Good morning and a very happy Diwali to you from News at Sea Team. In this week’s edition: Seafarer Happiness on the Rise: What’s Boosting Morale?;  Black Carbon Rules Are on the Horizon – Is Shipping Ready?; DPA Kandla hits the 80 MMT mark and creates new record.

MARITIME HEADLINE

Seafarer Happiness Index: A Positive Shift Amid Challenges

We’re excited to share insights from the latest Seafarer Happiness Index report by The Mission to Seafarers! The report reveals that seafarers are experiencing increased happiness as they adjust their routes to avoid the Red Sea, leading to significant improvements in morale and overall well-being.

Key Highlights:

• Happiness on the Rise: Scores climbed from 6.99 in Q2 to 7.13 in Q3 this year, thanks to extended routes that provide crews with more time to rest, establish routines, and engage in social activities.

• Stronger Team Dynamics: Senior officers are now better positioned to mentor junior crew members, fostering a collaborative environment on board.

• Positive Amenities: Enhanced food quality and improved access to exercise and recreational facilities are boosting morale. However, some crew members desire a more varied menu to enjoy their meals fully.

Ongoing Challenges:

While the report reflects a positive trend, there are still significant challenges:

• Communication Struggles: Poor internet connectivity hampers crew members’ ability to stay in touch with loved ones.

• Concerns About Compensation and Shore Leave: Many seafarers feel their pay does not match their hard work and express a desire for more shore leave.

• Training Gaps: Some training programs are perceived as too basic and not addressing real-world challenges faced at sea.

• Workload Stress: Watchkeeping duties and shifting time zones contribute to stress, with concerns about reduced engineering positions impacting safety and maintenance.

The Mission to Seafarers, in collaboration with Idwal and NorthStandard, is pleased to report the uptick in crew happiness. However, they emphasize the need for continued efforts to enhance seafarer safety worldwide.

MESSAGE FOR YOU

WORLD MARITIME

-🚨The famous Floating Instrument Platform, or FLIP, known for “flipping” upright for deep-sea research, has been rescued from scrapping! Originally built in 1962 for the U.S. Navy and used by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, FLIP is now in France for an exciting 12-18 month modernization, thanks to UK subsea firm DEEP. FLIP transitions from a horizontal barge to an upright spar platform, creating a stable, quiet space for underwater research. DEEP’s CEO, Kristen Tertoole, led the charge to “Save her. Don’t come back without her.” The iconic platform is now set for high-tech upgrades that’ll extend its life for new ocean science missions!

-🛟W&O Supply is transforming dry-docking operations through RFID-tagged valve management, a game-changer for shipowners and their maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) teams. By leveraging digital tech, W&O helps reduce costs and enhance efficiency in vessel valve replacements, crucial during dry-docks. W&O’s RFID tags give ship operators real-time data on valve conditions. This technology lets crews prepare in advance, track valve lifespans, and prevent run-to-fail scenarios by planning replacements precisely. Ship checks by W&O experts apply RFID tags, creating a digital valve inventory viewable via smartphone, bringing accuracy and seamless management.

-🔥As climate urgency grows, the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is racing to finalize mandatory black carbon regulations for Arctic waters by 2026. Black carbon, a potent climate pollutant from incomplete fuel combustion, threatens the Arctic, accelerating ice melt and destabilizing global climate patterns.Black carbon from ships:• Warms the Atmosphere: Over 3,000 times more impactful than CO₂ over a 20-year span.• Accelerates Ice Melt: Falls onto ice, reducing its reflective capacity, and worsening the albedo effect loss, where darker surfaces absorb more heat. This is critical as Arctic reflectivity has dropped by 24% since 1980, escalating global sea level rise, impacting ecosystems and human societies.

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INDIAN MARITIME

-🎯 Kandla set a new record of hitting the 80 MMT cargo, fifteen days earlier from the last year-breaking records, setting standards. DPA successfully set a new milestone which shines its efficacy of rapid growth and improvements, its indeed a significant achievement for the port and its stakeholders.

-♟️The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways (MoPSW), Shri Sarbananda Sonowal visited the Pandu Port Complex to review the ongoing construction activities including the Northeast India's First Ship Repair Facility as well as the Elevated Road corridor here on Monday. The Union Minister also met with the senior officials of the Ministry as well as the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), the nodal agency for the development of waterways in the country, to assess the progress of various projects being developed along the river Brahmaputra (National Waterways 2) with an investment of 2645 crores.

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