Jim Wilson

Towage provider Engage Marine has announced its first operation in the Northern Territory, for a client based on Groote Eylandt. Groote is about 650km to the south east of Darwin, and it is the largest island in the Gulf of Carpentaria.  The island is also a well known location for manganese, a hard and brittle...

A whopping 35% increase in the rate of piracy around the world has been recorded in the first three months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to the International Maritime Bureau. There were a total of 45 cases of piracy and armed robbery against ships in the first quarter of 2025....

Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone Ltd (“Adani”) will acquire the companies that own the North Queensland Export Terminal (NXT), in a non-cash, related party deal. The terminal, located at the Port of Abbott Point, is approximately 400km to the south east of Cairns and 178km to the north west of Mackay in Queensland and...

Motor vehicle fires aboard car-carrying ships of all kinds have been recognised as both dangerous and challenging and now, as we move into the electric vehicle era, new challenges abound. It is also noted that a fire that spreads from a conventionally-powered car to an electric vehicle has the potential to increase the complexity of...

Seafarers have been declared to be key workers by a formal resolution of the International Labour Organization, which met in Geneva, Switzerland recently (7 to 11 April 2025). Recalling the disruptions to shipping and seafarers caused by governmental responses to SARS-CoV2 (the virus that causes the COVID respiratory disease), and recalling the many and various...

A 2.56% pay rise for able seafarers has been agreed in Geneva, Switzerland, at a meeting of the International Labor Organization in an agreement between ship owners and seafarers unions from around the world. The pay rise from US$673 per month to US$690 per month will take effect on 01 January 2026, subject to the...

In a generous display of community support, Shipping Australia has donated $15,000 to the Mission to Seafarers Brisbane, a charitable organization that provides crucial welfare services to the seafaring community. The donation was raised through the proceeds of the 2024 Shipping Australia Gala, a prestigious event held annually to celebrate and support the maritime industry....

Svitzer has signed a global EcoTow agreement with the Wallenius Wilhelmsen group. “The agreement marks a major step in Svitzer’s decarbonisation journey and supports Wallenius Wilhelmsen’s ambition to reduce Scope 3 emissions across Svitzer’s global operations,” Svitzer said in a statement. Scoping it out Scope 3 emissions are greenhouse gas emissions that are indirect emissions that...

Tully Barnes has been appointed as the new General Manager (Operations) at Fremantle Ports, the port has revealed. Mr Barnes was formerly with Svitzer Australia, where he was most recently the General Manager – Harbour & Terminal Towage West. Before that, he filled several defence related roles, and also several engineering and managerial roles. Before...

US President Donald Trump earlier this week signed a sweeping Executive Order that appears to be aimed and fundamentally re-structuring the US port, shipping, maritime and shipbuilding industries. Although the Executive Order, “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance”, of 09 April 2025, has been widely reported in the media as being focused on US shipbuilding, the order...