Articles

Adding to the COVID19 hardships already faced by seafarers, 2020 saw a year-on-year increase in global piracy, with a record 130 crew kidnapped in the Gulf of Guinea, a continuing rising trend of armed robberies against vessels in the Singapore Strait, and no improvements for robbery incidents in South America.

Boyan Slat, now 26, was just a teenager when he first pitched his idea of a global ocean cleanup of plastic litter and established the non-profit foundation, The Ocean Cleanup. Today he is CEO of a team of more than 90.  Our author, Alice Amundsen first met him in 2016 when Gard invited him to speak at its Summer Seminar. Gard has been supporting and following the Ocean Clean-up ever since.

Vessels calling at Senegalese ports, particularly Dakar, continue to face customs fines and the amounts of such fines have recently increased substantially.

To meet the needs for protection against the Coronavirus risk within the fixed P&I segment, Gard will offer Members and clients in respect of the categories of covers listed in our Circular a special extension of cover. The "Special Covid-19 Extension" shall comprise liabilities, losses, costs and expenses falling within the scope of terms of entry agreed but for the Coronavirus Exclusion Clause (LMA 5395) and subject to a sub-limit of USD 10 million per ship or vessel per event.

A need to draw a distinction in the IMSBC Code between bauxite cargoes that may liquefy and those that do not, led to the development of a new cargo schedule for bauxite fines in the Code.

Our circular lists the amendments to the Rules for P&I and Defence cover for ships and other floating structures and the Rules for P&I and Defence cover for mobile offshore units that will enter into force at noon GMT on 20 February 2021.