Maltese special armed forces have intercepted the bunker tanker , which was hijacked by a group of migrants off Libya, and escorted the vessel to a Maltese port. The El Hiblu 1 rescued over 100 migrants from a sinking boat north of Libya. The migrants later took control of the vessel and forced the...
https://splash247.com/maltese-armed-forces-intercept-hijacked-bunker-tanker/
At least 10 migrants lost their lives on March 19, when their boat sank off the Libyan coast near the western town of Sabratha. 17 others were rescued, a Sabratha’s security operations spokesman, said, and were transferred to the hospital.
According to Reuters, a survivor said that the boat was carrying around 27 illegal migrants, who had began from Zuwarah.
A total of 17 migrants were rescued, and were transferred to the hospital. There are about ten bodies of the other migrants who lost their...
https://safety4sea.com/at-least-10-migrants-die-as-boat-sinks-off-libya/
Libya is gearing up to welcome fully laden VLCCs again after a five-year hiatus. Brokers Gibson report the war-torn North African nation has plans to build a port in the eastern city of Susah capable of handling VLCCs. The Libyan Seaport Authority is joining forces with US-based Guidry Group to...
https://splash247.com/libya-makes-plans-to-welcome-back-vlccs/
According to Gibson Shipbrokers, Libya is planning to build a new port suitable for VLCCs to berth. The port will aspire to leverage its strategic location for vessels travelling between Asia and Europe through the Suez Canal and to and from the US.
VLCCs have not fully loaded in port for more than 5 years because of a build-up in silt at the Es Sider terminal. Now, the Libyan Seaport Authority have recently agreed to partly fund, with the US based Guidry Group foundation, a $1.5 billion grant...
https://safety4sea.com/libya-planning-to-accommodate-vlccs-once-again/
Libya’s East and West authorities have officially united for the construction of North Africa’s automated and largest deep-sea ports near the city of Susah in Libya. Specifically, the Port of Susah, a major international trans-shipment hub container port, will be a crossroad in North Africa for mainline cargo vessels traveling to and from Asia and Europe via the Suez Canal, as well as to and from the United States.
The port will not only serve containers, but also breakbulk, bulk, general cargo,...
https://safety4sea.com/east-and-west-libya-govs-unite-on-mega-port-project/
Libyan authorities on Sunday (Jan. 6) seized 8 tons of hashish inside two containers in the port of the Libyan city of Misurata.
According to a statement issued by Misurata’s Customs Department, the narcotics were found distributed on 260 bags inside the two containers.
Authorities destroyed all the...
http://container-news.com/tons-narcotics-seized-libyan-port/
Martin Dorsman
European shipowners are pleased with the extension of the EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia
ECSA welcomes the Council’s decision to extent the mandate of the EUNAVFOR MED Operation Sophia until 31 March 2019. Operation Sophia is part of the EU’s comprehensive approach to migration and aims to disrupt the business model of human smuggling and trafficking networks in the Southern Central Mediterranean and prevent the further loss of life at sea.The Operation Sophia has also been tasked...
http://www.allaboutshipping.co.uk/2018/12/21/ecsa-on-eunavfor-med-operation-sophia/
The Shipowners Club urged operators to exercise caution when trading to Libya, due to an increased risk of vessel seizure and crew arrests as a result from an increase in the last years of illicit crude oil trade.
Since the fall of the Gaddafi regime in 2011 and the formation of a UN-recognised government in Libya, there has been an increase in illegal crude oil exports. To eradicate oil smuggling, the Libyan government has implemented strict measures over the last period: Vessels suspected of...
https://safety4sea.com/libya-ships-and-crews-at-risk-if-suspected-of-oil-smuggling/
Libyan security authorities forcibly removed 79 refugees and migrants Tuesday from the Panama-flagged cargo ship ‘Nivin’ in the Libyan port of Misrata, after they refused to leave the ship for 10 days. The incident has risen reactions from humanitarian bodies, as there are reports of injuries and use of rubber bullets and tear gas.
The RoRo Nivin, with Panamanian flag, rescued, last week, 81 maritime migrants but 79 of them refuse to disembark from the ship off the coast of Misrata in Libya. The...
https://safety4sea.com/rescued-migrants-forced-to-disembark-container-ship-in-libyan-port/
Rescued migrants that were refusing to disembark Nivin have been forcefully removed from the vessel.