Shipping losses continued their downward trend with 94 losses
reported worldwide in 2013, coming in below 100 for only the second time in 12
years, according to Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty SE’s (AGCS) second
annual Safety and Shipping Review 2014, which analyzes reported shipping losses
of over 100 gross tons.
Losses declined by 20 percent from 2012 when there were 117
reported losses. The 2013 accident year also represents a significant
improvement on the previous 10-year loss average with total worldwide shipping
losses declining 45 percent since 2003.
“More than 90 percent of global trade is carried by sea so the
safety of international shipping vessels and routes is critical to the health
of the global economy,” said Tim
Donney, Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting. “While the long-term
downward trend in shipping losses is encouraging, there is more work to be done
to improve the overall safety of these vessels as well as their cargo, crew and
passengers, especially in Asian waters. As an insurer we are always concerned
about recognized issues such as training and safety management, – human error
is not something we can ignore and lack of skilled workforce is still an issue
– but we also need to watch out for new risks as the industry continues to
develop.”
Asia saw highest number of marine losses and continues to be an
area of focus
According to the report, more than a third of 2013’s total
losses were concentrated in two maritime regions. As in 2012, the South China,
Indo China, Indonesia and the Philippines region saw the highest number of
losses (18 ships), closely followed by the seas around Japan, Korea and North
China (17 ships).
More than two years after the Costa Concordia disaster,
improving passenger ship safety continues to be a priority, with 2014 likely to
see the 100th loss of a passenger vessel since 2002. Asia remains a hotspot for
passenger shipping losses, especially for smaller passenger vessels and ferries
as demonstrated by the sinking of the ferry St. Thomas of Aquinas as a result
of a collision with another vessel off Cebu in the Philippines in August 2013,
with the loss of at least 116 lives.
“We have to ask how some Asian ship operators measure safety and
quality, particularly when speaking about domestic trade shipping,” said Captain Jarek Klimczak,
Senior Marine Risk Consultant at AGCS. “The understanding of
quality and standards can sometimes appear 50 years behind Europe – maybe even
more.”
Around the world, more than a third of the vessels lost were
cargo ships with fishery and bulk carriers the only other type of vessels to
record double-digit losses. The total loss of two bulk carriers in Asian waters
in 2013, Harita Bauxite and Trans Summer, highlighted the importance of proper
cargo handling and stowage of bulk cargoes. AGCS experts believe high moisture
content and subsequent liquidization, leading to free flowing instabilization
of the cargo to be the primary cause of the accidents.
The most common cause of losses in the past year was foundering
(sinking or submerging), often driven by heavy weather, accounting for almost
75 percent of all losses, which was a significant increase from both 2012 (47
%) and the previous 10-year average (44 %).
For the first time the report includes not only total losses but
also the total number of shipping casualties by region. The East Mediterranean
and Black Sea region is shown to be a casualty hotspot, responsible for 464
casualties (18%) out of a worldwide total of 2,596 during 2013, including the
year’s oldest ship to be a total loss: the 108 year old Hantallar which
grounded off Tekirdag, Turkey. This region combines busy shipping routes and a
reputation for weaker safety management practices with a regional fleet that
has a higher proportion of lower quality older vessels The report also shows
that over the past decade the British Isles have been the location of the most
casualties, while January is the worst month for all casualties (including
total losses) in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere it is
July.
Piracy attacks still a concern – different models pose new
challenges
In 2013, piracy attacks declined 11 percent to 264 reported
incidents worldwide according to International Maritime Bureau statistics – 106
of these occurred in Indonesia, which has seen a 700 percent increase in
attacks since 2009. Most of these attacks remain low level opportunistic thefts
carried out by small bands of individuals but one third of incidents in these
waters were reported in the last quarter of 2013, and there is potential for
such attacks to escalate into a more organized piracy model unless they are
controlled.
An emerging piracy hotspot with more organized crime is the Gulf
of Guinea with 48 incidents in 2013, accounting for 18 percent of all attacks
worldwide. Piracy attacks in Somalia have declined dramatically with only seven
incidents in 2013 compared with 160 attacks in 2011. The report suggests the
piracy model could be broken in Somalia in a couple of years if naval patrols
continue.
Emerging Risks
An increasingly difficult operating climate for ship operators
has forced a number of innovations, including larger ship sizes to capitalize
on economies of scale, the use of alternative fuels and changes in ship
designs. At the same time, more economical trading routes are fast appearing in
Arctic regions during the summer months, but these present their own set of
challenges.
Emerging risks identified and detailed in the 2013 report
include:
§ Vessel size
§ Rise of LNG-fueled vessels
§ Arctic trading routes.
Source
: SN-TR and Allianz, 13.03.14.
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