The latest Seafarers Happiness Index, published today by The Mission to Seafarers, has revealed the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on the welfare of international seafarers and their families.

One of the key elements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the accurate record keeping of movements and/or discharges of shipboard substances and materials that are considered hazardous to the environment.

Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).

Damage to property, whether fixed or moveable, is a common risk during the operation of an offshore vessel. This risk can often result in a significant liability exposure for Members, as the damage may not be limited to their property, but also to property belonging either to their contractual counterparties, or third parties.

This article, written by Ian Teare and Matthew Dow of Law Firm, Wikborg Rein, discusses the judgment handed down in the Admiralty Court on the case of the Stema Barge II, and looks in detail at the scope and meaning on the Limitation Convention 1976. In determining the meaning of ‘Operator’, it was necessary for the Court to also examine the meaning of ‘Manager’. This is the first time that the English Court has been called upon to consider this issue which it did in some detail.