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GOOD TO KNOW




           Maritime

           Headlines



           Hong Kong Convention
           for the Safe and

           Environmentally Sound
           Recycling of Ships enters

           into force

           #shiprecycling
           The Hong Kong International Convention for   stripped of equipment or being towed”. Upon   more. According to the convention, these
           the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recy-  entry into force, this convention will become   ships must obtain a valid International Cer-
           cling of Ships (the Hong Kong Convention)   applicable to offshore vessels registered with   tificate on Inventory of Hazardous Materi-
           has received sufficient ratification to enact   a signatory country or operating under the   als (IHM) within 5 years of the convention’s
           its entry into force, and it will enter into   authority of a signatory country.   entry into force or before being sent for
           force on June 26, 2025.                                               recycling, whichever comes first.
                                              Therefore, owners and operators should be
           Under the Hong Kong Convention, a “ship” is   mindful of this new requirement for certifi-  The document also discusses the key
           defined as “a vessel of any type whatsoever   cation, as it is related to their current flag   changes introduced by the 2023 Guidelines
           operating or having operated in the marine   registration and potential operating areas.  for the Development of the IHM, reporting
           environment, and includes submersibles,                               requirements, compliance actions, and
           floating craft, floating platforms, self-el-  This Regulatory News provides guidance on   potential enforcement measures for ship
           evating platforms, Floating Storage Units   the Hong Kong Convention, highlighting the   operators (IMO Resolution MEPC.378 (80)).
           (FSUs), and Floating Production Storage and   requirements for new ships and existing
           Offloading Units (FPSOs), including a vessel   ships with a gross tonnage (GT) of 500 or   Source: International Maritime Organisation



           EMSA Annual Review                 The number of casualties and incidents in 2022
           of Marine Casualties               is 5.1% under the annual average and under
                                              the average of 2,670 occurrences before the
           and Incidents Report               pandemic. Moreover, after a peak of 106 very
                                              serious casualties reported in 2018 and a total
           shows that 2022                    of 75 in 2019, the number of very serious ma-
                                              rine casualties was 51 in 2020, 58 in 2021 and 44
           was a positive year                in 2022, confirming the reduction in the trend.
                                              In 2022, the total number of ships involved
           #marinecasualties                  in marine casualties and incidents was 2,701,
                                              decreasing 212 ships in comparison with 2021
           The latest edition of the Annual Overview   and 94 ships in 2020. This decreasing trend
           of Marine Casualties and Incidents, shows   applies to cargo ships and fishing vessels.
           that 2022 was a positive year in terms of the
           reduction or stabilisation of many accident   The Overview presents statistics on marine
           indicators, such as the number of occur-  casualties and incidents which involved
           rences, ships lost, fatalities or injuries. In   ships flying the flag of one of the EU Mem-
           2022, 2,510 marine casualties and incidents   ber States, occurred within EU Member
           were reported, representing a reduction   States’ territorial sea or internal waters as
           of 182 marine casualties and incidents   defined in UNCLOS, or involved substantial
           in  comparison  with  the  year  2021  and  84   interests of EU Member States, as reported
           marine casualties and incidents in compar-  by Member States in the EU database for
           ison with the year 2020. Overall, the total   maritime incidents EMCIP (European Ma-
           number of marine casualties and incidents   rine Casualty Information Platform).
           reported in the period from 2014 to 2022
           was 23,814 with an annual average of 2,646.   Source: European Maritime Safety Agency


          6  MINERVA IN FOCUS – ISSUE 26 / Q4 2023
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