Decreasing the number of the losses totals of ships, but the number of marine incidents remains elevated



Last year the number of losses totals of ships has marked the level more low than this century, but the number of marine incidents remains elevated. It finds the annual report "Safety and Shipping Review 2019" elaborated from the insurance group Allianz specifying that in the 2018 total has happened all over the world the loss 46 great ships of the tonnage of beyond 100 tons, with a decrease record of the -50% on the year precedence, figure that moreover is situated of 55% beneath of the average decennial of 104 units.

The marine region of southern China, Indo-china, Indonesia and Filippine remains the place where they are recorded the most elevated losses totals than ships (12 in 2018). Last year an incident on four has happened in this area, even if a meaningful decrease regarding the 29 of the year is evidenced precedence. The Mediterranean oriental and the Black Sea (6 the British losses) and islands (4 losses) are to the second and third party place. The relationship observes that, although the improvement signs, Asia will remain a critical point for the marine lefts because of the elevated level of commercial exchanges in the area, its sold routes of navigation and of the fleets formed from old ships that are employed in the region.

In 2018 mercantile ships (15) they have represented a third party of the losses totals all over the world. The cause more frequent than these lefts continuous to being the sinking, that it has regarded beyond the half (551 units, pairs to 53% of the total) of the 1,036 ships lost in the last decade. In the 2018 30 cases of sinking have been marked.

The precise relationship moreover that the losses totals are diminished in meaningful way in critical areas as the Asian south-east and that the losses due to meteorological events have been halved thanks to a year in which less hurricanes and typhoons have happened.

The specific document that but, if collapse of the losses totals of ships is encouraging, the total number of marked marine incidents in 2018 (2,698) shows a decrease decidedly more content, pairs at less than the -1% regarding the year precedence. The root cause of the incidents is the damages to machinery (1,079 in 2018) and more represents than a third party of beyond 26.000 incidents of the last decade, that is double quantity of the second more important cause that it is the collision. The damages to the machinery are also one of the more expensive causes of the lefts of the marine insurance, for a total of beyond a billion of dollars in five years.

Moreover the fires continue to generate huge damages on board and the number of these marked incidents (174 in 2018) stretch to increase. The specific relationship that this trend is continued also in 2019, with a series of recent problems on portacontainer and three meaningful incidents on car carrier. Cargos declared in wrong way and mistaken indications of labelling and dangerous packing of goods are between the root causes of fires in sea. The antifire ability on board - the document finds - can be limited and the important resource external participations, with consequent increase of the reaction times, can provoke huge damages to the ships, with a meaningful increment of the value of the demands for compensation. The relationship observes moreover as loss at least 345 container and damaging of happened others 450 at the beginning of 2019 on portacontainer the MSC Zoe, that it has a 19.000 cargo ability of teu, in the presence of difficult meteorological conditions while the ship was to the wide one of the German island of Borkum, remembers us that the goods damaged is the cause more frequent than compensation by the marine insurances.

"The good results of 2018, with a reduction record of the losses totals of ships - it has commented
Baptiste Ossena, Global Product Hull Leader & Marine Liabilities di Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS) - sure they are influenced by favorable circumstances, but they put in evidence also the improvement of safety in the naval industry to total level. The best planning of the ships, the technology, a more rigid regulation and systems than more efficient management of safety on the ships - Ossena has explained - have contributed to avoid that the breakdowns and the incidents were transformed in serious losses. However, the lack of a general decrease of the marine incidents, the increase of the political risks for safety of the ships, the conformity to the norms on the emissions of the 2020 and increasing fire number on board represents the true challenge for the field".

The annual report of the AGCS under investigation takes also the impact on the marine transport of the new international norms that will beginning from limit produced the sulfur oxide emissions from the ships on January 1°, 2020. The document evidences that the new norms will have a meaningful impact on the naval industry, with remarkable implications regarding the costs, the conformity and the crews, and that the main world-wide ports are quite taking in consideration the employment of droni in order characterizing the violations of the environmental norms, with the consequence that the ships that will not use most expensive fuel to low sulfur content will be able to incur in onerous endorsements. "It is important - commander Rahul Khanna has asserted, Global Head of Marine Risk Consulting of AGCS - than the marine transport gives own contribution for a more sustainable atmosphere. However, although the express to approximate itself of this expiration, still lacks the international standards and worries are recorded about the availability and the compatibility of the fuel to low sulfur content. The insurers are worried because, with the fuel introduction to low sulfur content, a potential increase of the lefts for breakdowns to the machinery could be recorded. Therefore it is important to manage this phase of transition well. Moreover there is the risk that, if not there is compatible and consistent fuel availability in the ports, happens interruptions and delays in transport".

Between the topics which examined from the relationship there is also that of the increase of the threats to safety of navigation because of conflicts, territorial disputes, cyber-attack, endorsements, piracy and even sabotage, as demonstrated from the recent ones it attacks to the oil tankers in Middle East. Moreover the increasing number of migrants in sea and the increase of the clandestines on the mercantile ships has also serious repercussions on the activity of the navigation companies, with consequent delays and shunting lines from the routes and pressures on the crews of the ships.