Reference is made to Circulars 1/17 and 6/17 concerning developments with respect to IMO's International Convention for the Control and Management of Ship's Ballast Water and Sediments "The BWM Convention" as well as the status of the US Ballast Water Management (BWM) Regulations.
Linda Wright, claims executive at UK P&I Club advises on what to do when death occurs at sea.
Bodily Injury News- Summer 17 edition
29/06/2017
Welcome to this summer edition of Bodily Injury News that reports on some of the latest legal and practical developments observed by our Bodily Injury Team in the US.
The USCG Marine Safety Centre (MSC) has issued a Type Approval Certificate to Sunrui Marine Environment Engineering Co. Ltd for its Filtration/ Electrolysis ballast water treatment system. This brings the total number of systems approved by the USCG to date to four. Two further systems are currently under review.
U.S. Cuban Policy Update
20/06/2017
On June 16, 2017 President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum on Strengthening the Policy of the United States Toward Cuba. In a speech on that date to Cuban-Americans in Miami, President Trump stated that he was immediately cancelling the Obama Administration's "one-sided deal with Cuba". The question is whether this new policy will impact international shipping.
California Ballast Water Regulation Changes
04/05/2017
New Penalties for Ballast Water Violations, effective from 1st July 2017.
New York Harbor trip
28/04/2017
On 20th April, 2017, a group from our New Jersey office joined several from Harley Marine for a trip around New York Harbor on the Marine Tug Boat the 'HMS Justice.'
The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a new Port Security Advisory (PSA) 1-17, on the imposition of Conditions of Entry on vessels arriving from ports/countries that do not maintain effective anti-terrorism measures.
Increase in California arrival fees
06/04/2017
Vessel Fee Increased to $1,000 Effective April 1, 2017.
In October 2016 the U.S. Treasury, Office of Foreign Assets Control ("OFAC") announced further amendments to the Cuban Asset Control Regulations ("CACR"), which restrict the scope of the application of the "180 day rule," by permitting ships to carry a wider range of cargos to be imported to Cuba from third countries without their being subject to the '180 day rule'.
Impending severe weather conditions in the New York and New Jersey region have forced the temporary closure of our New Jersey office on Tuesday 14th March.
Washington state supreme court rules punitive damages are available in seamen's general maritime law claim for unseaworthiness.
California - vessel fee increase
10/03/2017
(SLC) issued a notice stating that, effective 1st April, the fee paid by a vessel with a qualifying voyage arrival at a California port will increase from $850 to $1,000.
The E.O. had an effective date of March 16, 2017. However, the key provisions of E.O. 13780, banning the issuance of new visas to nationals of the six designated countries for 90 days, have now been suspended by two Federal district court judges, one in Hawaii and the other in Maryland. A ruling is awaited from a third Federal judge in the State of Washington.
Office Closure- New Jersey Friday 10th March
09/03/2017
Impending severe weather conditions in the New York and New Jersey region have forced the temporary closure of our New Jersey office on Friday 10th March.
The US Coast Guard has issued a Marine Safety Information Bulletin (MSIB) updating their enforcement policy under the Ballast Water Management (BWM) Extension Program.
A reminder that the USCG will not hesitate to impose penalties for non-compliance with the USCG's Final Rule, Standards for Living Organisms in Ships' Ballast Water Discharged in U.S.Waters issued on 23 March 2012.
Sanctions to Venezuela's vice president
15/02/2017
US Department of Treasury imposed sanctions yesterday against Venezuela's Vice President Tarek El Aissami and his primary frontman in the US. His assets in the US were seized (bank accounts, corporations, real property), and US nationals and entities prohibited to trade with them.
As a result of legal challenges, the recent Executive Order setting forth restrictions on immigration to the U.S has been temporarily suspended.