Issue link: http://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/643635
22 January 2016 www.cargobusinessnews.com casualtIes 1/28: CARgo ShiP SiNkS AfTER ColliSioN off CoAST of ColoN, PANAMA The cargo ship VFM Alita has sunk af- ter colliding with a vessel in the Caribbe- an waters off Colon, Panama, on Friday. The Panamanian-flagged ship, which was empty, sustained significant damage to its hull that caused it to take on water and sink, according to the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA). An investigation into the cause of the collision has been launched by the PMA. The 106-meter long vessel, owned by Venezuela Feeder Maritime, had been anchored off Columbus since 2014, wait - ing to be sold for scrap. No injuries to the crew members were reported. For more of the Leadership News story: www.leadership.ng 1/27: fAMiliES of loST El fARo CREW SETTlE WiTh ToTE The families of 10 crew members killed when the cargo ship El Faro sank have settled claims against the ship's owners for $500,000 each, court records show. Tote Maritime Puerto Rico filed notice of the settlement that company attorneys described as "full and final." The notice said the settlement covered "pre-death pain and suffering" and unspecified economic losses the deaths caused. But the agreements, which include the family of ship captain Michael Davidson, cover less than half the families who brought suit after the Oct. 1 sinking, which killed 33 people. Attorneys for some of the others said they aren't done fighting. "These settlements will have no im - pact on how we move forward to trial on behalf of the families we represent," said Kurt Arnold, a Texas attorney whose firm represents survivors of four mari- ners. "We will discover the truth of why [the] defendants allowed this tragedy to occur and ensure that defendants are held fully responsible." For more of the Jacksonville.com story: jacksonville.com 1/26: MSC MoNiCA RUNS AgRoUNd iN ST. lAWRENCE RivER Canada's federal Transportation Safety Board has deployed a crew to Deschail- lons-sur-Saint-Laurent, Quebec, where a container ship ran aground Friday. The MSC Monica, a ship that plies the St. Lawrence River regularly, was grounded at approximately 8:00 a.m. ET on 1/22/2016. The container ship had left Montreal bound for Saint John, N.B. The incident occurred about 118 miles northeast of Montreal, between Trois-Rivières and Québec City. The ship reportedly had a problem with its rudder and drifted off course. The Canadian Coast Guard flew over the ship to assess the situation and was able to determine that the ship is not leaking fuel. For more of the CBC News story: www.cbc.ca 1/25: MiSSiSSiPPi RivER CloSEd AfTER 3 bARgES bREAkAWAy On Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard was still working a 22-barge breakaway at mile marker 54 on the Mississippi River, near West Point a la Hache in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. The river remains closed between mile markers 50 to 53. The Coast Guard is overseeing operations to assess the loca - tion of the last barge to determine if is a navigation hazard. The ships — Q Jake, Serena P and Ocean Tomo — were damaged in the collision. Dry-bulk soy beans from one of the vessels spilled into the river and the release has since been secured. The three ships are now safely anchored. All 22 barges were loaded with coal and petroleum coke, a coal like sub- stance. All of the barges have been ac- counted for and secured except one that remains pushed up against a river bank. For more of the Fox8 New Orleans story: www.fox8live.com 1/21: diSAblEd CARgo ShiP dElAyS gRoCERy dElivERiES To ANChoRAgE A cargo ship that had mechanical troubles is responsible for some empty store shelves in Anchorage. Tote Mari- time's Grace Greene said the ship that was supposed to arrive in Anchorage on Sunday never made it further than the Port of Tacoma. "Fortunately this doesn't happen very often and so when it does we dedicate resources to getting the ship back on line and that's what we've done this time," Greene explained. Roughly 85 percent of all the goods that arrive in Alaska come through the port of Anchorage. The port receives four major cargo shipments a week. But when even one is out of service, it can make a difference. "If there's something — you eat it, wear it or use it — it comes here on the ship," Greene said. "So sometimes dur - ing delays like this, you can see some issues with getting enough products on the shelves." Emergency officials said one cargo ship out of service isn't a crisis, but it's a reminder of what Alaska could face if the port were cut-off during an emergency or natural disaster. For more of the KTVA News story: www.ktva.com 1/20: CUSToMS SEizES hUNdREdS of CoUNTERfEiT hovERboARdS AT PoRT of MiAMi U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized about 300 counterfeit hover- boards last week at the Port of Miami. Officials say the total estimated re- tail price of the counterfeit boards is $94,000. Officials say they arrived from China and contained batteries with a fake LG trademark logo. Customs and Border Protection Port Director Dylan DeFrancisci says the sei- zure of the fake two-wheeled motorized scooters helps ensure that a product has genuine parts and is safe. The Consumer Product Safety Com-