Bryant's Maritime Blog: Bryant’s Maritime Blog

Headlines: Indian Ocean – arrest of suspected pirates; Gulf of Aden – warning to sailboats; EPA – GHGs to be regulated as air pollutants; USCG – random drug testing rates set at 50%; Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee – meeting and membership; CBP & USCG – unveiling of new maritime unmanned aviation system; New York – increased number of security zone violations; and New Zealand – “fish and tree” replaces “fish and chips”.

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Note: This blog is one section of the Bryant’s Maritime Consulting website. Visit the site for more extensive maritime regulatory information. Individual concerns may be addressed by retaining Dennis Bryant directly. Much of the highlighted text in this newsletter constitutes links to Internet sites providing more detailed information. Links on this page may be in PDF format, requiring use of Adobe Acrobat Reader. Comments on these postings are encouraged and may be made by clicking the envelope that appears at the end of each posting. Be aware that the daily blog entry is a single posting, even though it contains a number of individual items.

Indian Ocean – arrest of suspected pirates

The EU Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA) issued a press release stating that its forces and those of the Seychelles Coast Guard cooperated in the arrest of eleven suspected pirates in the Indian Ocean 250 nautical miles northwest of the Seychelles. Pirate-related paraphernalia was seized and two attack skiffs were destroyed. (12/7/09).

Gulf of Aden – warning to sailboats

The EU Maritime Security Centre – Horn of Africa (MSC-HOA) issued a press release advising operators of sailboats to avoid the danger zones of the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of Somalia. The warning came after its forces came across a yacht attempting a single-handled voyage from Djibouti to Madagascar. (12/7/09).

EPA – GHGs to be regulated as air pollutants

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a news release stating that it has determined that greenhouse gases (GHGs) threaten public health and welfare. The agency intends to regulate GHGs as air pollutants, under authority granted by the Clean Air Act. Under this endangerment finding, the EPA will commence the process to regulate emissions from light-duty on-road vehicles. The finding, though, applies to all emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, hydrofluorocarbons, perfluorocarbons, and sulfur hexafluoride. (12/7/09). Note: Increased regulation of air emissions from ships is only a matter of time.

USCG – random drug testing rate set at 50%

The US Coast Guard issued a notice stating that the minimum random drug testing rate for covered crewmembers on US vessels for calendar year 2010 will be 50%. 74 Fed. Reg. 64710 (December 8, 2009).

Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee – meeting and membership

The Great Lakes Pilotage Advisory Committee (GLPAC), sponsored by the US Coast Guard, will meet in Washington, DC on January 21, 2010. Applications are also sought for membership on the Committee. Applications should be submitted by January 7, 2010. 74 Fed. Reg. 64709 (December 8, 2009).

CBP & USCG – unveiling of new maritime unmanned aircraft system

The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued a news release stating that it, the US Coast Guard, and General Atomics Aeronautical Systems unveiled the first maritime variant of the Predator B unmanned aircraft system – the Guardian. The US Coast Guard issued a news release stating that its first unmanned aircraft system (UAS) pilot has been qualified for operational missions. Following test and evaluation in early 2010, the Guardian will be used for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition in the maritime operating environment. (12/7/09).

New York – increased number of security zone violations

The US Coast Guard issued a news release stating that it responded to an increased number of security zone violations around bridge abutments in New York Harbor within the past month. Most violations seem to be by fishermen, but all require a response. Mariners are asked to exercise caution so as to avoid inadvertent violations. (12/7/09).

NTSB – team to investigate Charleston collision

The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) issued a press release stating that a team has been sent to Charleston to investigate the recent collision between a commercial catamaran and a US Coast Guard small boat. (12/7/09). Note: Use of an NTSB team to conduct this investigation is standard procedure when the Coast Guard itself has been involved in a marine casualty.

New Zealand – “fish and tree” replaces “fish and chips”

Maritime New Zealand issued a guidance notice reminding the maritime community that, effective 1 January 2010, the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code symbol for marking dangerous goods that are marine pollutants changes from a triangle with a crossed-out fish (“fish and chips”) to a diamond with a distressed fish and a dead tree (“fish and tree”). New Zealand will relax its enforcement policy and accept dangerous goods with the old mark until 1 July 2010. (12/7/09).