24 maritime news articles about Gard
One year into FuelEU, the first penalties are being incurred, and the shipping industry is still figuring out who pays, how and when. From biofuel handling to reporting obligations, multipliers and credit pooling, shipowners and charterers face a complex web of requirements.
Our Members sometimes face difficult situations involving their crew – sexual assault cases being one of the most challenging examples. While such incidents may be borderline for insurance coverage, we may still get involved to provide support and advice.
Reports by Gard members and clients indicate a significant increase in catfines in both Very Low Sulphur Fuel Oil and High Sulphur Fuel Oil in major bunkering ports during August 2025.
Manual sweeping by the crew on tankers carrying vegetable oils and animal fat cargoes such as palm oil, coconut oil, or tallow to maximise cargo outturn, exposes crew to serious safety risks, such as heat exhaustion, enclosed space entry hazards and burn injuries from hot surfaces. Without proper management, these ris
The Cargo Incident Network System (CINS) has just released its “Guidelines for Shipping Lithium-ion Cells in Containers”. The publication has been produced in collaboration with the International Group of P&I Clubs and the TT Club.
Correct operation and maintenance of equipment, combined with tried-and-tested emergency procedures and crew training, are essential to prevent blackouts on ships and to mitigate their potential consequences.
As the offshore wind industry accelerates, so too must our commitment to health, safety, and environmental (HSE) excellence. At Gard, we see first hand the risks and claims emerging from the evolving offshore wind sector.
Global piracy and armed robberies are once again on the rise, owing to a surge in incidents in the Singapore Strait. Ships operating in piracy hotspots are advised to remain vigilant, keep a sharp lookout, and adhere to the latest industry best management practice guidelines.
Cashew Nut Shell Liquid is being considered as an alternative source of biofuel. These compounds are already being detected in conventional marine fuels like ULSFO, VLSFO, and HSFO and Gard has handled claims where the presence of these compounds in conventional fuels has resulted in operational problems or machinery
The IMO agrees to designate a new emission control area (ECA) in the North-East Atlantic Ocean, connecting existing ECAs in the Baltic Sea, North Sea, and English Channel ECAs to those recently established in the Mediterranean Sea, Norwegian Sea, and Canadian Arctic waters.
Gard continues to see concerning cases of leakage from hazardous containerized cargoes – incidents which can quickly escalate into serious safety and environmental threats. Ensuring that crew and company personnel ashore understand the importance of swift action is essential to prevent these situations from spiraling
The 'MARPOL delivered sample' size has increased from 400ml to 600ml and must now also be available for checking the flashpoint requirements under SOLAS Regulation II-2/4. 2.
The Joint Maritime Information Center has released an updated set of quick reference 'bridge cards’ for the Middle East region. The cards cover a wide range of potential security events in this region and can help masters and crews prepare for and respond to incidents.
Although the shipping sector is now heavily focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, IMO is also working to improve air quality by increasing the number of MARPOL designated sulphur emission control areas. And - don’t forget that many regions, states, and ports enforce strict sulphur emission limits to protect th
This year’s joint concentrated inspection campaign by the Paris and Tokyo MOUs starts on 1 September 2024 and will focus on crew wages and seafarer employment agreements under the Maritime Labour Convention.
Taking proper samples of liquid cargoes is vital to protect shipowners’ interests when allegations of cargo contamination arise. Here is an overview of how and when to do it.
Not long ago, a member’s vessel was detained at load port because the density of the solid bulk cargo being loaded exceeded the maximum allowable cargo density for that particular vessel. Recently, we were also approached by another member because the master of a capsize bulk carrier had refused charterer’s request fo
Competent and well-motivated crew are an essential element of a shipowner’s operations. In recent years, there has been a lot of coverage of the pressures faced by crew at sea, particularly during the covid pandemic as changeovers and shore leave have been more difficult to achieve.
The retroactive MARPOL Annex VI requirement to fit or designate sampling points for taking representative samples of the fuel oil in use onboard ships entered into force on 1 April 2022, and the deadline for compliance depends on each ship’s schedule for renewing its APP…
When loading or discharging bulk cargoes at Argentinean ports, many Masters have experienced the demand of cargo interests to use the shore scale figures to determine the loaded/discharged quantity arguing that only shore figures are recognized locally. But is this true and are owners, charterers and operators obliged
In a navigation incident, the first line of inquiry would normally cover the bridge watchkeepers. While the human element plays a significant role in these incidents, it is perhaps worth asking, what if some geographic areas are more prone to navigation incidents than others?
The Martime Labour Convention requires security for wages, care and repatriation of seafarers abandoned by their employers. The case of the Eide Trader reveals the practical difficulty in getting abandoned seafarers home.
Following the standard tanker practices of sampling when loading petroleum products could save owners millions of dollars in claims and save loss of time and ensuing losses for charterers and shipowners. When it comes to dealing with liquid cargo contamination claims, majority of the losses could have been avoided if
In Gard we see that almost 50% of the cargo loss cases are a result of cargo contamination. Many of these are due to vapour contamination.