so, it must keep its managed fleet on hire, operating economically and in optimal condition (in line with the requirements of its Owners) whilst maintaining a total commitment to safety and to the protection of our environment. Univan has managed over 700 vessels from 2000 to 320000 DWT and types. Univan's founder, the late Captain Vanderperre is widely recognized as the Father of modern ship management. The Company continues to observe his three primary principles of Reverence for the Seafarer, Tight Cost Control and very Hard Work. It has supplemented these with a major upgrade in its IT platform and a strong emphasis on "no blame" and "teamwork" in its operating culture. Univan’s commitment to seafarers and owners is strengthened further by our own non-profit state of the art Training Academies inaugurated in 1998 in Kochi, 2005 in Mumbai, India and 2011 in Manila, Philippines.

NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 49

NEWS DIGEST

GREEK ROUNDUP

HPA: Touris c foray into China As part of their strategic collaboration on the promotion of the touristic product of Crete, the Region of Crete and Heraklion Port Authority SA (HPA), in conjunction with other relevant organizations, held a number of meetings during an important visit to China.

The impetus for this initiative was given by the great success experienced by the “Rose Wedding” ceremony (organized by the Shanghai Tourism Festival), which took place last April in Crete. There is already considerable interest from Shanghai and Fujian province in organizing tourist weddings in Crete.

As part of this mission, chairman and CEO of the Port of Heraklion, Ioannis Bras, and elected regional councillor responsible for tourism at the Region of Crete, Michalis Vamiedakis, presented a reproduction of the

famous bronze Phaistos Disc to the Guangdong Foreign Affairs Museum in the city of Guangzhou, in Guangdong province.

The joint delegation of the Region, HPA, and the other organizations and businesses involved, visited four of China’s provinces, with a total population of 600 million residents, and had meetings with the heads of the respective local tourism organizations. Among other things, HPA is seeking to create the right conditions for enabling cruise visits to the Aegean and Crete by Chinese citizens.

As an alternative way of holidaying, cruises have already started to attract the public in China too, with the presence of major companies in the sector, which are promoting the product in the Far East. For Greece it is very significant that Chinese citizens be informed about the potential of exploring many destinations at the same time, both in Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean, through cruise excursions.

Penetration into the vast Chinese tourism market is the country’s next major challenge, since an already significant number of Chinese are travelling abroad. Also, the cruise sector will soon win its own share of the Chinese market. It should be noted that it is estimated that by 2020, more than 6 million passengers will travel on cruise ships yearly.

Conclusion of sale of Blue Star Ithaki Attica Holdings S.A. announces the conclusion of the sale and delivery of RoPax vessel BLUE STAR ITHAKI to the Government of Canada. The delivery of the vessel to her new owners took place on November 7, 2014, at the port of

Piraeus.

The total sale proceeds of Euro 31,2 million generate capital gains for Attica Group of approximately Euro 4 million which will appear in the company's 4th quarter 2014 financial results.

In 14 years of sailing the Greek seas, BLUE STAR ITHAKI performed 10,092 itineraries to and from the Greek islands, carrying 8,438,814 passengers, 174,725 freight units and 906,020 private vehicles.

ΜΕΤΑΞΥ ΜΑΣ

Να στηριχθεί η Ελληνική Ακτοπλοΐα Η έρευνα του ΙΟΒΕ για την Ελληνική Ακτοπλοΐα δεν μας έδωσε κάτι το συνταρακτικό ή το απόλυτα νέο, για να πούμε ότι εκπλαγήκαμε. Ωστόσο, έδωσε τη δυνατότητα στον ΣΕΕΝ, να κάνει τα προβλήματά του περισσότερο γνωστά στο ευρύ κοινό και τον υπουργό να μας θυμίσει, ότι πολλές φορές οι «ποντοπόροι» τον αποκαλούν «υπουργό ακτοπλοΐας»! Τι να γίνει, όμως; Όταν μια χώρα, όπως η Ελλάδα, θέλει να υπερηφανεύεται για τα νησιά της, κάπως πρέπει να τα στηρίξει. Δεν πρέπει; Θα πείτε, ίσως «μα, το κράτος πρέπει να τα κάνει όλα σ’ αυτή τη χώρα;». Η απάντηση είναι απλή. Όταν συζητήσαμε το θέμα της έρευνας με τον συνεργάτη και φίλο Δημήτρη Καπράνο, βάλαμε κάτω τους επιχειρηματίες που προσπάθησαν να ασχοληθούν με την ακτοπλοΐα, δηλαδή με τη μεταφορά ανθρωπίνων ψυχών. Λοιπόν, σχεδόν όλοι χάθηκαν άδοξα! Μας ήλθαν στο νου μερικά ονόματα: Τυπάλδοι, Καραγεώργης, Φραγκόπουλος, Ευθυμιάδης, Σφηνιάς. Πάλεψαν, αλλά στην πρώτη «στραβή» πνίγηκαν στο πέλαγος των προβλημάτων αβοήθητοι! Τι να θυμηθείς; Το «Ηράκλειον», το «Ελεάννα», το «Χρυσή Αυγή», το «Εξπρές Σαμίνα»; Είναι ανελέητη η Κοινή Γνώμη απέναντι σε τέτοια περιστατικά. Πολύνεκρα ναυάγια είχαμε και στην ποντοπόρο, αλλά «έγιναν έξω», «δεν τα είδε κανείς», «δεν μάθαμε λεπτομέρειες», «δεν τα έδειξε η τηλεόραση»! Αυτή, όμως, η προβληματική (σήμερα) και παραπαίουσα (λόγω της κρίσης) Ελληνική Ακτοπλοΐα, όπως έδειξε η έρευνα και όπως όλοι γνωρίζουμε: • Απασχολεί το 50% των Ελλήνων Ναυτικών!

•Η συνολική συνεισφορά της εκτιμάται, με όρους

ΑΕΠ, σε 11,8 δισ. ευρώ ή 6,5% του συνολικού ΑΕΠ της χώρας το 2013!

• Με όρους απασχόλησης, προσφέρει 260.000 θέσεις εργασίας (ή 7,2% της συνολικής απασχόλησης), μέγεθος το οποίο αντιστοιχεί σε περίπου το ήμισυ της απασχόλησης στις νησιωτικές περιφέρειες (στα πλοία, τα γραφεία αλλά και στις επιχειρήσεις που συνδέονται με τη δραστηριότητά της).

•Η συνεισφορά από τη ζήτηση για ακτοπλοϊκές μεταφορές στο εσωτερικό της χώρας το 2013 στην οικονομία ήταν 1,5 δισ. ευρώ!

•Προσφέρει 21.400 «πρωτογενείς» θέσεις εργασίας, από τις οποίες 5.000 εκτιμάται ότι απασχολούνται στα πλοία και στα γραφεία των ακτοπλοϊκών επιχειρήσεων! Ιδού, λοιπόν, σε γενικές γραμμές, η προσφορά της Ελληνικής Ακτοπλοΐας, της πανταχόθεν βαλλόμενης και συνεχώς απειλούμενης από τους πιστωτές αλλά και από… το κράτος (φορολογία, ΦΠΑ, φόροι υπέρ τρίτων κ. ά). Ουδείς μπορεί να αμφισβητήσει το ότι ο σημερινός υπουργός καταβάλλει κάθε δυνατή προσπάθεια και έχει λύσει σημαντικά θέματα της Ακτοπλοΐας. Ωστόσο, χρειάζεται πολλά ακόμη να γίνουν, ώστε να επιζήσει αυτή η ζωτική πλευρά της οικονομίας και να είναι όρθια όταν θα περάσει η κρίση. Υπό τις παρούσες συνθήκες, η Ελληνική Ακτοπλοΐα χρειάζεται την αρωγή της Πολιτείας και πρέπει να την έχει, για να μη γυρίσουμε στις αλήστου μνήμης εποχές της «δημόσιας ακτοπλοΐας», που δημιούργησε τις γνωστές «προβληματικές»…

ΛΕΤΤΑ ΔΗΜΟΠΟΥΛΟΥ-ΜΑΚΡΗ

NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 51

ΑΠΟΨΗ

Ιδιωτική Ναυτική Εκπαίδευση… με δόσεις! Του Δημήτρη Καπράνου

Τα μέτρα που εξήγγειλε το υπουργείο Ναυτιλίας για την Iδιωτική Ναυτική Εκπαίδευση, μπορεί να μη λύνουν το πρόβλημα, αλλά ίσως είναι μια καλή αρχή. Η σωστή λύση δεν είναι, ασφαλώς, να λειτουργήσουν «Ιδιωτικά ΚΕΣΕΝ», αλλά να βρουν στέγη για να καταρτισθούν οι χιλιάδες νέοι που μένουν έξω από το Ναυτικό επάγγελμα, λόγω αδυναμίας των δημοσίων «Ακαδημιών» να φιλοξενήσουν όλους όσοι δίνουν εξετάσεις. Τι γίνονται, αλήθεια, όσοι δεν κατορθώνουν να εισαχθούν στις «Ακαδημίες»; Μήπως είναι ανίκανοι; Μήπως είναι λιγότερο έξυπνοι; Μήπως αγαπούν τη θάλασσα λιγότερο από εκείνους που εισήχθησαν; Όχι, ασφαλώς. Απλώς, το γελοίο ελληνικό σύστημα τους απαγορεύει ουσιαστικά να γίνουν αξιωματικοί Ε.Ν! Όπως απαγορεύει και στους απόφοιτους των Ναυτικών Λυκείων να πάρουν δίπλωμα «πρώτου» και τους «κολλάει» στο δίπλωμα του «δεύτερου». Δεν είναι σοβαρά πράγματα αυτά! Σε μια χώρα που (θέλει να λέει ότι) κατέχει την πρώτη θέση παγκοσμίως στο χώρο της Ναυτιλίας, είναι απαράδεκτο να εμποδίζει τους νέους να γίνουν ναυτικοί! Διότι, στην ουσία, αυτό γίνεται στην Ελλάδα. Σου λέει το κράτος «Κύριε, αν δεν εισαχθείς στις «Ακαδημίες» μου, δεν είσαι άξιος να γίνεις αξιωματικός στο εμπορικό μου ναυτικό»! Το ίδιο, φυσικά, κάνει και με τα Πανεπιστήμια. Γι αυτό και θησαυρίζουν οι άλλες ευρωπαϊκές χώρες (όλες, πλην Ελλάδος) που διαθέτουν Ιδιωτικά πανεπιστήμια! Χιλιάδες ελληνόπουλα σπουδάζουν σήμερα στην Κύπρο Νομικά, Ιατρική, Μαθηματικά, Φυσική, σε Ιδιωτικά Πανεπιστήμια! Η Οικονομία της Κύπρου, που επλήγη αποφασιστικά από την κρίση, συνέρχεται. Η δική μας, εξακολουθεί να έρπει και, δυστυχώς, δεν εννοεί να πάρει τα πάνω της. Φαντάζεστε πόσες θέσεις εργασίας, φόροι, κρατήσεις σε ασφαλιστικά Ταμεία, τζίρος στην αγορά και άλλα κέρδη, χάνονται με την απαγόρευση (πρωτοφανής η κυβερνητική αδράνεια) της λειτουργίας Ιδιωτικών Πανεπιστημίων και Ιδιωτικών Ανωτέρων Σχολών Εμπορικού Ναυτικού; Στην Ελλάδα, όμως, προτιμούμε τα… κλειστά πανεπιστήμια, τις «καταλήψεις», το… χτίσιμο των πρυτάνεων στα γραφεία τους, τις εισβολές των «φοιτητών» στα πανεπιστημιακά ιδρύματα, τις μολότοφ και τα παράνομα εργαστήρια μέσα στα Πανεπιστήμια! Αυτά, φυσικά, δεν θα μπορούσαν ποτέ να γίνουν σε Ιδιωτικά πανεπιστήμια και, φυσικά, αν ο ανταγωνισμός λειτουργούσε, δεν θα μπορούσαν να γίνουν ούτε στα δημόσια! Εδώ, όμως, η κακώς εννοούμενη «δωρεάν Παιδεία», ξεχαρβάλωσε τα πάντα και μετέβαλε τα πανεπιστήμια σε εκκολαπτήρια κομματαρχών και κυψέλες των κομμάτων! Κάτι παρόμοιο συνέβη και με τις «ακαδημίες», που η κάστα των καθηγητών, τις μετέβαλε σε μοχλούς πίεσης κατά των κυβερνήσεων «ενάντια στην Ιδιωτικοποίηση της Εκπαίδευσης» Απλά είναι τα πράγματα, κύριε υπουργέ. Ελεύθερη η Ιδιωτική Ναυτική Εκπαίδευση και ανοιχτός ο δρόμος προς τα βαπόρια για όλους. Εκτός εάν οι κάτοχοι των βαποριών, προτιμούν το σημερινό καθεστώς, που αφήνει μεγάλα περιθώρια για τη ναυτολόγηση αλλοδαπών, και μας «δουλεύουν»…

52 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

ΣΧΟΛΙA

Δικό μας και… δικό μας!

Είδες η Κύπρος;

Είναι πολλοί οι φίλοι που με ρωτούσαν «γιατί δεν γράφω κάτι και για την Αμφίπολη». Η απάντηση ήταν απλή, όπως το αυγό του Κολόμβου. «Δεν γράφω και δεν θα γράψω περισσότερα, όσο η αρχαιολογική σκαπάνη εξακολουθεί να ακούγεται στον Τύμβο Καστά». Ουδείς λογικός άνθρωπος -πλην εκείνων που είτε επιθυμούσαν να κερδίσουν τα δευτερόλεπτα της δόξας κατά Γουόρχολ ή να πλήξουν την Περιστέρη ή να κατηγορήσουν τον Σαμαρά ότι «εκμεταλλεύεται την ανακάλυψη»- τολμά να κάνει πρόβλεψη ή σχόλιο εν όσω μια αρχαιολογική έρευνα βρίσκεται εν εξελίξει . Να πετάξει τα «καρφιά» του ένας αντίζηλος της κυρίας με το μπερέ (μου θύμισε τη δασκάλα μου στο πιάνο, την κυρία Ισμήνη) επειδή σκάει από τη ζήλια του για την επιτυχία της, το καταλαβαίνω. Να εκδίδουν χολερικές ανακοινώσεις οι «ιλουμινάτι» του ΣΥΡΙΖΑ, το περιμένω. Να βάλλεται ο Σαμαράς από τους Σκοπιανούς και τους ανά τον κόσμο χρηματιζόμενους (από τα Σκόπια) κονδυλοφόρους, το θεωρώ φυσιολογικό. Πώς, όμως, ένας δημοσιογράφος, που δεν έχει πλήρη γνώση του εγχειρήματος της ομάδας των ανασκαφέων θα το παίξει «Ιντιάνα Τζόουνς» και θα υποδύεται τον ξερόλα σε ένα τραπέζι στο οποίο όχι μόνο δεν έχει θέση αλλά και δεν έχει καν προσκληθεί; Παρέμεινα, λοιπόν, ήρεμος, απλός παρατηρητής, με την ανάσα κομμένη, αλλά το στόμα κλειστό, μέχρι να ακουστεί και ο τελευταίος ήχος από τα ξινάρια και τα καλέμια, από τις σπάτουλες και τα κοπίδια, από τις συρματόβουρτσες και τα διάφορα πινέλα, σύνεργα πολύτιμα, χωρίς ίχνος «τελευταίας τεχνολογίας» στα στυλιάρια και τις λαβές τους. Να, λοιπόν, που ο νεκρός «που απουσίαζε», ο σκελετός «που δεν θα βρισκόταν ποτέ σε ένα κενοτάφιο», βρέθηκε, ανάσκελα και με ένα ειρωνικό χαμόγελο στο αποστεωμένο του κρανίο, σαν να έλεγε «Κορόιδα, σας άφησα να λέτε τις μπαρούφες σας και σας περίμενα!». Βρέθηκε, λοιπόν, ο νεκρός, σε ένα πρωτόφαντο ταφικό μνημείο, που, όπως λένε οι επαΐοντες, αποτελεί «Δημόσιο Έργο». Δηλαδή το κράτος επωμίσθηκε τη δαπάνη της κατασκευής του. Ε, δεν κηδεύεται ο οποιοσδήποτε με τόσο μεγάλης αξίας δημόσια δαπάνη! Δεν μπορεί, κάποιο σημαίνον πρόσωπο βρισκόταν χιλιάδες χρόνια κάτω από τη γη των Μακεδόνων! Οι πληροφορίες που αναφέρουν, ότι πλέον στα Σκόπια οι σημαίες κυματίζουν μεσίστιες πλάι στο σύμπλεγμα που οι χαμένοι στο διάστημα γείτονες αποκαλούν «Μεγαλέξανδρο», δεν έχουν μέχρι στιγμής επιβεβαιωθεί. Ανεπιβεβαίωτες είναι και εκείνες που θέλουν τον Νίμιτς να έχει καταπιεί τη γλώσσα του! Τι να κάνουμε; Αυτό το χώμα είναι δικό μας… και δικό μας!

Ο φίλος μου είχε χαθεί τον τελευταίο καιρό. Γι αυτό και μόλις μιλήσαμε στο τηλέφωνο, κανονίσαμε να συναντηθούμε. «Τι έγινες; Μαύρα μάτια κάναμε να σε δούμε» του είπα, θέλοντας να εκφράσω και το παράπονό μου για την παρατεταμένη του απουσία. «Ξέρεις, εδώ και αρκετό καιρό, πηγαινοέρχομαι στην Κύπρο», μου είπε. «Μπα; Αποφάσισαν οι μεγάλες δυνάμεις να λύσουν το Κυπριακό και σε επιστρατεύσανε;», είπα με διάθεση σκωπτική. «Έλα, άσε τα χωρατά και άκου. Διδάσκω στο «τάδε» Πανεπιστήμιο, στη Λευκωσία. Είναι ένα ιδιωτικό, μη κερδοσκοπικό, Ανώτατο Εκπαιδευτικό Ίδρυμα, με έδρα τη Βοστώνη, που λειτουργεί και χρηματοδοτεί μεγάλο αριθμό Πανεπιστημίων σχεδόν σε όλη την Ευρώπη. Έχουμε τμήματα Ιατρικής, Νομικής, Φαρμακευτικής, Κοινωνικών Επιστημών, στα αγγλικά και τα ελληνικά, καθώς οι μισοί σχεδόν σπουδαστές μας είναι Έλληνες!» Δεν μου έκανε εντύπωση που ο φίλος μου είχε ένα χαμόγελο ευτυχίας στα χείλη. Ιδιωτικά Πανεπιστήμια στην Κύπρο και, φυσικά, είναι γεμάτα από Έλληνες σπουδαστές! Νομική Σχολή με τετραετή φοίτηση (και όχι τριετή όπως στην Αγγλία), άρα πτυχίο αναγνωριζόμενο από το ΔΟΑΤΑΠ. Και Ελληνικό και Κυπριακό (αγγλο-σαξωνικό) δίκαιο στη Νομική Σχολή, άρα βγαίνεις «τούρμπο» για τα ναυτιλιακά, καθώς οι μεγάλες ναυτιλιακές υποθέσεις λύνονται από αγγλικά δικαστήρια, με βάση το αγγλικό δίκαιο, όπως όλες οι σημαντικές συμβάσεις. Δηλαδή, με δυο λόγια, οι Κύπριοι έκαναν εκείνο που έπρεπε να έχουμε κάνει εμείς εδώ και πολλά χρόνια, ώστε να σταματήσει η αιμορραγία εξαγωγής συναλλάγματος προς τα πολυάριθμα Πανεπιστήμια του εξωτερικού, όπου σπουδάζουν χιλιάδες Ελληνόπουλα και να προσελκύσουμε φοιτητές από άλλες χώρες. Εμείς, όμως, αρνούμεθα την Ιδιωτική Ανώτατη Εκπαίδευση, αφού δεν θέλουμε να χάσουμε τον «Χαβαλέ», τις «Καταλήψεις», τους «Αγώνες για λευτεριά στους συντρόφους», τους βουλευτές «της προόδου» να καθοδηγούν φοιτητές που εισβάλλουν στα πρυτανικά γραφεία, τα χτισίματα των θυρών των πρυτάνεων, τις συγκρούσεις με τα ΜΑΤ και την προάσπιση της εντελώς παρεξηγημένης έννοιας της «Δωρεάν παιδείας». Άλλο πράγμα η «Παιδεία» κι άλλο τα πεταμένα λεφτά, για ανθρώπους που δεν επιθυμούν να σπουδάσουν, αλλά να ποδηγετήσουν και να καθοδηγήσουν το «φοιτητικό κίνημα, που τα τελευταία χρόνια έδειξε τάσεις για αποκόλληση από τα δυο άκρα, ήτοι την «αέναη φοίτηση» και το «κάντε τα όλα λίμπα»! Όσο για τον πρύτανη Φορτσάκη, έχω να πω ότι πρέπει να «φορτσάρει», αλλά και να προσέξει πολύ, γιατί το σύστημα που εκτρέφει την δήθεν «αμφισβήτηση», που μόλις βρει ευκαιρία γίνεται κατεστημένο του κερατά, δεν θα υποκύψει εύκολα και θα βγάλει κι άλλα νύχια…

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ΣΧΟΛΙA

Επέτειος υπερβολής….

Well done!

Ποια είναι για τους Έλληνες πιο σημαντική ημέρα; Η 25η Μαρτίου; Η 28η Οκτωβρίου ή η «Ημέρα του Πολυτεχνείου;». Αν ρωτούσατε έναν τρίτο παρατηρητή, ο οποίος θα έκρινε από τον «σαματά» με τον οποίο τιμάται η κάθε μια επέτειος, θα σας έλεγε «Το Πολυτεχνείο», την 25η Μαρτίου και την 28η Οκτωβρίου τις τιμούμε, πλέον, «κεκλεισμένων των θυρών» και «η είσοδος επιτρέπεται μόνο με την επίδειξη της παρούσης» ενώ της επετείου, που έγινε αφορμή για να πέσει ο Παπαδόπουλος (και όχι η χούντα, για να εξηγούμεθα), της δίνουμε και καταλαβαίνει! Μολότοφ, καμένοι σκουπιδοτενεκέδες, πετροπόλεμος, συμπλοκές με τα ΜΑΤ, καταγγελίες της «προοδευτικής αριστεράς» για «κατάχρηση εξουσίας των αστυνομικών», «μπάτσοι, γουρούνια, δολοφόνοι», «φονιάδες των λαών Αμερικάνοι», «έναδυο-τρια, η χούντα δεν τελείωσε το ’73» (το ξέρουμε, τελείωσε το ’74) και άλλα γραφικά, για μια επέτειο που η ανέκαθεν εφευρετική και γεμάτη δημιουργική φαντασία ελληνική αριστερά, έφτιαξε στα δικά της μέτρα και σταθμά, για να την αρπάξει από τα χέρια της ο Ανδρέας και ο… Παπουτσής, που από παραστάτης στην «ματωμένη σημαία του Πολυτεχνείου», έπνιξε την Αθήνα στα καπνογόνα ως υπουργός Αστυνομίας(!!!) και ξυλοφόρτωσε την «προοδευτική αριστερά» όσο κανείς προκάτοχός του, και απολαμβάνει σήμερα τον καφέ του στην Ουάσιγκτον, στην «προοδευτική» παγκόσμια Τράπεζα! Μας έδωσε κι άλλα, ωραία, το «Εδώ Πολυτεχνείο». Την εκφωνήτρια του σταθμού της αντίστασης, που έγινε επίτροπος στην «ΕΟΚ των Μονοπωλίων», κάποια άλλα στελέχια του ΠΑΣΟΚ, που σήμερα διάγουν βίον ανθηρόν και τρυφηλόν, κάποια πρόσωπα της Αριστεράς που «την έκαναν» για τον μαγικό κόσμο της καπιτάλας και είναι στελέχη πολυεθνικών «που πίνουν το αίμα του λαού» και άλλα, ευχάριστα! Δεν λέω, η εξέγερση του Πολυτεχνείου, ασχέτως του πως άρχισε και πως κατέληξε, ασχέτως του ποιοι «αριστεροί» έλεγαν ότι «το Πολυτεχνείο είναι στημένο από τους Αμερικάνους», αλλά όταν είδαν ότι το πράγμα έγινε σοβαρό πήραν τα ηνία και «βγήκαν μπροστά», γιατί είχαν οργάνωση και δεν ήταν μια αυθόρμητη και άδολη μάζα όπως οι φοιτητές, πρέπει να μνημονεύεται. Αλλά γιατί τόση υπερβολή; Δηλαδή είναι λογικό να έχουμε τρελαθεί να τιμούμε «τους νεκρούς του Πολυτεχνείου» και να αφήνουμε, ακόμη, άκλαυτους τους νεκρούς μας στην Αλβανία; Έχοντας παρακολουθήσει ως ρεπόρτερ, όλα τα γεγονότα εκείνης της εποχής, τιμώ την εξέγερση, τιμώ τα πρόσωπα που πράγματι αντιστάθηκαν αλλά δεν «εξαργύρωσαν» τη συμμετοχή τους, αλλά δεν μπορώ να δεχθώ την προπαγάνδα και την υπερβολή, που έχουν μετατρέψει την επέτειο σε «βαβούρα»…

«Να φοβάσαι τους Εγγλέζους όταν έχουν πιεί κι όταν ασχολούνται με την Ιστορία», λένε όσοι δεν συμπαθούν τους κατοίκους της γηραιάς Αλβιόνος. Εγώ, να σας πω, μολονότι όλη μου η οικογένεια, τέσσερα αδέλφια, ένδεκα ανίψια και πάει λέγοντας, διαβιούν στο Ηνωμένο Βασίλειο, προτιμούσα πάντοτε τους Σκοτσέζους και τους Ιρλανδούς. Πιο «ζεστοί» και, ασφαλώς, καθόλου τσιγκούνηδες (οι φοβερά μίζεροι και τσιγκούνηδες Εγγλέζοι κατηγορούν τους Σκοτσέζους αδίκως), πιο ανθρώπινοι και φιλέλληνες, αντιθέτως με τους φιλότουρκους Άγγλους, βρε παιδί μου! Γι αυτό και δεν με εκπλήσσουν τα χολερικά δημοσιεύματα στον «αντικειμενικό» βρετανικό Τύπο, γύρω από τα γλυπτά του Παρθενώνα που, όπως και πολλά άλλα, κλεμμένα από όλες τις άκρες της γης, κοσμούν το Βρετανικό Μουσείο, ένα μουσείο-κλεπταποδόχο, ένα μουσείο, στο οποίο μπορεί κανείς να πληροφορηθεί πώς έκλεβαν οι Εγγλέζοι τα δημιουργήματα των άλλων λαών και τα εξέθεταν στα δικά τους Μουσεία «για να τα διασώσουν»! Είναι εξ άλλου, παγκοίνως γνωστό, πως οι Εγγλέζοι «διέσωσαν» τους Ινδούς, τους πακιστανούς, τους Άραβες, τους Ζουλού, τους Αμερικανούς, τους Αβορίγινες και άλλους λαούς, που είχαν την «τύχη» να βρεθούν στο δρόμο τους. Έγραψε, λοιπόν, κάποιος από τους χολερικούς χλεμπονιάρηδες, ότι τα γλυπτά του Παρθενώνα δεν είναι ελληνικά αλλά… αθηναϊκά, οπότε καλώς παραμένουν στο Λονδίνο «για να τα βλέπει όλος ο κόσμος». Μωρέ τι μας λες, ανόητε. Αφού είναι αθηναϊκά, ας επιστραφούν στην Αθήνα, την πατρίδα τους. Στην Ακρόπολη των Αθηνών, εξάλλου, ευρίσκονταν. Κι αν νομίζεις, σαχλέ, ότι τα εκατομμύρια των τουριστών έρχονται στο Λονδίνο για να δουν το British Museum, κάνεις λάθος μεγάλο. Για να ψωνίσουν στην Oxford και για να περπατήσουν στο Ηyde park, μπορεί να έρχονται. Αλλά για να δουν τα κλεμμένα, μην το λες. Απλώς, αφού έρχονται για ψώνια, πάνε και στο Μουσείο. Οπότε, μη φοβάστε, πάλι θα έρχονται στην Αγγλία για να αγοράσουν «εγγλέζικα υφάσματα “ made in Vietnam”! Σιγά μην έρχονται οι Ιάπωνες και οι Κινέζοι, οι Αμερικανοί και οι Κορεάτες, για να δουν τα γλυπτά του Παρθενώνα στο Λονδίνο! Στην Αθήνα έρχονται, επειδή εδώ είναι ο Παρθενώνας! Στο Μουσείο σας, έρχονται οι Κινέζοι για να δουν εκείνα που κλέψατε από την Κίνα, οι Αιγύπτιοι για τα δικά τους, οι Ινδοί για εκείνα που τους αρπάξατε. Ωραία φάμπρικα βρήκατε, βρε κλεφταράδες! Έρχονται εκεί τα θύματα της κλοπής και πληρώνουν για να δουν εκείνα που τους αρπάξατε! Κλεπταποδόχοι και εμμέσως εκβιαστές! Μπράβο σας, ρε! Well done!

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54 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

Στην πλώρη... Πάει κι ο Νοέμβριος, τελειώνει το 2014. * Όλα τελειώνουν, εκτός από το μνημόνιο! Εντάξει, μη φωνάζετε, τελειώνει κι αυτό. * Έρχεται η «συμφωνία κυρίων». Και με το ένα και με το άλλο, εμείς θα πληρώ* νουμε «έκτακτη εισφορά» και ΕΝΦΙΑ.

* πείτε, πως έγινε «τακτική».

Αυτή η «έκτακτη» εισφορά μπορείτε να μου

Μάλλον όταν τη σκέφτηκαν, την είπαν * «έκτακτη», όπως έλεγε η γιαγιά μου: «Εκτακτο παιδί ο Μίμης»! Ο Μιλτιάδης συναντήθηκε με τον Ρώσο υπουργό * Μεταφορών για τον ΟΛΘ και την ΤΡΑΙΝΟΣΕ, η επένδυση της Cosco στον προβλήτα ΙΙΙ έχει σκαλώσει, αλλά η ανάπτυξη έρχεται! Λέτε να μας πάρουν οι Ρώσοι τα λιμάνια * και τα τρένα;

Κι ύστερα να θυμώνεις επειδή η κυβέρνηση * πήρε τις δόσεις πίσω! Αφού δεν θα πλήρωνες, έτσι κι αλλιώς, τι φωνάζεις; «Κι εγώ μπορούσα να την κάνω την έρευνα», * είπε ο Μιλτιάδης στα παιδιά του ΙΟΒΕ. Εσείς δεν κάνετε έρευνες, εσείς τις διαβάζετε * και λαμβάνετε μέτρα. Αν μπορείτε, φυσικά… Λέτε να τον «φάει» ο Σαμαράς τον Χαρδού* βελη; Μάλλον, όπως «έφαγε» και τον Στουρνάρα! Τον έκανε διοικητή της Τράπεζας της * Ελλάδος! Τον βλέπω ψηλά τον Γκίκα! Τι έγινε με εκείνον τον «διαγωνισμό του * ενός» στον ΟΛΠ; Έμαθα ότι ακυρώθηκε από το Σ.τ.Ε.

φοβόμασταν μήπως μας πάρουν τα σπίτια * οιΠαλιά κομμουνιστές! Τώρα μας τα παίρνουν οι δεξιοί και οι κομμουνι* στές (πρώην και νυν) μας παίρνουν τα λιμάνια και τα τραίνα!

τα ωά. Προλαβαίνει να ξαναγίνει. * Σιγά Έτσι δεν είναι, κύριε πρόεδρε; Φωνάζει πάλι ο ΣΕΕΝ για το νέο χαράτσι * από τον ΟΛΠΑ. Έτσι γίνεται πάντα. Κάποιος φωνάζει και κάποιος εισπράττει…

Όλοι παίρνουν το κατιτίς τους, εκτός από εμάς, * που παίρνουμε τον πούλο και λέμε και «ευχαριστώ»!

* τις 100 δόσεις, όταν δεν έχεις να πληρώσεις

Για σκέψου, να νιώθεις ότι σου κάνουν χάρη με

ούτε μια!

Ο δήμος Πειραιώς είναι αντίθετος με την * ιδιωτικοποίηση του λιμανιού.

* Κι εγώ, είμαι αντίθετος με το κάπνισμα… Ποντοπόρος

NOVEMBER 2014 SHIPPING 55

REPORTAGE

Αιμοδότης του ΑΕΠ η Ακτοπλοΐα των χιλίων προβλημάτων! Μπορεί η ποντοπόρος ναυτιλία να είναι εκείνη που κυριαρχεί στον παγκόσμιο χάρτη. Μπορεί οι μεγάλοι Έλληνες εφοπλιστές να απασχολούν τα μεγάλα διεθνή ΜΜΕ με τα επιτεύγματα ή τις περιπέτειές τους. Υπάρχει, όμως, και η άλλη ναυτιλία, που βρίσκεται αντιμέτωπη με χιλιάδες προβλήματα, που στα δικά της βαπόρια μπορούν (μόνο) να απεργούν οι ναυτικοί και που -παρά τα όσα υφίσταται τα τελευταία χρόνια- απασχολεί το 50% των Ελλήνων Ναυτικών! Είναι η Ελληνική Ακτοπλοΐα, η οποία, όπως έδειξε η πρόσφατη έρευνα του ΙΟΒΕ, προσφέρει 11,8 δισ. ευρώ, δηλαδή το 6,5% του ΑΕΠ στην ελληνική οικονομία! Όσο κι αν ακούγεται οξύμωρο, η «μικρή» Ακτοπλοΐα, που δεν διεκδικεί πρωτιές και δεν επενδύει τεράστια ποσά σε Κινεζικά, Κορεάτικα και Ιαπωνικά ναυπηγεία, προσφέρει στην οικονομία της Ελλάδας όσα ακριβώς και η «Μεγάλη» και απασχολεί τους ίδιους (αν όχι περισσότερους) Έλληνες ναυτικούς! Η Ελληνική Ακτοπλοΐα, που επένδυσε σε πλοία νέας τεχνολογίας, που μέσα σε ελάχιστο χρόνο (χάρη στη διορατικότητα και το πνεύμα του μυστηριωδώς «αυτοκτονήσαντος» Παντελή Σφηνιά) μείωσε στο μισό το χρόνο προσέγγισης των νησιών από τον Πειραιά και μονοπώλησε τις γραμμές της Αδριατικής, πριν οι επίγονοι του Παντελή εκχωρήσουν το δημιούργημά του στους Ιταλούς, αναδεικνύεται σε στυλοβάτη της εθνικής Οικονομίας, παρότι είναι καταχρεωμένη στις ελληνικές και ξένες Τράπεζες! Με όρους ΑΕΠ, το ΙΟΒΕ διαπιστώνει ότι η συνεισφορά από τη ζήτηση για ακτοπλοϊκές μεταφορές στο εσωτερικό της χώρας το 2013 στην οικονομία, εκτιμάται σε περίπου 1,5 δισ. ευρώ, ενώ σε όρους απασχόλησης διαμορφώνεται σε 21.400 θέσεις εργασίας (εκ των οποίων περίπου 5.000 εκτιμάται ότι απασχολούνται στα πλοία και στα γραφεία των ακτοπλοϊκών επιχειρήσεων). Σημαντικά υψηλότερη διαπιστώνεται ότι είναι η συ-

νεισφορά από τις καταλυτικές επιδράσεις που συνδέονται με τον τουρισμό και την ανάπτυξη του πρωτογενούς και μεταποιητικού τομέα στις νησιωτικές περιφέρειες της χώρας. «Συνδυάζοντας την επίδραση από τη ζήτηση για ακτοπλοϊκές μεταφορές με τις καταλυτικές επιδράσεις, η συνολική συνεισφορά της εγχώριας ακτοπλοΐας εκτιμάται, σε όρους ΑΕΠ, σε 11,8 δισ. ευρώ ή 6,5% του συνολικού ΑΕΠ της χώρας το 2013, ενώ σε όρους απασχόλησης ανέρχεται σε 260.000 θέσεις εργασίας (ή 7,2% της συνολικής απασχόλησης), μέγεθος το οποίο αντιστοιχεί σε περίπου το ήμισυ της απασχόλησης στις νησιωτικές περιφέρειες», αναφέρει το ΙΟΒΕ. Οι αναλυτές του ΙΟΒΕ, προχώρησαν και σε προτάσεις για τη βελτίωση της κατάστασης στην Ελληνική Ακτοπλοΐα, που έχουν ως ακολούθως: • Μείωση κόστους λειτουργίας πλοίου. Με δεδομένο ότι το κόστος καυσίμων καθορίζεται σε μεγάλο βαθμό εξωγενώς, η μείωση του κόστους λειτουργίας μπορεί να επιτευχθεί με μείωση του κόστους επανδρώσεως.

• Εξέταση της δυνατότητας κατάργησης του επίναυλου, μείωσης των λιμενικών τελών και αναθεώρησης του καθεστώτος υποχρεωτικών εκπτώσεων σε κατηγορίες χρηστών.

• Μείωση των συντελεστών ΦΠΑ στα εισιτήρια της ακτοπλοΐας.

• Εκσυγχρονισμός του συστήματος έκδοσης εισιτηρίων.

• Επανασχεδιασμός του ακτοπλοϊκού δικτύου και επανεξέταση συστήματος αποζημίωσης παροχής δημόσιας υπηρεσίας σε όλα τα μέσα μεταφοράς. Το ΙΟΒΕ υποστηρίζει, ακόμη, ότι απαιτείται βελτίωση των διαδικασιών που σχετίζονται με τις δηλώσεις για τις ελεύθερες γραμμές δρομολόγησης, την επιλογή πλοίων εξυπηρέτησης γραμμών δημόσιας υπηρεσίας, την καταβολή αποζημιώσεων για την εξυπηρέτηση γραμμών δημόσιας υπηρεσίας, αλλά και τους όρους των διαγωνισμών για γραμμές δημόσιας υπηρεσίας, με χρήση κριτηρίων εποχικότητας και δρομολόγηση διαφορετικής χωρητικότητας πλοίων, εισαγωγή ποιοτικών κριτηρίων. Αξίζει, πάντως, να σημειωθεί, ότι το υπουργείο Ναυτιλίας, τον τελευταίο χρόνο, έχει παρέμβει αποφασιστικά υπέρ της ακτοπλοΐας, και βρίσκεται κοντά στην υλοποίηση όλων εκείνων που προτείνει η έρευνα, παρά τα παράπονα των «μεγάλων» εφοπλιστών, που αποκαλούν το υπουργείο περιπαικτικά «Υπουργείο Ακτοπλοΐας»…

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Costa Navarino: Σε λίγες μέρες κλείνει η σεζόν Μέσα Φεβρουαρίου, αρχίζει η νέα περίοδος Ολοκληρώνεται στις αρχές Δεκεμβρίου η σεζόν για το Costa Navarino, το συγκρότημα-κόσμημα γι τον Ελληνικό Τουρισμό, που δημιούργησε στη Μεσσηνία ο αείμνηστος καπετάν Βασίλης Κωνσταντακόπουλος και κουμαντάρει ο άξιος συνεχιστής γιος του, Αχιλλέας. Η νέα σεζόν θα αρχίσει από τα μέσα Φεβρουαρίου του 2015. «Το σημαντικότερο στοίχημα για τον ελληνικό τουρισμό, αυτή τη στιγμή έχει να κάνει με την επιμήκυνση της τουριστικής περιόδου», επεσήμανε ο Αχιλλέας Κωνσταντακόπουλος, στο περιθώριο των επίσημων εγκαινίων της κοινής επένδυσης των ομίλων Κούστα και Φουρλή στη Σόφια, αναφερόμενος παράλληλα και στις συνολικές θετικές επιδόσεις του ελληνικού τουρισμού: «Από τις πρώτες ενδείξεις, φαίνεται ότι το 2015 προδιαγράφεται το ίδιο καλό ή και ακόμη καλύτερο σε σχέση με το 2014, ωστόσο θα πρέπει να υπάρξει συνολική στρατηγική για το θέμα της επιμήκυνσης. Προς την κατεύθυνση αυτή θα βοηθήσουν αναμφισβήτητα τόσο οι νέες αεροπορικές συνδέσεις -με μεγαλύτερη τη συμβολή από τις επενδύσεις του ‘εθνικού’ αερομεταφορέα- όσο και ο θεσμός της τουριστικής κατοικίας, ο οποίος μπορεί να ενισχύσει τις τοπικές οικονομίες καθ’ όλη τη διάρκεια του έτους». Το Costa Navarino, πάντως, θα μείνει κλειστό μόλις για δυόμιση μήνες εφέτος το χειμώνα, δεδομένου ότι στις αρχές Δεκεμβρίου ολοκληρώνεται στις εγκαταστάσεις του το παγκόσμιο συνέδριο της Volkswagen για την παρουσίαση του νέου Passat, την μεγαλύτερη εκδήλωση στα χρονικά της γερμανικής εταιρείας, διάρκειας δύο μηνών -από τις αρχές Οκτωβρίου έως τις αρχές Δεκεμβρίου- για την οποία μάλιστα υπήρξε ειδική διαμόρφωση των χώρων με ειδικές πίστες κ.τ.λ. Κατά τις πρώτες πέντε εβδομάδες των παρουσιάσεων, περισσότερα από 10.000 στελέχη του δικτύου εμπόρων της Volk-

swagen επισκέφθηκαν τις εγκαταστάσεις του συγκροτήματος, σε 400 υπολογίζονται οι αφίξεις προσκεκλημένων σε καθημερινή βάση, ενώ μέχρι τις 4 Δεκεμβρίου περισσότερα από 20.000 στελέχη από όλο τον κόσμο, θα έχουν περάσει από τη Μεσσηνία…

H TEMEΣ εισέρχεται σταδιακά και στην επόμενη φάση της επένδυσης, στο κομμάτι της κατασκευής των τουριστικών κατοικιών, έχοντας μάλιστα προσθέσει στο δυναμικό της, από το τέλος του περασμένου καλοκαιριού, ένα από τα πλέον γνωστά στελέχη του εγχώριου real estate, τον Λ. Τασούλα, με πολυετή θητεία στην θυγατρική του ομίλου Eurobank στον τομέα της παροχής υπηρεσιών ακινήτων, την Eurobank Property Services. Με το καλό η νέα χρονιά…

Παγκόσμιες διακρίσεις για ελληνικά ξενοδοχεία Κερδίζουν συνεχώς διακρίσεις τα ελληνικά ξενοδοχεία. Το πολυτελές Bill & Coo Suites & Lounge Mykonos, μέλος των Small Luxury Hotels, κέρδισε το πρώτο βραβείο του καλύτερου παραθαλάσσιου ξενοδοχείου boutique της Ευρώπης, κατά την απονομή των βραβείων World Boutique Hotel Awards 2014. Διπλή διάκριση απέσπασε και το Poseidonion Grand Hotel στις Σπέτσες, που αναδείχθηκε ως το «Καλύτερο κλασσικό boutique ξενοδοχείο στον κόσμο», με την δεύτερη διάκριση να έρχεται στην κατηγορία «Καλύτερο κλασσικό ξενο-

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REPORTAGE δοχείο boutique στην Ευρώπη». Η εκδήλωση πραγματοποιήθηκε στο Montcalm Hotel στο Λονδίνο, παρουσία ξενοδόχων και ειδικών του κλάδου της φιλοξενίας από Αυστραλία, Γερμανία, Χονγκ Κονγκ, Ισλανδία, Ινδονησία, Ολλανδία, Νορβηγία, Ν. Αφρική, Ταϋλάνδη, Τουρκία, Ην. Βασίλειο και ΗΠΑ. Το 5 αστέρων Bill & Coo, στην παραλία Μεγάλη Άμμος της Μυκόνου, προσφέρει σουίτες με θέα στη θάλασσα, μεσογειακές γεύσεις και πισίνα υπερχείλισης με θέα στον κόλπο. Το βραβευμένο γκουρμέ εστιατόριο του Bill & Coo All Suite Hotel, βρίσκεται δίπλα στην πισίνα και έχει θέα στη θάλασσα. Το βραβείο του «Καλύτερου boutique hotel στον κόσμο» απέ-

σπασε το Saffire Feycinet στην Αυστραλία. Επιπλέον, το «Poseidonion Grand Hotel», αποτελεί σημείο αναφοράς του νησιού των Σπετσών εδώ και έναν αιώνα με την ιδιαίτερή του αρχιτεκτονική, η οποία παραπέμπει στα ξενοδοχεία της Côte d'Azur. Όραμα του ευπατρίδη ευεργέτη Σωτήριου Ανάργυρου, ο οποίος και συνέβαλε τα μέγιστα στην ανάπτυξη των Σπετσών, το «Poseidonion Grand Hotel» άνοιξε τις πόρτες του για πρώτη φορά το καλοκαίρι του 1914 χαρίζοντας στο νησί κοσμοπολίτικη λάμψη. Σύντομα, αναδείχθηκε σε σημείο κατατεθέν του νησιού, φιλοξενώντας στους χώρους του μέλη της υψηλής κοινωνίας, της βασιλικής οικογένειας καθώς και πλούσιους Αθηναίους.

Πρώτοι οι Ελληνες σε παραγγελίες στην Κίνα Δεν είναι δύσκολο να αντιληφθεί κανείς γιατί τα τελευταία χρόνια οι Κινέζοι μας έχουν μέσα στην καρδιά τους! Όσοι νομίζουν ότι η αγάπη των κατοίκων της αχανούς αυτής χώρας μας αγαπούν μόνον επειδή γίναμε η πύλη εισόδου του εμπορίου τους στην Ευρώπη (βλέπε Cosco), κάνουν λάθος. Οι Έλληνες, σήμερα, αποτελούν τον καλύτερο πελάτη των κινεζικών ναυπηγείων! Αρκεί να σκεφθεί κανείς ότι περίπου 100 ελληνικά πλοία επισκευάζονται ετησίως σε κινεζικά ναυπηγεία και το 10% των ελληνικών εμπορικών πλοίων άνω των 100 τόνων έχουν κατασκευαστεί εκεί! Έχοντας ελάχιστη εμπειρία στις κατασκευές, (οι γείτονές τους Ιάπωνες και Κορεάτες είναι πολύ μπροστά στον συγκεκριμένο τομέα), ακολούθησαν την πολιτική των χαμηλών απαιτήσεων, δεχόμενοι ταυτόχρονα την παρουσία τεχνικών συμβούλων από τις εταιρείες, οι οποίοι στην ουσία λειτούργησαν ως δάσκαλοι, οι Κινέζοι έχουν ήδη αρχίσει να κερδίζουν έδαφος στον συγκεκριμένο τομέα. Σήμερα, δραστηριοποιούνται στην Κίνα περίπου 50 επιχειρήσεις ελληνικών συμφερόντων, ενώ το σύνολο των ελληνικών παραγωγικών επενδύσεων στη χώρα, από τον Αύγουστο του 1978 μέχρι το 2012, αναλύεται σε 114 επενδυτικά σχέδια με υλοποιηθείσες επενδύσεις της τάξεως των 92.990.000 δολαρίων. Μικρά τα ποσά, αν αναλογισθεί κανείς τον πληθυσμό της Κίνας, αλλά και το ύψος των επενδύσεων της Cosco στον Πειραιά! Η Ελλάδα βρίσκεται σήμερα στην 54η θέση των εξαγωγών της Κίνας, με 3.949.368.486 δολάρια και στην 92η θέση όσον αφορά στις εισαγωγές της Κίνας από άλλες χώρες, με συνολικές εισαγωγές για το 2013 ύψους 433.266.752 δολαρίων. Όπως αναφέρουν στοιχεία της Γενικής Διοίκησης Τελωνείων της Λ.Δ της Κίνας, οι ελληνικές εξαγωγές το 2013 αυξήθηκαν στα 434.140.000 δολάρια, σημειώνοντας ποσοστιαία αύξηση κατά 1,35% σε σχέση με το προηγούμενο έτος. Οι κινεζικές εξαγωγές προς την Ελλάδα σημείωσαν περαιτέρω πτώση στα 3,216 δισ. δολάρια (-10,5%). Τα στοιχεία της ΕΛΣΤΑΤ για το 2014, σημείωσαν αύξηση των ελληνικών εξαγωγών κατά 10% (419.700.000 ευρώ) και μείωση των εισαγωγών κατά 4% (2,19 δισ. ευρώ). Χάρις στην αύξηση των ελληνικών εξαγωγών και τη μείωση των ελληνικών εισα-

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γωγών τα τελευταία έτη, οι ελληνικές εξαγωγές αναλογούν πλέον σε περίπου 1/5 των κινεζικών εξαγωγών προς την Ελλάδα, πάντα κατά την ΕΛΣΤΑΤ. Τα βασικά ελληνικά προϊόντα, που ταξίδεψαν το 2013 στην Κίνα, ήταν μάρμαρα (δολομίτης, τραβερτίνα), βαμβάκι, μέταλλα (προϊόντα αλουμινίου και απορρίμματα μετάλλων), προϊόντα πετρελαίου, δέρματα και γουνοδέρματα, χημικά και πλαστικά (φάρμακα, απορρίμματα πλαστικών και χρωστικές ύλες), ηλεκτρικά είδη (κυρίως ηλεκτρικά φουρνάκια), πολτοί και χαρτιά (κυρίως χαρτιά και χαρτόνια για ανακύκλωση), τρόφιμα και ποτά (κυρίως ελαιόλαδα, ζυμαρικά, κρασιά). Τα βασικά, όμως, κινεζικά προϊόντα για το 2013 στην Ελλάδα ήταν… πλοία ! Επιβατηγά, κρουαζιερόπλοια, οχηματαγωγά (φέρι-μποτ), φορτηγά και τάνκερ! Τα «ψιλά» ήταν, δίοδοι, τρανζίστορ ημιαγωγοί κλπ, Η/Υ (Μηχανές επεξεργασίας δεδομένων κλπ), προϊόντα κινητής τηλεφωνίας, ελάσματα και ταινίες, από αργίλιο, παιχνίδια συσκευές τεχνητού κλίματος, ναυτικά βαρούλκα φορτώσεως,γερανοί, γερανογέφυρες, κλπ, υποδήματα, είδη ταξιδιού. Στην Κίνα έχουν ναυπηγηθεί, τα 10 τελευταία χρόνια, περισσότερα από 400 πλοία ελληνικών συμφερόντων, ενώ εκκρεμούν περί τις 300 νέες παραγγελίες! Όπως αναφέρουν στοιχεία της Ένωσης Ελλήνων Εφοπλιστών, τον Σεπτέμβριο του 2013 και ενώ τα ναυπηγικά προγράμματα είχαν περιοριστεί παγκοσμίως λόγω υπερπροσφοράς χωρητικότητας, βρίσκονταν συνολικά υπό παραγγελία σε κινεζικά ναυπηγεία, παραγγελίες για ναυπήγηση 188 πλοίων ελληνικών συμφερόντων. Το γεγονός αυτό καταδεικνύει το κινεζικό ενδιαφέρον και συμφέρον να διατηρηθεί η σχέση της με την ελληνική ναυτιλία. Ως εκ τούτου η υπάρχουσα Συμφωνία χρηματοδότησης ύψους 5 δισ. δολαρίων ΗΠΑ από κινεζικές τράπεζες για τη ναυπήγηση πλοίων ελληνικών συμφερόντων σε κινεζικά ναυπηγεία, αναμένεται να ενισχύσει τους αμοιβαία επωφελείς δεσμούς μεταξύ των δύο χωρών στους τομείς ναυπήγησης και θαλάσσιων εμπορευματικών μεταφορών. Αμοιβαία τα συμφέροντα, λοιπόν, αλλά αν κάθε Κινέζος αγόραζε μια καρφίτσα από την Ελλάδα, θα είχαμε εξοφλήσει την τρόικα!

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Danaos-Fourlis: Μega Mall αλλά… στη Βουλγαρία! Επένδυση 400.000.000 ευρώ! Δύο από τα μεγαλύτερα ελληνικά επιχειρηματικά ονόματα της Ναυτιλίας και του Λιανεμπορίου , ένωσαν τις δυνάμεις τους και δημιούργησαν το μεγαλύτερο μεικτό εμπορικό και οικιστικό συγκρότημα, το οποίο στην πλήρη ανάπτυξή του θα υπερβεί, ως επένδυση, τα 400.000.000 ευρώ! Μόνο που δεν το έφτιαξαν στην Ελλάδα αλλά στη… Βουλγαρία! Ο «δικός μας» δρ. Ιωάννης Κούστας της Danaos και ο Βασίλης Φουρλής του ομίλου Fourlis, εγκαινίασαν στις αρχές του μηνός, στη Σόφια, παρουσία του Βούλγαρου πρωθυπουργού Μπόικο Μπορίσοφ, ένα από τα πιο εντυπωσιακά -αρχιτεκτονικά- malls στην Νότια Ευρώπη, το «Sofia Ring Mall». Οι δυο όμιλοι έχουν, ήδη, επενδύσει από κοινού κεφάλαια 130.000.000 ευρώ, ενώ ο όμιλος Fourlis είχε, ήδη, εμπειρία στη Βουλγαρία, αφού το 2011 ολοκλήρωσε επένδυση 50 εκατ. ευρώ, για τη δημιουργία του ΙΚΕΑ, ακριβώς δίπλα στο σημερινό mall. Ο δρ. Κούστας σκοπεύει να συνεχίσει αυτόνομα την επένδυση στην έκταση που άρχισε να αποκτά πριν από μία δεκαετία και πλέον, όταν οραματίστηκε για πρώτη φορά τη μεταμόρφωσή της: «Εντυπωσιάστηκα από την περιοχή και ξεκίνησα να συγκεντρώνω γη, με αποτέλεσμα αυτή τη στιγμή να έχει δημιουργηθεί το μεγαλύτερο ιδιωτικό ενιαίο οικόπεδο στη Σόφια. Σήμερα, η περιοχή δεν θυμίζει σε τίποτα την προ δεκαετίας εικόνα, ενώ θα αλλάξει κι άλλο, αφού το σχέδιο για το μεγαλύτερο μεικτό εμπορικό και οικιστικό συγκρότημα στη Βουλγαρία παραμένει, με μία συνολική επένδυση άνω των 400 εκατ. ευρώ», ανέφερε ο δρ. Κούστας. Η οδική πρόσβαση πρώτα στο ΙΚΕΑ και τώρα στο «Sofia Ring Mall» έχει βελτιωθεί εντυπωσιακά, ενώ στις δεσμεύσεις της βουλγαρικής κυβέρνησης συμπεριλαμβάνεται και η περαιτέρω ενίσχυση του δικτύου των μέσων μαζικής μεταφοράς, με την άφιξη του μετρό στην περιοχή σε δύο χρόνια από σήμερα. Η δεύτερη φάση, την οποία θα «τρέξει» αυτόνομα η Danaos, αφορά την κατασκευή της μεικτής ζώνης, με χώρους γραφείων, πάρκο με τεχνητή λίμνη, ξενοδοχείο και αθλητικές εγκαταστάσεις συνολικής επιφάνειας 54.000 τ.μ. Η τρίτη φάση περιλαμβάνει το οικιστικό κομμάτι, με πάνω από 500 διαμερίσματα και κατοικίες. Εφόσον ολοκληρωθεί το όλο project, υπολογίζεται ότι πάνω από 5.000 άτομα θα ζουν και θα εργάζονται στο πιο «σύγχρονο εμπορικό και οικιστικό complex των Βαλκανίων», ανέφερε ο δρ. Κούστας. «Δημιουργήσαμε το μεγαλύτερο και πιο σύγχρονο εμπορικό χώρο στην Νότια Ευρώπη, συνολικής επιφάνειας 105.000 τ.μ.

Ήδη, η εμπειρία της Fourlis, από το 2011 που πρωτολειτούργησε το ΙΚΕΑ της Σόφιας μέχρι και σήμερα, από την ανταπόκριση των Βούλγαρων καταναλωτών είναι κάτι παραπάνω από θετική, με αύξηση στις πωλήσεις κατά 10%-15% ετησίως και τζίρο περί τα 90 εκατ. λέβα (σ.σ.: 45-46 εκατ. ευρώ) για εφέτος», ανέφερε ο Β. Φουρλής. Στα «εκκωφαντικά» εγκαίνια του mall -με 1.000 προσκεκλημένους, έδωσαν το «παρών» ουκ ολίγοι Έλληνες επιχειρηματίες από τους κλάδους του τουρισμού, του λιανεμπορίου, της ένδυσης, γνωστά εφοπλιστικά ονόματα, υψηλόβαθμα στελέχη από τις τρεις τράπεζες που χρηματοδότησαν το έργο (Εθνική, Alpha Bank και Eurobank), αλλά και εργαζόμενοι του mall και του ΙΚΕΑ.

Οι ελληνικές παρουσίες Οι περισσότεροι από τους επιχειρηματίες ταξίδεψαν από την Ελλάδα με ναυλωμένη πτήση της Aegean 160 επιβατών - πολλοί από αυτούς ως ένδειξη στήριξης και φιλίας, ενώ κάποιοι άλλοι διατηρούν καταστήματα ή παρουσία μέσω της Notos στο νέο mall. Μεταξύ των παρευρισκομένων ήταν ο αντιπρόεδρος της Aegean, Ευτύχης Βασιλάκης, ο Αχιλλέας Κωνσταντακόπουλος του ομίλου ΤΕΜΕΣ («Costa Navarino»), ο πρώην υπουργός Πέτρος Δούκας, ο Δημήτρης και η Αρετή Δαλακούρα της γνωστής εφοπλιστικής οικογένειας, η Βαρβάρα Βερνίκου και ο Μιχάλης Παπαέλληνας των πολυκαταστημάτων Notos, ο Σάμι Φάις, ο Θεόδωρος Δούρος, διευθύνων σύμβουλος της Dur. Επίσης, ο Θεόδωρος Βάρδας, οικονομολόγος και επιχειρηματίας της φερώνυμης αλυσίδας ένδυσης, με μακρά παρουσία και στο Σύνδεσμο Επιχειρήσεων Λιανικής Πώλησης Ελλάδος, ο πρόεδρος του ΣΕΛΠΕ, Αντώνης Μακρής, η Λιάνα Βουράκη της γνωστής αλυσίδας κοσμημάτων, οι ιδρυτές και επικεφαλής της Apivita Νίκος και Νίκη Κουτσιανά, η Ειρήνη Μαμιδάκη, ο Αντώνης Διγαλάκης του ομίλου Digalakis, o Λέων Μπατής της Leonard’s, η γνωστή επιχειρηματίας από το χώρο της ένδυσης Χρυσούλα Κέρος, η Αννα-Μαρία Μαζαράκη, της γνωστής αλυσίδας κοσμημάτων, ο Ισαάκ Ιζι Σαλτιέλ της παλιάς βορειοελλαδίτικης επιχειρηματικής οικογένειας, ο Βασίλης Μπιθαράς, επίσης από το χώρο της ένδυσης (BSB) κ.ά. Η ελληνική παρουσία στο mall των 75.000 τ.μ. είναι έντονη: Ο όμιλος Notos δημιουργεί το μεγαλύτερο πολυκατάστημα shop in shop στη Βουλγαρία, συνολικής επιφάνειας 6.000 τ.μ. Ενδεικτικό μάλιστα του πόσο πιστεύουν οι ίδιοι οι μέτοχοι στο εγχείρημά τους είναι ότι στη νέα εταιρεία της Notos, που αφορά στην εμπορική της δραστηριότητα στη γειτονική χώρα, συμμε-

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REPORTAGE τέχουν με 25% έκαστος τόσο ο όμιλος Fourlis όσο και η Danaos. Ο όμιλος Fais, επίσης, ανοίγει κατάστημα Puma και o όμιλος Φουρλής τα Intersport. Ακόμη, ανοίγουν καταστήματα η Oxford Company, τα Petit Bateau, οι Νike και Converse του ομίλου Folli Follie, τα Flocafe, τα Burgering House, το Fantasy Park κ.ά.

Θετικές προβλέψεις Συνολικά, το mall των 75.000 τ.μ. (επιπλέον 30.000 τ.μ. είναι το γειτονικό ΙΚΕΑ), φιλοξενεί πάνω από 200 καταστήματα (με περισσότερες από 400 μάρκες, 100 από τις οποίες έρχονται για πρώτη φορά στην βουλγαρική αγορά), τον μόνο κινηματογράφο στη χώρα με δέκα VIP αίθουσες, το μεγαλύτερο κέντρο ψυχαγωγίας εσωτερικού χώρου, την μεγαλύτερη πίστα για καρτ στη χώρα, έκτασης 7.500 τ.μ., το μεγαλύτερο πολυκατάστημα, δωρεάν parking 3.500 θέσεων, VIP parking 100 θέσεων. «Το IKEA της Βουλγαρίας έχει 1 εκατομμύριο επισκέψεις τον χρόνο και υπολογίζουμε ότι το νούμερο θα είναι πενταπλάσιο για το mall με

μια ακτίνα επιρροής 150 χλμ.», ανέφερε ο Β. Φουρλής και πρόσθεσε: «Τα καταστήματα στη Βουλγαρία είναι ανοιχτά τα Σαββατοκύριακα -μάλιστα το 50% του τζίρου πραγματοποιείται το τριήμερο Παρασκευή - Σάββατο - Κυριακή, ενώ ένα ακόμη χαρακτηριστικό συνολικά για τις πρώην ανατολικές χώρες είναι ότι δεν έχουν εμπορικές πιάτσες σε γειτονιές στα πρότυπα π.χ. της Αθήνας, εξ ου και η ανάπτυξη των εμπορικών κέντρων είναι πιο έντονη. Οι ελληνικές επιχειρήσεις επενδύουν στα Βαλκάνια λόγω της γειτνίασης, αλλά και επειδή είναι πιο φθηνά. Επιπλέον, παρά το χαμηλό μέσο εισόδημα των Βούλγαρων, η ανεργία στη Σόφια είναι μόλις στο 2% και γενικά η Βουλγαρία δεν έζησε ποτέ την ανάπτυξη κατά τα πρότυπα πυροτεχνήματος. Επομένως, οι προοπτικές για μια τέτοιου είδους επένδυση, που συνδυάζει λιανεμπόριο και ψυχαγωγία σε ένα πιο «φυσικό» περιβάλλον, θεωρούμε ότι είναι θετικές». Αυτά τα ωραία, από τη… Βουλγαρία! Κατά τα άλλα, περιμένουμε την ανάπτυξη….

ERMA FIRST: Εφθασε τις 100 παραγγελίες Τις πρώτες 100 παραγγελίες συστημάτων επεξεργασίας θαλασσίου έρματος για πλοία έκλεισε η ERMA FIRST. Η ελληνική εταιρεία, μέσα σε δύο χρόνια από την πιστοποίησή της από τον IMO, την Ελληνική Αρχή και τους LLOYD’S Register, εισήλθε στον παγκόσμιο ανταγωνισμό και, ήδη, έχει καταφέρει να κλείσει 100 παραγγελίες σε μια αγορά αξίας 40 δισ. δολαρίων και με 50 πολυεθνικές εταιρείες ως ανταγωνιστές. Η πρόοδος αυτή δεν θα είχε πραγματοποιηθεί χωρίς τη στήριξη του ελληνικού εφοπλισμού. Μερικά από τα μεγαλύτερα ονόματα του ελληνικού εφοπλισμού, βρίσκονται πλέον στο πελατολόγιό της. Εταιρείες όπως οι: Tsakos Shipping, Costamare, Evalend Shipping, Neptune Lines, Niovis Shipping, Stealth Maritime, Oceanbulk Maritime, Phoenix Shipping, υπέγραψαν συμβόλαιο για εγκατάσταση συστημάτων σε πολλά από τα πλοία τους. Η επιστημονική ομάδα της ERMA FIRST και οι συνεργάτες της, ευχαριστούν την Ελληνική Ναυτιλιακή Κοινότητα για τη στήριξη και την εμπιστοσύνη που δείχνουν στην τεχνολογία της ERMA FIRST. Παράλληλα, η εταιρεία έχει κατορθώσει να κερδίσει την εμπιστοσύνη και των μεγάλων ναυπηγείων της Ασίας, λόγω της ποιότητας των προϊόντων της άμεσης επικοινωνίας και υποστήριξής τους. Οι μεγαλύτεροι όμιλοι της Ασίας έχουν εντάξει την ERMA FIRST στη λίστα κατασκευαστών, παρά το γεγονός ότι, τόσο στην Κίνα, όσο στην Ιαπωνία και την Κορέα, υπάρχουν μεγάλες ανταγωνιστικές βιομηχανίες.

Το ιστορικό Η ελληνική εταιρεία σχεδιασμού και κατασκευής προηγμένων συστημάτων επεξεργασίας θαλασσίου έρματος ERMA FIRST S.A., ιδρύθηκε μόλις το 2009 και από τότε έως και σήμερα σημειώνει σταθερά ανοδική πορεία στην παγκόσμια αγορά. Σε πολύ μικρό χρονικό διάστημα, λαμβάνει πιστοποίηση από την Ελληνική Αρχή, τον IMO και τους LLOYD’S Register και στα μέσα του 2012, μπαίνει δυναμικά στον παγκόσμιο ανταγωνισμό. Η ERMA FIRST έχει στα χέρια της την αποδοχή AMS, από την Ακτοφυλακή των ΗΠΑ από το 2013, η οποία αποτελεί το

60 SHIPPING NOVEMBER 2014

ενδιάμεσο στάδιο για τη λήψη Πιστοποιητικού Έγκρισης Τύπου (USCG TypeApproval). Αξίζει να σημειωθεί, ότι η ERMA FIRST ήταν η πρώτη ελληνική εταιρεία και η δεύτερη στον κόσμο που έχοντας το θάρρος και την απόλυτη εμπιστοσύνη στο σύστημά της- κατέθεσε αίτηση στο Αμερικάνικο Ινστιτούτο Ερευνών (NSF) για πιστοποιητικό USCG. Παράλληλα, βρίσκεται ήδη σε συνεργασία με τον Νορβηγικό Νηογνώμονα, για την εγκατάσταση συστήματος σε περιοχές επικινδυνότητας Ζώνης 1 και 2. «Ο ανταγωνισμός είναι σκληρός. Εμείς αποτελούμαστε από μια συμπαγή ομάδα νέων εξειδικευμένων και αφοσιωμένων στελεχών με γερές επιστημονικές γνώσεις και εμπειρία στον τομέα θαλάσσιας και περιβαλλοντικής τεχνολογίας. Οι επιστήμονές μας διακατέχονται από βαθύ αίσθημα ευθύνης, απέναντι στη δημιουργία τεχνολογίας του μέλλοντος. Θα έλεγε κανείς, ότι αυτό που μας κάνει να ξεχωρίζουμε και να συνεχίζουμε την ανοδική μας πορεία, είναι οι συντονισμένες προσπάθειες, η άρτια τεχνική και επιστημονική υποστήριξη, και οι ανταγωνιστικές τιμές που προκύπτουν από τον έξυπνο σχεδιασμό του συστήματος. Βέβαια, να μη λησμονούμε την αμέριστη εμπιστοσύνη και υποστήριξη των Ελλήνων πλοιοκτητών, που αγκάλιασαν την αξιόλογη προσπάθεια της εταιρείας μας», τόνισε ο Κωνσταντίνος Σταμπεδάκης, διευθύνων σύμβουλος της Erma». Η ERMA FIRST, κατανοώντας τις ανάγκες των καιρών και εμμένοντας ως μια καθαρά ελληνική εταιρεία με έδρα στον Πειραιά, έχοντας υψηλά καταρτισμένο επιστημονικό δυναμικό και εργοστασιακές εγκαταστάσεις, σχεδιάζει, δημιουργεί, παράγει και συναρμολογεί τα συστήματά της στην Ελλάδα. Με αυτόν τον τρόπο, ανοίγει νέες θέσεις εργασίας, συνάπτει συνεργασίες με περισσότερες από 15 ελληνικές εταιρείες και συνδράμει στην προσπάθεια που γίνεται για επιστροφή της χώρας σε αναπτυξιακούς ρυθμούς. * περιοχές επικινδυνότητας Ζώνης 1 και 2 = περιοχές με υψηλή επικινδυνότητα πυρκαγιάς ή έκρηξης λόγω παρουσίας εύφλεκτων, εκρηκτικών ή άλλων επικίνδυνων υλών

ΕΙΔΗΣΕΙΣ

Άλλα Κ…ΟΛΠΑ Νέο χαράτσι στην Πάτρα Νέα ένταση σημειώνεται στις σχέσεις ακτοπλόων και Οργανισμού Λιμένος Πατρών, έπειτα από το νέο «χαράτσι», που επέβαλε ο ΟΛΠΑ στα οχήματα που διακινούνται με τα πλοία της γραμμής Πατρών-Ιταλίας. «Συνεχίζοντας την τακτική αιφνιδιασμού που εφαρμόζει τα τελευταία χρόνια, ο Οργανισμός Λιμένος Πατρών αποφάσισε να επιβάλλει «τέλος ISPS» στα φορτηγά αυτοκίνητα που διακινούνται στις γραμμές Πάτρας - Ιταλίας, παρά το γεγονός ότι ο κώδικας ISPS ήδη εφαρμόζεται στον λιμένα Πατρών και οι υπηρεσίες αυτές καλύπτονται από τα Λιμενικά Τέλη, που ήδη καταβάλλουν τα φορτηγά αυτοκίνητα. Η ακατανόητη αυτή επιβάρυνση και μάλιστα την δεδομένη χρονική στιγμή, έρχεται να προστεθεί στο έτερο χαράτσι των 3,5 ευρώ, που επεβλήθη στις μεταφορικές Εταιρείες για την υποχρεωτική ζύγιση των φορτηγών αυτοκινήτων, γεγονός επίσης απαράδεκτο», αναφέρει ο Σύνδεσμος Επιχειρήσεων Επιβατηγού Ακτοπλοΐας. Ο ΣΕΕΝ τονίζει ότι οι νέες επιβαρύνσεις προστίθενται σε σειρά άλλων μονομερών και αδικαιολόγητων αυξήσεων από τον ΟΛΠΑ, όπως την αύξηση των τελών αποκομιδής στερεών αποβλήτων κατά 60% τον Νοέμβριο

του 2011, και την επιπλέον αύξησή τους κατά 140% από τον Απρίλιο του 2014, μετά από την «εκ νέου ανάθεση» της υπηρεσίας με διαγωνισμό στην ίδια εταιρεία. Είναι αξιοσημείωτο ότι οι εν λόγω υπηρεσίες στο λιμάνι της Πάτρας (όπως εξάλλου και στα κυριότερα επιβατικά λιμάνια της Ηπειρωτικής Ελλάδας και της Κρήτης), προσφέρονται μονοπωλιακά από την ίδια εταιρεία από το 2002. Τα έξοδα αποκομιδής στερεών αποβλήτων έχουν αυξηθεί από το 2008 κατά 265%, γεγονός απαράδεκτο, αν λάβουμε υπόψη ότι το μέσο εισόδημα των Ελλήνων έχει μειωθεί στο ίδιο διάστημα κατά 36%», αναφέρει η ανακοίνωση του Συνδέσμου.

Social Media Awards 2014 Η Blue Star Ferries βραβεύεται με το Silver Award Η Blue Star Ferries, μέλος του Ομίλου Attica και η εταιρεία ολοκληρωμένων υπηρεσιών Marketing, Προώθησης και Πωλήσεων MSPS, απέσπασαν το Silver Award στην κατηγορία Best Use of Social Media in Real Life στα Social Media Awards 2014, που διοργανώθηκαν από την εταιρεία Boussias Communications. Το βραβείο απευθύνεται στην εφαρμογή/διαγωνισμό «Travel Fun Memories», που κέρδισε το κοινό της Blue Star Ferries και προσέφερε αξέχαστες αναμνήσεις σε όλους τους fans της σελίδας που διατηρεί η εταιρεία στο Facebook. Συγκεκριμένα, η Blue Star Ferries σε συνεργασία με την MSPS δημιούργησαν κατά τους καλοκαιρινούς μήνες του 2014 μια User Generated Content εφαρμογή. Μέσω της εφαρμογής, οι fans της Blue Star Ferries είχαν τη δυνατότητα να ανεβάσουν στο Facebook και στο Instagram, φωτογραφίες από

τις αγαπημένες καλοκαιρινές στιγμές μέσα από τα πλοία ή και από τους προορισμούς της Blue Star Ferries, χρησιμοποιώντας το hastag #BSFtravelfun. Οι φωτογραφίες γίνονταν αυτόματα μέρος ενός καλοκαιρινού φωτογραφικού άλμπουμ στη σελίδα της εταιρείας στο Facebook, όπου οι χρήστες καλούνταν να κάνουν tag στον εαυτό τους, λαμβάνοντας αυτόματα δικαίωμα συμμετοχής σε κλήρωση με δώρο ταξίδια σε αγαπημένους προορισμούς της Blue Star Ferries.

O Όμιλος Attica δραστηριοποιείται στον κλάδο της επιβατηγού ναυτιλίας στην Αδριατική θάλασσα και στις ελληνικές ακτοπλοϊκές γραμμές. Διαθέτει το νεότερο στόλο στη Ευρώπη, με 12 επιβατηγά-οχηματαγωγά πλοία, προσφέροντας υπηρεσίες μεταφοράς υψηλού επιπέδου για επιβάτες, φορτηγά και Ι.Χ. οχήματα.

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ΕΙΔΗΣΕΙΣ

Διάσωση 230 μεταναστών από το MT «BYZANTION» του ομίλου Τσάκου Η ελληνική ναυτοσύνη έδωσε για μία ακόμη φορά τα διαπιστευτήριά της. Το πλήρωμα του υπό ελληνική σημαία δεξαμενόπλοιου «ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΟΝ» του ομίλου Τσάκου, υπό την πλοιαρχία του καπετάνιου Αχιλλέα Σανούδου, διενήργησε δυο διασώσεις σε διάστημα ολίγων ωρών και περισυνέλεξε σώους 230 (141 την πρώτη και 89 τη δεύτερη) μετανάστες που κινδύνευαν να πνιγούν στη Μεσόγειο, ανοικτά των ακτών της Λιβύης. Το πλοίο, στις 14 Νοεμβρίου 2014, ενώ βρισκόταν στη ρότα από La Skhirra της Τυνησίας προς την Ελευσίνα, ενημερώθηκε από τις αρχές του συντονιστικού κέντρου διάσωσης της Ρώμης, ότι δύο σκάφη ανοικτά των Λιβυκών ακτών βρίσκονταν σε κίνδυνο. Το πλοίο, με 24μελές πλήρωμα, κατέπλευσε άμεσα στα σημεία και περισυνέλεξε σώους 230 μετανάστες, στους οποίους παρασχέθηκε κάθε δυνατή βοήθεια. Για την πορεία της επιχείρησης, ενημερώθηκαν πλήρως τόσο οι ιταλικές όσο και οι ελ-

ληνικές αρχές. Το πλοίο, κατ’ εντολήν των Ιταλικών αρχών, μετέφερε με ασφάλεια και αποβίβασε τους μετανάστες στον λιμένα Augusta της Σικελίας. Η εταιρεία εκφράζει στον Πλοίαρχο, στους αξιωματικούς και το πλήρωμα του MT «BYZANTION», τα πιο θερμά της συγχαρητήρια για την αφοσίωσή τους και τον επαγγελματισμό τους στην παροχή βοήθειας σε συνανθρώπους μας που κινδυνεύουν στη θάλασσα. Με τον πλοίαρχο του Δεξαμενόπλοιου, επικοινώνησε τηλεφωνικά ο Υπουργός Ναυτιλίας και Αιγαίου, Μιλτιάδης Βαρβιτσιώτης, μεταφέροντας τα θερμά του συγχαρητήρια στον ίδιο και το πλήρωμά του για τη διάσωση των μεταναστών. Ο κ. Βαρβιτσιώτης, κατά τη συνομιλία του με τον πλοίαρχο, τόνισε: «Εκφράζω τα θερμά μου συγχαρητήρια σε εσάς, τους αξιωματικούς και το πλήρωμα του δεξαμενόπλοιου «ΒΥΖΑΝΤΙΟΝ», για τη διάσωση διακοσίων τριάντα (230) μεταναστών, οι οποίοι βρίσκονταν σε κατάσταση κινδύνου πάνω σε δύο λέμβους στη Μεσόγειο. Η ενέργειά σας να σπεύσετε στο σημείο και να διασώσετε διακόσιες τριάντα ανθρώπινες ψυχές από τη θάλασσα, αποτελεί ύψιστη πράξη αλληλεγγύης και αφοσίωσης στο καθήκον. Αποδεικνύει, παράλληλα, για ακόμη μία φορά, τα ανθρωπιστικά ιδεώδη που διαπνέουν την ελληνική ναυτιλία, επιβεβαιώνοντας τους λόγους που αυτή βρίσκεται στην κορυφή της παγκόσμιας ναυτιλίας. Η διαχρονική προσφορά, άλλωστε, της οικογένειας Τσάκου, του Καπετάν Παναγιώτη και του υιού του Νίκου στην Ελληνική Ναυτιλία, τιμά τις παραδόσεις της ελληνικής ναυτοσύνης και τους ανθρώπους της, τιμά την ίδια μας την πατρίδα».

Δεκέμβριος: Στα ταμπλό η Τράπεζα Κύπρου Τον Δεκέμβριο επιστρέφει στο Χρηματιστήριο Αξιών Κύπρου (ΧΑΚ) και στο Χρηματιστήριο Αθηνών η μετοχή της Τράπεζας Κύπρου. Σημειώνεται, ότι η τράπεζα έχει καταθέσει προσχέδιο του ενημερωτικού δελτίου στην Επιτροπή Κεφαλαιαγοράς Κύπρου αναφορικά με την εισαγωγή των μη εισηγμένων συνήθων μετοχών της στο ΧΑΚ και στο ΧΑ και με την δημόσια προσφορά. Όπως ανακοινώθηκε σχετικά: «Η Τράπεζα Κύπρου ΚΥΠΡ Δημόσια Εταιρία Λτδ («Τράπεζα») είναι στην ευχάριστη θέση να

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ανακοινώσει ότι προχωρά με την εισαγωγή των μη εισηγμένων συνήθων μετοχών της στο Χρηματιστήριο Αξιών Κύπρου («ΧΑΚ») και στο Χρηματιστήριο Αθηνών («ΧΑ»), αναφέρεται σε σχετική ανακοίνωση. «Υπό την αίρεση της λήψης των σχετικών εγκρίσεων, το Ενημερωτικό Δελτίο αναμένεται να εκδοθεί μέσα στις επόμενες λίγες εβδομάδες και η εισαγωγή των μετοχών αναμένεται να πραγματοποιηθεί εντός του Δεκεμβρίου 2014», προστίθεται.

ΕΙΔΗΣΕΙΣ

ΟΛΗ: Τουριστική εξόρμηση στην Κίνα Η Περιφέρεια Κρήτης και ο Οργανισμός Λιμένος Ηρακλείου Α.Ε., στα πλαίσια της στρατηγικής συνεργασίας τους για την προώθηση του τουριστικού προϊόντος της Κρήτης, διεξάγουν, από κοινού με άλλους παραγωγικούς φορείς, σειρά επαφών στα πλαίσια σημαντικής επίσκεψης στην Κίνα. Το εναρκτήριο λάκτισμα αυτής της πρωτοβουλίας, δόθηκε από την μεγάλη επιτυχία που γνώρισαν τα «Rose Weddings 2014», που πραγματοποιήθηκαν τον περασμένο Απρίλιο στην Κρήτη. Ήδη, υπάρχει σημαντικό ενδιαφέρον από τη Σαγκάη και την επαρχία Fujian για την πραγματοποίηση τουριστικών επισκέψεων με αντικείμενο την τέλεση γάμων στην Κρήτη. Στα πλαίσια αυτής της αποστολής, ο Πρόεδρος και Διευθύνων Σύμβουλος του Οργανισμού Λιμένος Ηρακλείου, Ιωάννης Μπρας και ο Εντεταλμένος Σύμβουλος, υπεύθυνος τουρισμού της Περιφέρειας Κρήτης, Μιχάλης Βαμιεδάκης, δώρισαν αντίγραφο του φημισμένου Δίσκου της Φαιστού, από μπρούντζο, στο Μουσείο της πόλης Guangzhou (Guangdong Foreign Affairs Museum) στην επαρχία Guangdong. Η κοινή αποστολή Περιφέρειας-ΟΛΗ-φορέων-επιχειρήσεων, επισκέπτεται 4 επαρχίες της Κίνας, με συνολικό πληθυσμό 600 εκ. κατοίκους και έχει συναντήσεις με τους επικεφαλής των αντίστοιχων τοπικών τουριστικών οργανισμών. Μεταξή άλλων, ο ΟΛΗ επιδιώκει να διαμορφώσει τις συνθήκες για την πραγματοποίηση επισκέψεων κρουαζιέρας στο Αιγαίο και την Κρήτη από Κινέζους πολίτες.

Ήδη, η κρουαζιέρα, ως εναλλακτική μέθοδος διακοπών, αρχίζει να προσελκύει κοινό και στην Κίνα, με παρουσία σημαντικών επιχειρήσεων του κλάδου, που προωθούν το συγκεκριμένο προϊόν στην Άπω Ανατολή. Για την Ελλάδα είναι πολύ σημαντικό, οι πολίτες της Κίνας να ενημερωθούν για τη δυνατότητα περιήγησης σε πολλούς προορισμούς, ταυτόχρονα, στην Ελλάδα και την Ανατολική Μεσόγειο, διαμέσου των εκδρομών κρουαζιέρας. Αυτό, δηλαδή η διείσδυση στην αχανή τουριστική αγορά της Κίνας, είναι το επόμενο μεγάλο στοίχημα της χώρας, μια και, ήδη, σημαντικός αριθμός κινέζων ταξιδεύει στο εξωτερικό. Επίσης, η κρουαζιέρα θα κερδίσει, σύντομα, το δικό της μερίδιο στην κινεζική αγορά. Να σημειωθεί ότι υπολογίζεται, μέχρι το 2020, να ταξιδεύουν ετησίως πάνω από 6 εκ. επιβάτες με κρουαζιερόπλοια.

Εντείνονται οι σχέσεις HELMEPA-USCG Στο πνεύμα της συνεχιζόμενης συνεργασίας μεταξύ των δύο Οργανισμών, αντιπροσωπεία εταιριών μελών συναντήθηκε με στελέχη της Αμερικανικής Ακτοφυλακής (USCG) στο Αρχηγείο της στη Washington D.C την 12η Νοεμβρίου 2014. Οι αντιπρόσωποι των Μελών της HELMEPA είχαν την ευκαιρία να αναπτύξουν ελεύθερα ανησυχίες πλοίων τους που ταξιδεύουν στις περιοχές δικαιοδοσίας USCG. Πήραν απαντήσεις και διευκρινίσεις, όπου απαιτήθηκε, έτσι ώστε συνεχώς να βελτιώνεται το ήδη υψηλό επίπεδο των πλοίωνμελών στις ΗΠΑ. Ο Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy, RADM Paul F. Thomas, δεν μπόρεσε να προεδρεύσει στη συνάντηση, στην οποία πήραν μέρος: − Captain Kyle McAvoy, Chief of Commercial Vessel Compliance − Captain J.C. Burton, Director of Inspections and Compliance − F.J. Sturm, Deputy Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards

(από αρ.) Π. Πίππος της Euronav Ship Management Hellas Ltd., F.J. Sturm, Deputy Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, Captain J.C. Burton, Director of Inspections and Compliance, Captain Kyle McAvoy, Chief of Commercial Vessel Compliance, Jeffrey G. Lantz, Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards, Δ. Κ. Μητσάτσος, Γενικός Διευθυντής HELMEPA, Καπετάν Ι. Δρακογιαννόπουλος της Costamare Shipping Company S.A., Ι. Λαδάς της Danaos Shipping Co. Ltd., Ν. Καμπούρης της Chandris Hellas Inc, Κρ. Πρεκεζέ, Εκτελεστική Συντονίστρια HELMEPA και Ι. Κουλουκουντής της Cleopatra Shipping Agency Ltd.

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ΕΙΔΗΣΕΙΣ − Ν. Καμπούρης της CHANDRIS HELLAS INC − Ι. Κουλουκουντής της CLEOPATRA SHIPPING AGENCY LTD − Καπετάν Ι. Δρακογιαννόπουλος της COSTAMARE SHIPPING CO SA − Ι. Λαδάς της DANAOS SHIPPING CO LTD − Π. Πίππος της EURONAV SHIP MANAGEMENT HELLAS LTD − Δ. Κ. Μητσάτσος, Κρ. Πρεκεζέ και Ε. Μαστροκώστα της HELMEPA. Επίσης, ο κ. Jeffrey G. Lantz, Director of Commercial Regulations and Standards παρακολούθησε τη συνάντηση κατά την οποία συζητήθηκαν κυρίως τα θέματα: •Συμμόρφωση με τις απαιτήσεις του Θαλασσέρματος (Alternative Management Systems-AMS in the interim) •Το Παράρτημα VI της MARPOL 73/78 και τα χαμηλής περιεκτικότητας σε θείο καύσιμα και τη συμμόρφωση με την επικείμενη ημερομηνία ισχύος τους •Θέματα OSROs και του Προγράμματος ALASKA APC καθώς και

ύπαρξη άλλων τέτοιων οργανισμών λόγω των ιδιαιτεροτήτων της περιοχής •Κανονισμοί της USCG καθώς και το Vessel General Permit (VGP2013) •Θέματα πιλότων σε ποτάμια και επιπτώσεις λόγω υψηλών ταχυτήτων. Μετά την επιτυχία της πρώτης συνάντησης το Νοέμβριο 2013 και με δεδομένο τις ειλικρινείς συζητήσεις που έγιναν μεταξύ μελών και υψηλόβαθμων αξιωματικών της Ακτοφυλακής, η HELMEPA πιστεύει ότι οι συναντήσεις αυτές θα συνεχιστούν και στο μέλλον. «Το έργο σας είναι ζωτικής σημασίας για την ασφάλεια και security στη θάλασσα», υπογράμμισε ο Υπαρχηγός της USCG, Ναύαρχος Peter V. Neffenger, στο μήνυμά του στον Γενικό Διευθυντή της HELMEPA.

Βαρβιτσιώτης: Παρελθόν η απομόνωση του Β. Αιγαίου Σειρά συναντήσεων και συσκέψεων είχε ο υπουργός Ναυτιλίας, Μιλτ. Βαρβιτσιώτης, στη Σάμο, όπου εκπροσώπησε την κυβέρνηση στον εορτασμό της 102ης Επετείου της Ενώσεως της Σάμου με τη μητέρα Ελλάδα. Στο Κεντρικό Λιμεναρχείο του ακριτικού νησιού, ο υπουργός συνομίλησε με τα στελέχη της Λιμενικής Αρχής, τα οποία επωμίζονται καθημερινά μεγάλο βάρος της αντιμετώπισης της παράνομης μετανάστευσης. «Θέλω να εκφράσω την ευγνωμοσύνη τόσο τη δική μου, όσο και του ελληνικού λαού στο πρόσωπό σας. Χάρη στην αυταπάρνηση που επιδεικνύετε καθημερινά τόσο τα στελέχη του Λιμενικού όσο και όλο το ένστολο προσωπικό, η χώρα κρατήθηκε όρθια τα χρόνια της κρίσης», είπε χαρακτηριστικά. Στο Δημαρχείο Σάμου, ο υπουργός συναντήθηκε με τον Δήμαρχο, Μιχ. Αγγελόπουλο, ο οποίος του παρέδωσε αντίγραφο της Διακήρυξης για την Απελευθέρωση της Σάμου, ευχαριστώντας τον παράλληλα γιατί, όπως είπε, «χάρη στις ενέργειές σας αντιμετωπίσθηκε δραστικά ο συγκοινωνιακός απομονωτισμός του νησιού».

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Στο κτίριο της Περιφερειακής Ενότητας Σάμου, ο υπουργός συναντήθηκε με την Περιφερειάρχη Βορείου Αιγαίου, Χριστιάνα Καλογήρου και τον Αντιπεριφερειάρχη Σάμου, Νικ. Κατρακάζο. Στη συνέχεια, ο Μ. Βαρβιτσιώτης προήδρευσε διευρυμένης σύσκεψης με φορείς της ευρύτερης περιοχής και βασικό θέμα το ακτοπλοϊκό δίκτυο του νησιού, αλλά και του υπόλοιπου Βορείου Αιγαίου. Παρόντες στη σύσκεψη, πέραν της Περιφερειακής αρχής, ήταν επίσης, ο Σεβασμιότατος Μητροπολίτης Σάμου, Ευσέβιος, η βουλευτής του νησιού , Αγνή Καλογέρη, ο Δήμαρχος Σάμου, Μιχάλης Αγγελόπουλος, ο Δήμαρχος Ικαρίας, Στυλιανός Σταμούλος, ο Δήμαρχος Φούρνων, Ιωάννης Μαρούσης, καθώς και εκπρόσωποι επιμελητηρίων και παραγωγικών φορέων της πόλης. Κατά τη διάρκεια της σύσκεψης, ο κ. Βαρβιτσιώτης, τόνισε: «Για μένα το Αιγαίο και τα νησιά του είναι πλούτος και όχι μειονέκτημα. Είναι πλούτος πολιτισμού, ιστορίας και προοπτικής για το μέλλον. Και ειδικά για το Βόρειο Αιγαίο, η ανάπτυξη και η αξιοποίηση των τεράστιων δυνατοτήτων του αποτελεί εθνική πρόκληση», και στη συνέχεια γνωστοποίησε ότι προχωρά σύντομα στις απαραίτητες ενέργειες, που θα δίνουν οριστική και μόνιμη λύση στο υδροδοτικό πρόβλημα των νησιών, καθώς και της δαπανηρής μεταφοράς του νερού, με την αξιοποίηση των μονάδων αφαλάτωσης. «Με αυτόν τον τρόπο θα μειώσουμε επιπρόσθετα το κόστος υδροδότησης του Αιγαίου κατά 60%. Τα χρήματα που θα εξοικονομήσουμε θα δοθούν σε επενδύσεις για έργα στα νησιά, με έμφαση στην ανάπτυξη των λιμενικών τους υποδομών», υπογράμμισε σχετικά. «Καλωσορίζουμε τον Υπουργό Ναυτιλίας, κ. Βαρβιτσιώτη, ο οποίος με τις αποφάσεις του, μετά από χρόνια και πολλούς διατελέσαντες στο ίδιο πόστο, χάραξε μια αχτίδα ελπίδας για ολόκληρο το Βόριο Αιγαίο και την ακτοπλοΐα του», σημείωσε χαρακτηριστικά η Περιφερειάρχης Βορείου Αιγαίου, Χριστιάνα Καλογήρου.

Piraeus Maritime Traiining Centre S.RANIS

Accredited By: Repub p lic of Cook Islands Repub p lic of Malta Repub p lic of Marshal Islandds Saint Vincent & Grenaadines Hondu o ras Repub p lic of Liberia International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize IM MM MA ARBE

F or Onboard Officers & Crew C % %

Ship Sec e uritty Offi f cer & Securitty Personnel Saafety Offi f cer

Company Personnel % Comppanny Security Offficerrs % ISM Internal Audittors % ISPS Internal Audittors Port Facilitty Securitty Off fficeers& Security Personnel BRM – BTM Cou o rse POLARIS – NORCON NTROL FULL MISSION BRIDG D E MANOEUVRING SIMULATOR A TOTAL CONCEPT FOR TRAINING N AND EVALUATION

COU URSES: 1.

GM D SS 2.

AR PA 3.

BASIC SAFETY TRAINING 4.

TANKER SAFETY (OIL, CHEMICA AL,LNG,LPG) COW 5.

ADVANCE FIRE FIGHTING 6.

PASSENGER SHIP (STCW 2010) 7.

PROFICIENCY IN SURVIVAL CRAFT AND FAST RESCUE BOATS 8.

P R O F IC IE N C Y IN M E D IC A L F IR S T A ID & M E D IC A L C A R E 9.

CROWD MANAGEMENT 10. BRIDGE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT SHIP HANDLING 11. ENGINE ROOM MANAGEMENT 12. ECDIS (USE OF KONGSBERG & TR T ANSAS NT PRO 5000 E C D IS S IM U L A T O R S ) 13. COOK TRAINING 14. SHIP SECURITY OFFICER 15. SECURITY AWARENESS FOR ALL PERSONNEL & PERSONNEL WITH DESIGNATED SECURITY DUTIES A l s o: % Risk Assessment – Risk Maanagement % Accident, Incident Innvestiiggation and Analysis % Refr f eshing Training for Retired Decck/Engine Greek Offfficers.(CoC for Beliize z ,Cook Island ds, Hondu o ras and CW of D o m i n ic a ) % ISO 9001:2000 Implementation andd internal aud diiting % Hazardous area % Hazardous material % Liquid Carggo Hand a ling (OIL, LNG, LP L G) % Desiggnated Person Ashore % Vetting inspection % MLC 2006 Implementation % Antiipiracy % ST TCW 2010 (Man a illa Conventionn) % Oil Record PART 1 & PART II

CAPABLE OF SIMULATING A TOTAL SHIPBOARD BRIDGE OPERA ATION N INCLUDING THE CAPABILITY FOR ADVANCED MANO A E U V R IN G 5 DAYS BRM-BTM COURSES BRIDGE TEAM MANAG A EM ENT INCLUDING 3 DAYS SIMULATION

Ɍʌʉʆʏɿʍʏɻʌɿɲʃʃɳ ʏʅ ʅɼʅɲʏɲ ɶɿɲ ʋʌʉɸʏʉɿʅĂʍʀɲ ʏ ɇʐʆʏɲʇʇɿʉʑ ɿ ʑʖʖʘʆ Ȱʇʇɿɿʘʅɲʏɿʃʃʙʆ ȳɹ ȳ ʔʐʌɲʎ Θ ɀɻ ɻʖɲʆɼʎ ɲ ɶɿɲ ʏɿʎ ɸʇʇɸʏɳʍɸɿʎ ɶɿɲ ɹʃɷʉʍ ɷ ʍɻ Ʌɿʍʏʉʋʉɿɻ ʉ ʏɿʃʃʉʑ ʉ Ȼʃʃɲ ɲʆʊʏɻʏɲ ɲʎ ; Ž Ϳ Ⱦʑʋʌʉʐ ʃɲɿ ɲ ɀɳ ɳʄʏɲʎ School Premises: 40 Leosthenous Str. – 185 35 Piraeus Phones: 210 4525301 –210 0 4524304 – Fax: 210 4181704

E-mail: pmtcrani@oteenet.gr web : www.sranis.ggr

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