Wednesday, August 19, 2026
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bulker on fire after attack

Russia and Ukraine Continue Targeting Shipping with Claims of Nine Strikes

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Oman

Oman Works to Clean Up Spill as Oil From Stricken Tanker Comes Ashore

Published Aug 18, 2026 6:45 PM by The Maritime Executive

As oil spilled from the grounded tanker Caroline Bezengi begins to come ashore in mainland Oman, the nation's emergency-response agency is kicking into gear with a beach cleanup operation, the last resort of spill mitigation. A stretch of coastline measuring about six to eight miles long has been fouled by the former cargo of the Russian shadow fleet tanker Caroline Bezengi, which was disabled by an explosion in June and drifted ashore on a remote island about 30 nm off...

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Ferguson Marine yard with ferry and frigate blocks

Scotland’s Troubled Ferguson Shipyard Plans to Lay Off a Quarter of Staff

Published Aug 18, 2026 5:39 PM by The Maritime Executive

Saying that the state-owned shipyard is entering a transition period, Scotland’s financially troubled shipbuilder Ferguson Marine announced it will start a voluntary program of staff layoffs. The company said it expects to see up to 70 employees depart, which media reports highlight would represent a quarter of its staff. The shipyard has been struggling to maintain its operations and reduce the financial pressures. After years of struggle, it was nationalized by Scotland in 2019 as the last commercial shipyard on...

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containership departing China for Arctic transit

Report: India Looks to Run First NSR Arctic Voyage to Europe in 2027

Published Aug 18, 2026 5:04 PM by The Maritime Executive

As the shipping season on Russia’s Northern Sea Route moves into its peak time, there are reports that India is the latest country looking to test transits to Europe. According to a report from the Indian newspaper The Economic Times, it is part of a larger effort to expand economic ties between the two countries. The development of the Northern Sea Route has always carried political undertones, which are growing louder. Chinese media is full of reports of the launch...

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Maine's congressional delegation would prefer to reserve warship contracts for US firms like Bath Iron Works and Huntington Ingalls, the two remaining builders of destroyers (USN)

Trump's Foreign-Build Plan for U.S. Warships Hits Congressional Opposition

Published Aug 18, 2026 4:21 PM by The Maritime Executive

Congressional representatives from several shipbuilding districts are unenthusiastic about the Trump administration's proposal to send warship orders to South Korean or Japanese shipyards, which are capable of rapid construction but have never held newbuild contracts for the U.S. Navy - nor access to the most sensitive aspects of American warship construction. A newly-signed memorandum from the White House would offer the first two ships in a given series to an overseas shipyard, so long as that shipbuilder has a U.S....

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Offshore

The South African lease area covered part of the Orange Basin, a geological region where Shell has had success on the Namibian side of the boundary line, above (Press handout courtesy Odfjell)

Top Court Ends Shell's South African Wild Coast Offshore Lease

Last Friday, oil major Shell lost a long-running court battle over its offshore oil and gas exploration plans for a frontier region off South Africa's "Wild Coast," an unspoiled stretch of coastline that provides habitat for migrating humpback whales. Environmental groups (including Greenpeace) began suing Shell back in 2021 in an attempt to stop seismic surveying off the Wild Coast, asserting that it would be harmful to whales and to commercial fishermen. Shell countered that its plans were compliant with...

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Shipbuilding

USS Gerald R. Ford's strikingly modern design: island aft, providing an unobstructed deck from amidships forward (USN file image)

Report: Trump Wants to Move Ford-Class Carrier's Island for Appearance

In addition to the remarkable decision to remove the electromagnetic launch system and weapons elevators from future ships in the Ford-class carrier program, the White House has reportedly asked the Navy to relocate the entire superstructure to place it amidships. The Ford-class gave the Navy the opportunity to rethink its carrier concept, and it has fundamental differences from previous generation designs. The island - the combination navigation bridge, air traffic control tower and mast system - is located more than...

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Environment

Clear offender: a Chinese distant-water fishing vessel caught with illegal drift net gear at a position off Japan, 2008 (USCG file image)

Study: Wealthy Countries Fuel Illegal Fishing in Poor Countries

Consumers in wealthy nations are fueling a rampant illegal fishing trade that has become a multibillion-dollar industry, and the majority of the catch originates in the waters of poor countries, according to a comprehensive study from Canada’s University of British Columbia. Fishing is a socioeconomic lifeline for most coastal communities across the globe, with about 3.5 million fishing vessels plying the world’s oceans, providing livelihoods and food for millions. But the world seems to have resigned itself to being unable...

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Business

Ferguson Marine yard with ferry and frigate blocks

Scotland’s Troubled Ferguson Shipyard Plans to Lay Off a Quarter of Staff

Saying that the state-owned shipyard is entering a transition period, Scotland’s financially troubled shipbuilder Ferguson Marine announced it will start a voluntary program of staff layoffs. The company said it expects to see up to 70 employees depart, which media reports highlight would represent a quarter of its staff. The shipyard has been struggling to maintain its operations and reduce the financial pressures. After years of struggle, it was nationalized by Scotland in 2019 as the last commercial shipyard on...

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