Tuesday, October 07, 2025
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IStock

"Hijacker" in Mysterious Arctic Sea Case Has Been Captured After 16 Years

Published Oct 6, 2025 7:12 PM by The Maritime Executive

  A suspect who has been wanted by Russia for 16 years in connection with an alleged hijacking off Sweden has been arrested at last, according to authorities in Cyprus.  In July 2009, the freighter Arctic Sea got under way from Jakobstad, Finland with a cargo of $1.8 million worth of lumber aboard, bound for Algeria. On July 24, the ship was in Swedish waters off Gotland when it was intercepted by a group of men in a rubber boat,...

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tankers anchored off Denmark

Denmark Increases Inspections of Shadow Fleet’s “Old and Worthless” Ships

Published Oct 6, 2025 6:49 PM by The Maritime Executive

Denmark announced that it will be taking further steps to reduce the dangers from “old and worthless” ships navigating through its busy sea lanes by targeting environmental inspections at one of the key anchorages in the region. It extends Denmark’s previous efforts to monitor high-risk vessels and is part of the emerging effort across the EU to target the shadow tanker fleet. "We know that there is a lot of traffic consisting of older ships sailing through Danish...

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emergency tug in Dutch wind farm

Dutch Coast Guard Stops Drifting Tanker Before It Hits Wind Farm

Published Oct 6, 2025 6:27 PM by The Maritime Executive

  The Dutch Coast Guard is reporting a close call on Saturday night, October 4, as a product tanker lost propulsion and was drifting dangerously close to the Netherlands’ largest offshore wind farm. A Multiship emergency tug under contract to the Coast Guard ultimately was able to stop the drifting vessel at about two-thirds of a mile (1 km) from the turbines and held it in position until repairs could be completed. The product tanker Eva Schulte (16,621 dwt) managed...

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Port of Los Angeles

Blank Sailings Hit New Record in Response to Tariff Pressure

Published Oct 6, 2025 6:07 PM by The Maritime Executive

  The latest data from consultancy Project44 shows that blank sailings have surged to new heights as demand on U.S.-China routes has fallen. The blanks for October are on track to exceed levels seen during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, when consumer demand in the West cratered and imports fell off quickly.  The "Liberation Day" tariff rollout is largely responsible for this month's drop, the consultancy believes. The number of blank sailings has been on the rise throughout...

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Offshore

emergency tug in Dutch wind farm

Dutch Coast Guard Stops Drifting Tanker Before It Hits Wind Farm

  The Dutch Coast Guard is reporting a close call on Saturday night, October 4, as a product tanker lost propulsion and was drifting dangerously close to the Netherlands’ largest offshore wind farm. A Multiship emergency tug under contract to the Coast Guard ultimately was able to stop the drifting vessel at about two-thirds of a mile (1 km) from the turbines and held it in position until repairs could be completed. The product tanker Eva Schulte (16,621 dwt) managed...

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Shipbuilding

Rear Adm. Thomas Anderson, left, during his time as PEO Ships (USN file image)

Hanwha Hires Former Top U.S. Navy Shipbuilding Officer

  Hanwha Ocean's U.S. defense division has hired a former leader of the U.S. Navy's shipbuilding enterprise to oversee its American operations. The decision is a strategic boost for Hanwha's bid to become a significant player in U.S. defense shipbuilding, which is dominated by two prime contractors.  Rear Adm. Tom Anderson (USN, ret'd) served in the U.S. Navy for 34 years, including time at the helm of Program Executive Office Ships and as acting commander for all of Naval Sea Systems...

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Environment

WISTA International President Elpi Petraki

Op-Ed: A Shared Obligation to Protect Our Oceans

  This year’s World Maritime Day theme – Our Ocean, Our Obligation, Our Opportunity – reminds us of our responsibility to safeguard the ocean and highlights the importance of inclusion in supporting a sustainable maritime future, says WISTA International. Our Oceans Generating half of the planet’s oxygen, absorbing around 30% of carbon dioxide emissions, holding nearly 97% of Earth’s water and home to some of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet, the oceans are critical to our survival. Some...

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Business

UK Red Funnel ferry

Historic UK Red Funnel Ferries Sold to Private Equity Firm

  One of the most historic names in ferry operations, the UK’s Red Funnel, which traces its origins to 1820, reported that as of the end of September, the firm was sold to the UK-based investment firm Njord Partners. While the firm has been owned by a consortium of British and Canadian pension funds since the early 1990s, there are still concerns over maintaining the service, which is called a “lifeline” for the Isle of Wight. In announcing the acquisition,...

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