May 22, 2019  |  National Press Club  |  Washington, DC

NAMEPA welcomed nearly 80 at it’s National Maritime Day Seminar and AMVER Awards Reception last Wednesday.  As we honor the men and women who serve aboard our ships, it is important that safety underpin all decisions and actions on board.  NAMEPA Chairman Joe Hughes stated “Regulations and enforcement are key elements to reducing incidents and increased safety.  He highlighted the various areas of concern being regarded by the global insurance community, such as cruise ships being a focus due to size and human cargo and engine breakdowns due to fuel switching, and concluded “Industry has dealt with risk challenges very well in the past, and I anticipate it will reach new heights of achievement.”

RADM John Nadeau drew the analogy between the human pulse being an indicator of fitness, so is an organization’s safety culture being the heart of its circulatory system.  He noted the USCG’s recent report on US flag inspections and the efforts the Coast Guard is making to work with industry to increase its safety culture.  RADM Brian Salerno (USCG retired and now with CLIA) agreed on the importance of a strong safety culture, emphasizing we “cannot wait for an event, we must be proactive.  We are all dependent on a social license to operate, so quality of operations, safety and the environment are critical.”

Chamber of Shipping of America’s Kathy Metcalf listed the myriad of issues facing industry today from ballast water management to scrubbers, to piracy, Arctic issues, and global trade.  Jeanne Grasso, Partner at Blank Rome, followed with an entreaty to comply, comply, comply.  It is difficult to understand why MARPOL violations still occur after nearly 30 years of prosecution.  Above all, be honest, transparent and forthcoming.  If something goes wrong, report it immediately.”

Andrew Baskin of HudsonAnalytix helped delegates understand the urgency and impacts of cyber attacks and the need to practice good cyber hygiene and examine insurance coverage.  The American Salvage Association’s Jim Elliott outlined some of the activities and initiatives taken by the salvage community as it continues to support environmental and operational safety.  The Reverend Marsh Drege of the North American Maritime Ministry Association underscored the importance of supporting mariners who are the underpinning of industry’s ability to deliver the world’s trade and energy in a safe and efficient fashion.

ADM Karl Schultz joined the event to present the AMVER Awards to those companies that volunteer to divert in the case of an accident or distress at sea to perform a rescue mission.  Over 700 vessels are registered in the American AMVER program, and many of them were represented at the event.

AGENDA (click on presentation name to view video on MaritimeTV)

OUR SPONSORS

ABS is at the forefront of marine and offshore energy innovation. In a constantly evolving industry, ABS assists owners and operators with tackling the most pressing technical, operational and regulatory challenges so the marine and offshore industries can operate with greater levels of safety, security and responsibility.

The American Club’s mission is to provide its Members with a broad and financially secure range of P&I and related insurance services which most effectively meet the imperatives of their day-to-day business and which are delivered in an attentive, efficient, courteous and fo­cused manner.

The American Salvage Association was created as an association of professional salvors in order to provide an identity and assist in professionalizing the United States marine salvage and firefighting response capability. By doing so, the ASA has helped to improve marine casualty response in North American coastal and inland waters. The ASA also educates government, industry and the general public about the role of the marine salvor in protecting life, the environment, and property from the consequences of the perils of water transportation. To achieve these goals the ASA promotes cooperation among its members to assure an effective, successful response in major incidents.

Blank Rome Maritime is one of America’s largest law firms. With more than 500 attorneys serving clients across the globe, Blank Rome is an international law firm representing businesses and organizations ranging from Fortune 500 companies to start-up entities. Blank Rome helps its clients in all aspects of their businesses. The Firm’s practices cover areas including business tax; commercial and corporate litigation; employment benefits and labor; financial services; bankruptcy and financial restructuring; government relations; health law; intellectual property; maritime, international trade and procurement; matrimonial; privately held and emerging companies; product liability; public companies and capital formation; public finance; real estate; trusts and estates; and white collar, internal and government investigations. Blank Rome also represents pro bono clients in a wide variety of cases and matters.

Established in 1975, Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) is the world’s largest cruise industry trade association, providing a unified voice and leading authority of the global cruise community. CLIA supports policies and practices that foster a safe, secure, healthy and sustainable cruise ship environment and is dedicated to promote the cruise travel experience.

Fairfield Chemical Carriers is committed to being the chemical tanker operator of choice in its selected markets; to providing its customers with top quality and reliable service – creative, proactive, and always client focused; to maintaining the highest standards for safety and efficiency in the operation of its fleet; and, above, all, to conducting all its activities professionally, ethically and in a socially responsible manner.

HudsonAnalytix helps you navigate business competitively. We keep trade flowing while protecting your people, your investment and our environment. We are an international marine consultancy guiding the world’s leading maritime companies. Our comprehensive services, global knowledge and depth of expertise enable us to help our clients meet their regulatory, commercial and operational needs efficiently, effectively and profitably.

Navios Maritime (NYSE: NM) (“Navios”) is a global, vertically integrated seaborne shipping and logistics company focused on the transport and transshipment of drybulk commodities including iron ore, coal and grain. Navios was created in 1954 by US Steel to transport iron ore to the US and Europe. Since then, Navios has diversified geographically and expanded the scope of its business activities such that Navios currently controls 48 vessels totaling approximately 5.1 million deadweight tons.

Navios South American Logistics Inc. –subsidiary of “Navios”- consists of a transshipment port/storage facility in Uruguay, an upriver port facility in Paraguay and a well-established barge and cabotage business for wet and dry products.

The Navios Group of companies includes Navios Maritime Partners, LP (NYSE: NMM) and Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation (NYSE: NNA). As a total, Navios Group controls 107 vessels (owned and long term charted-in) and about 11.4 million deadweight tons (73 dry bulk vessels = 7.6 million dwt and 34 tanker vessels = 3.6 million dwt).

Scorpio Group is a global provider of marine transportation services.  Scorpio Tankers Inc. and Scorpio Bulkers Inc. own product tankers and bulk carriers respectively.  Scorpio Services Holding provides services to Group companies and third parties including pooling and technical management.  Scorpio has its principal offices in Monaco and New York.

Sealift Inc. is an owner and operator of a fleet of U.S. flag vessels that are engaged in worldwide operation for both the U.S. Navy and the commercial sector. The company commenced operations in 1975 and maintains a strong presence in the U.S. Navy’s MSC fleet. Sealift’s assets are its people and their experience. They are committed to delivering the highest level of quality as is indicated by the continued satisfaction of their customers.

Established in 2012, SHIPPINGInsight is a multi-pronged industry engagement platform focusing on fleet optimization and innovation to support the maritime industry as it experiences accelerated change.  In addition to a weekly news/opinion outlet, the signature feature of SHIPPINGInsight is its annual fleet optimization and innovation conference held in October in North America.   The event provides a forum for shipowners and solution providers to exchange ideas and discuss challenges in facing the transformation of the industry. The 2019 event is taking place Oct. 15-17 at the Hilton Hotel in Stamford, Connecticut.

For information about sponsorship, contact Gail Nicholas or call 203-255-4686