This category covers the latest developments, policies, and innovations aimed at enhancing safety, security, and technological advancement in the maritime sector. It includes news and analysis on maritime safety regulations, ship security systems, port security measures, cyber security in shipping, navigation technologies, vessel monitoring systems, and emergency response mechanisms.
The section also highlights emerging maritime technologies such as automation, digitalization, smart ports, AI-based navigation, satellite tracking, and risk-management solutions that improve operational efficiency while ensuring compliance with international maritime standards. It serves as a reliable resource for policymakers, industry professionals, researchers, and stakeholders focused on safeguarding maritime operations and advancing secure, resilient, and technologically driven maritime systems.
Cyberattacks are escalating across industries, and the shipping and maritime sectors are no exception. According to research by law firm HFW, reported by the BBC, the cost of addressing cyberattacks in the shipping sector doubled from 2022 to 2023, averaging $550,000 per incident. As attacks grow more sophisticated, maritime operators and ports face increasing financial and operational risks.
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Japan has seized a Chinese fishing vessel and arrested its captain after the ship entered the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off the coast of Nagasaki Prefecture and allegedly attempted to avoid inspection, adding fresh strain to already tense relations between Japan and China.
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Government officials and maritime experts from Asian coastal states gathered in Singapore from February 2–6, 2026, for the first IMO workshop on ships’ routeing and ship reporting systems, aiming to strengthen regional expertise in navigational safety, IMO procedures, and effective implementation of maritime traffic management systems. The workshop focused on enhancing safety for coastal States experiencing rising shipping activity and congestion in busy sea lanes.
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At least 21 people have been killed after a passenger ferry capsized and sank in the Nile River in Sudan, triggering a desperate search and rescue operation for survivors. The tragic river accident occurred on Wednesday in the Tayba Al-Khawad area, north of Khartoum, when the vessel overturned while carrying 30 passengers between the villages of Tayba Al-Khawad and Deim Al-Qarai.
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Minister Skeete and a Quebec delegation visited Hanwha Ocean’s advanced shipbuilding facilities in Geoje, South Korea, to explore cooperation opportunities related to the Canadian Patrol Submarine Project (CPSP), gaining firsthand insight into the KSS-III submarine proposed for Canada’s future fleet. The visit highlighted potential industrial collaboration between Canada and South Korea in the defense, naval shipbuilding, and submarine manufacturing sectors.
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At least 53 migrants, including two infants, are dead or missing after a large rubber dinghy capsized off the coast of Libya, the UN migration agency said on Monday, marking another deadly incident in the central Mediterranean Sea.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the overcrowded vessel overturned in freezing waters north of the coastal town of Zuwara last Friday. The boat had departed from Zawiya at around 11:00 p.m. on Thursday and began taking on water approximately six hours later before capsizing.
Operations at the Port of Rotterdam were temporarily disrupted on 6 February 2026 after a container stack collapsed aboard an ultra-large container vessel during cargo handling activities.
According to maritime industry reports, the incident occurred on the German-flagged Bangkok Express while it was undergoing discharge operations in the Nieuwe Maas area. A section of the vessel’s container stack gave way, causing multiple containers to fall.
The Thai Navy successfully rescued all 16 crew members from a cargo vessel that was in danger of sinking off the coast of Phuket on February 7, according to Amarin TV. The operation was launched after authorities received an alert about the Panamanian-flagged cargo ship Sealloyd Arc, which has a displacement of 4,339 tons, facing critical conditions near Koh Kaew Noi, about 10 nautical miles from shore.
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Turkish fishermen discovered an unexploded drone in the waters near Karaburun, a district on the northwestern side of Istanbul, prompting an investigation by the Turkish Coast Guard Command. The incident occurred midday on Thursday, February 5, when the fishermen spotted an unidentified device in the sea and immediately notified the authorities. A specialized SAS team was dispatched to secure and neutralize the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), which was later destroyed after analysis.
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A collision between a speedboat carrying migrants and a Greek coast guard patrol vessel off the eastern Aegean island of Chios has claimed at least 15 lives, authorities reported late Tuesday. Greek coastguard officials said the incident occurred while a search and rescue operation was underway to locate potentially missing passengers, involving four patrol vessels, an air force helicopter, and a private boat carrying divers. Fourteen bodies, including 11 men and three women, were recovered from the sea, while 25 migrants, including around 11 children, were rescued and transported to a hospital on Chios. Two coast guard officers injured during the incident were also hospitalized, and one of the injured women later died, bringing the total death toll to at least 15.
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A 100-metre cargo ship, Razouk, flying the Comoros flag, has run aground off Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait near Kisirkaya, Sariyer. The vessel was en route to anchor at Constanta Port in Romania when the grounding occurred, though the cause of the incident has not yet been determined.
Turkish coast guard teams were dispatched to the area following reports of the grounding, and operations to refloat the stranded ship are currently underway. Authorities have not yet released official information regarding injuries, pollution, or damage to the vessel.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) in Penang has detained two oil tankers suspected of conducting an illegal ship-to-ship (STS) transfer of crude oil valued at more than RM512 million in Malaysian waters.
Penang Maritime Director Maritime Captain Muhammad Suffi Mohd Ramli said a marine patrol boat received intelligence at around 1:00 a.m. regarding two oil tankers anchored approximately 24 nautical miles west of Muka Head. The vessels were suspected of being involved in unauthorized crude oil transfer activities.
Greece placed maritime security and the protection of global supply chains at the center of international attention by hosting a high-level roundtable at United Nations Headquarters in New York on January 29, 2026. The event was co-organized by the Permanent Mission of Greece to the UN and the Delphi Economic Forum, drawing policymakers, maritime security specialists, and industry leaders.
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A maritime tragedy struck Gloucester, America’s oldest fishing port, when the commercial fishing vessel Lily Jean sank in the frigid Atlantic Ocean Friday morning. The U.S. Coast Guard was alerted by the boat’s emergency beacon after no mayday call was received.
Rescuers discovered one crew member deceased, floating in the water, along with debris and an empty lifeboat. Six fishermen remain missing as the search continues amid harsh winter conditions.
French shipping and logistics group CMA CGM has temporarily diverted several of its Atlantic-trading vessels to designated safe zones as severe storms disrupt navigation across parts of the European and North African coastline. The precautionary move follows exceptional weather conditions affecting waters off France, Spain and Morocco, with particularly hazardous conditions reported in the Bay of Biscay.
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