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20th anniversary of Maritime Labour Convention protecting seafarer rights
The International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) are marking the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006), a

President Trump counters Supreme Court ruling with additional tariffs
By Leo Ryan, Editor Within a few hours after the Supreme Court ruled that Donald Trump had overstepped his authority by imposing sweeping global tariffs

2026 St. Lawrence Seaway navigation season opens March 22
The opening of the 2026 navigation season has been scheduled to take place on the following date and time: Montreal / Lake Ontario Section: March

Canadian government launches market study on long-term growth potential of the Port of Churchill
Winnipeg – The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), alongside partners including the

Port of Los Angeles double-digit cargo decline
The Port of Los Angeles processed 812,000 Twenty-Foot Equivalent Units (TEUs) in January, a decrease of 12% compared to last year’s cargo levels. “There are

South Korea’s Hanwha Ocean partners with Ontario Shipyards and Mohawk College
Hamilton, ON — Hanwha Ocean, one of the “big three” shipbuilders in South Korea, and Ontario Shipyards have signed a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)

Seaspan’s floating drydock to be transported to Indonesia for planned upgrades
North Vancouver locals might be surprised to spot the familiar Seaspan Careen floating drydock absent from its usual location near the Burrard pier and instead being lifted onto a gigantic heavy-lift ship in the

IMO sub-committee endorses draft strategy and action plan on marine plastic litter
The International Maritime Organization‘s Sub-Committee on Pollution Prevention and Response held its 13th session at IMO Headquarters in London from 9 to 13 February 2026.The

Highlights of 2026 Port of Montreal cruise season
In 2026, the Port of Montreal is getting ready to welcome 50,000 passenger days aboard 17 ships from 15 different cruise lines, from the smallest

ICS reiterates opposition to port fees in U.S. Maritime Action Plan
The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) issued a statement that acknowledges the U.S. Government’s Maritime Action Plan and its stated position to revitalise and expand
Our Forum

On our Forum: Seafarers not immune from the problems of ultra connectivity via social media
By Michael Grey* It was in the 1950s, during an earlier Middle East crisis, that the wife of a British Prime Minister complained that the

On our Forum: The strategic value of a good threat
By Michael Grey* You would like to hope that all sorts of useful lessons are being learned from the current conflict in the Middle East,

On our Forum: Assessing the risks of today’s “normal” productivity demands on ship captains…
By Michael Grey* There can be few who were even remotely surprised at the guilty verdict and six-year jail sentence for the master of the

On our Forum: Questions aplenty on a nuclear propulsion option for merchant shipping…
By Michael Grey* A nuclear reactor, I can recall my father, who was a naval engineer, explaining, was just “an advanced form of kettle” and

On our Forum: When the rules on ship seizures become redundant…
By Michael Grey* “Is it legal?” This was a question asked by a friend when we learned of the news that President Trump’s agile forces

On our Forum: Growing lawlessness at sea and tariff war darken new year outlook
By Michael Grey* There is not a great deal to cheer about as we stumble, haltingly, into the uncertainty of 2026. True, the major carriers

On our Forum: Reminiscing on past naval lives and a training ship
By Michael Grey* At a certain time in one’s life, you begin to appreciate a good obituary. Not necessarily of a life well lived, as

On our Forum: Candid thoughts on the COP30 climate change conference…
By Michael Grey* As tens of thousands of weary delegates stagger off their righteously offset intercontinental flights, leaving the inhabitants of Belem to clear up

On our Forum: Canada must control its destiny at sea as part of trade diversification
By John Gruetzner* Canada needs to act quickly to protect the viability of its commodity export industries. For the cost of one submarine, the Carney

On our Forum-Sounding the alarm: The critical risk of vessel fires
By Yoan Marier* A threat without clear answers The numbers speak for themselves. In the past decade, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB)

On our Forum: The art of devolving responsibility
By Michael Grey* When something goes badly wrong, it is human nature to attempt to deflect the blame and to cite extenuating circumstances to explain

On our Forum: Thoughts on wartime wrecks, salvors and a cruise ship lasting nearly eight decades
By Michael Grey* It must be summer, when there is the annual alarm in the UK about the potential catastrophe from the detonation of 1400

On our forum: The real dangers of dozing in a ship wheelhouse
By Michael Grey* As a story in May in the general press, it all seemed a bit of a laugh. The deep-sleeping Norwegian in his

On our forum: The indispensable role of watchkeeping
By Michael Grey* “She’s not answering the helm!” It was a call to chill the heart of any watchkeeping officer, at least in the days

On our forum: Trump port fees even more detrimental than tariffs…
By Louis Martel* The United States has a long history of implementing protectionist trade policies, often realizing in hindsight that such measures ultimately hurt Americans.

On our forum: Regrettable inhospitable havens for seafarers
By Michael Grey* “Unfriendly natives” – it said, recalling a previous visit, but the Old Man, worrying about the reaction of the pilot, demanded that

On our forum: Human rights of seafarers need to be reinforced
By Michael Grey* Do seafarers have any human rights, in an era where worthy folk are always shouting about this supposed entitlement for those who

On our forum: The dangers for seafarers of unlashing containers
By Michael Grey* With everyone slowing down to save both the planet and fuel we should not be surprised that the expeditors among us are

On our forum: Anarchy the new normal
By Michael Grey* You have to hand it to the Houthis, for their ability, with limited resources, to cause an extraordinary amount of trouble in

On our forum: Canada insufficiently prepared to respond to marine emergencies
By Yoan Marier* The consequences of a marine accident are not just felt in the moment that the disaster strikes or the harrowing ones that

On our forum: Alas, the “inconveniences” of digital technology…
Michael Grey* It was years ago that an old friend, who was a shipbroker, told me proudly that using his new mobile telephone, then something
