The Capsizing of the Tugboat TNS Catcher off Busan
On the afternoon of September 2, 2026, the 286-tonne South Korean tugboat TNS Catcher capsized and sank while assisting a large container ship roughly 9 kilometers east of Oryukdo Island,…
Securing Africa’s Maritime Future Starts with Credible Certification
In the high-stakes world of global shipping, a Certificate of Competency is far more than a piece of paper. It is a solemn international pledge that the holder can safely…
Breakout Performance: Ghana Shippers’ Authority’s Remarkable 2025 Surge
The Ghana Shippers’ Authority (GSA) has delivered a striking financial result, posting a 271.52 percent surge in net surplus to GH¢258.30 million (approximately US$20.7 million) from GH¢69.52 million (US$5.6 million)…
The Silent Fleet: Why Small, Unregistered Vessels Are the Greatest Threat to Maritime Security Across Africa’s Western Indian Ocean and Gulf of Guinea
In October 2025, the Kenyan Navy intercepted a modest fishing boat 340 nautical miles off the coast of Lamu. The vessel, the MV Mashallah, bore no registration marks, flew no…
Pearl Sweet’s Bitter Aftertaste: Uganda’s Oil Boom Faces Economic Promise and Environmental Reckoning
Uganda’s official branding of its crude oil as “Pearl Sweet” marks a pivotal moment for the East African nation—a declaration that it is finally ready to join the ranks of…
Mombasa’s New Weekly Call Isn’t Just a Ship—It’s a Signal
The decision by InterAsia Lines to launch a weekly Asia–Mombasa shipping service is far more than a routine addition to the port’s schedule. It is a definitive market signal: East…
From Landlocked to Seafaring: Ethiopia’s Quiet Maritime Revolution Reshapes the Horn
In a modest video shared on April 1, 2025, Sputnik Africa announced a seemingly unremarkable development: Ethiopia plans to train seafarers for the global market. But beneath this terse headline…
The Silent Killer at Sea: Why Four in Five Crew Deaths Are from Illness, Not Accidents
For decades, maritime safety has been defined by hard hats, risk assessments, and the prevention of falls, collisions, and machinery failures. This remains necessary work. Yet the latest data from…
Africa’s Flags Must Not Become Russia’s Sanctions Shield
Russia’s shadow fleet is not a clever loophole; it is a brazen act of maritime predation. By weaponizing Africa’s regulatory weaknesses, Moscow has turned the continent’s shipping registries into instruments…
Transforming Shipping in Practice: From Conference Discourse to Concrete Action
In late August 2026, the World Maritime University (WMU) Maritime Affairs Conference brought together the industry’s foremost minds in Malmö, Sweden, under a deceptively simple theme: Transforming Shipping in Practice.…