Page 70 - ΝΑΥΤΙΚΑ ΧΡΟΝΙΚΑ - ΜΑΙΟΣ 2024

ON THE SEAFRONT

agement have grown by around 10% in terms of THE HOUTHIS, SOMALIA, AND IRAN
621 tankers tonnage. POSE A SIGNIFICANT THREAT TO
will be The reason Athens is not at the top lies in the general INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
delivered perception that it primarily serves shipping companies Houthi attacks on ships, the re-emergence of piracy
up to the of Greek interest rather than international shipping in Somalia, and the seizure of ships by the Islamic
third entities. Consequently, the report notes that the inter- Revolutionary Guards have created a fluid and, at
quarter est of foreign interest companies is shifting to other the same time, explosive environment for maritime
of 2028. emerging centres such as Singapore and Dubai. trade.
In this context, there has been an increase in
MAPPING THE GLOBAL TANKER FLEET demand for companies that offer maritime security
The tanker market has recently been the focus of services on vessels as shipowners try to keep their
interest not only of the maritime press but also mari- crews, vessels, and cargoes safe.
time researchers and analysts due to the geopolitical BIMCO’s head of security, Jakob Larsen, speaking
developments taking place in the Middle East. to the Financial Times, said that “the worsening
According to an analysis of the world’s tanker fleet situation in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden is leading
by Braemar shipbroking company, the fleet numbers to an increased demand for armed guards on ships
5,880 vessels, of which 871 are Handysizes, 1,854 passing through the region”.
MRs, 447 Panamaxes/LR1, 1,147 Aframaxes/LR2, The renewed interest in such services reflects a
659 Suezmaxes/LR3 and 902 VLCCs. turnaround in the industry, which had been in
Of these, only 98 are dual-fuel ships, while 1,259 are decline for the past ten years due to the significant
equipped with scrubbers. It is worth mentioning that drop in piracy attacks in Somalia.
out of the 902 VLCCs, 435 are fitted with scrubbers. Jon Gahagan, President of US-based Sedna Global,
Regarding the orderbook, it ranges from 5% to 15% noted that shipowners will need different safe-
of the fleet, with the highest percentages recorded guards against modern risks. Armed guards, he
in MRs, Aframaxes, and Suezmaxes (13%, 14%, and argued, cannot provide protection against Houthi
15%, respectively). On the other hand, the rates for missile attacks on ships.
Handysizes, Panamaxes, and VLCCs are 5%, 8%, and
6%, respectively. NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS CONTINUED
The orderbook’s current picture and the ship delivery SOMALI PIRACY THREAT
schedule indicate that 621 ships will be delivered up The ICC International Maritime Bureau (IMB) raises
to the third quarter of 2028. concern about the continued acts of maritime
piracy off the coast of Somalia in its first quarter
CAPESIZE SALE AND PURCHASE report for 2024.
TRANSACTIONS ACCELERATING A total of 33 incidents of piracy and armed rob-
Capesize sale and purchase transactions have been bery against ships were recorded in the first three
moving at an unprecedented rate in the first quarter, months of 2024, an increase from 27 incidents for
continuing a trend that began in the fourth quarter the same period in 2023.
of 2023. Of the 33 incidents reported, 24 vessels were
According to data provided by Intermodal, 78 Cape- boarded, six suffered attempted attacks, two were
sizes changed hands within the six months leading hijacked, and one was fired upon. Violence towards
up to April. Chinese shipowners made up the lion’s crews continues, with 35 crew members taken hos-
share of these transactions, followed by the Greeks; tage, nine kidnapped, and one threatened.
the two countries’ combined participation rate in the
Capesizes markets was 65%. Worrying rise in Somali pirate activity
The Q1 report highlights the continued threat of
THE WTO PREDICTS WORLD TRADE GROWTH Somali piracy incidents with two reported hijack-
AHEAD ings. In addition, one vessel each was fired upon,
The estimates for the growth of world trade in the boarded, and reported an attempted approach.
coming years are positive, causing optimism for the These incidents were attributed to Somali pirates
world economy. who demonstrate mounting capabilities, targeting
According to the World Trade Organisation, the world ships at great distances from the Somali coast.
trade growth rate will be 2.6% in 2024 and 3.3% in A Bangladesh-flagged bulk carrier was hijacked
2025. It is noted that in 2023, world trade had slowed on 12 March, and its 23 crew were taken hostage
down by 1.2%. by over 20 Somali pirates. The vessel was under-
In any case, the WTO has underlined that countries’ way approximately 550 nautical miles (nm) from
geopolitics and economic policies are factors of Mogadishu while en route from Mozambique to the
uncertainty, which may reverse the current trend. United Arab Emirates.

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