Maritime Law & Regulations News

On March 9, Chief Mate Ali Albokhari’s 30-year sentence was upheld by the Supreme Court in Turkey.Albokhari was arrested in 2023 while working on the Panama-flagged Phoenician M after drugs were found in the vessel’s cargo holds. No evidence was found that linked any of the crew to the drugs, and all other crew members have long since been released from prison.The news comes as geopolitical threats are increasing for seafarers.NGO Human Rights at Sea joined the wider industry in calling for the protection of seafarers as war activities escalate in the Middle East.

The global maritime industry has long been the arterial system of the world economy, responsible for over 90% of global trade. For centuries, the primary dangers to a vessel were physical: crushing storms, mechanical failure, or the threat of piracy. However, as we move through 2026, the industry has reached a critical juncture. The rapid digitization of the sector—driven by the need for logistical optimization and fuel efficiency—has fundamentally shifted the threat landscape.

The maritime domain has always been central to global stability and our nation’s prosperity. In today’s rapidly evolving security environment, its importance has never been more pronounced – or more vulnerable. Over ninety percent of global trade moves across the world’s oceans, making maritime transportation the backbone of international commerce, energy distribution, and economic resilience. Yet this vast ecosystem faces escalating risks including geopolitical tensions, deteriorating infrastructure…

Brazilian firms OceanPact and CBO have announced plans to combine their businesses, creating what the companies described as the country’s most comprehensive integrated fleet and services platform for the offshore sector.The transaction will be implemented through the incorporation of CBO’s holding company into OceanPact, according to a regulatory filing. Completion of the deal is subject to approval by Brazil’s antitrust regulator CADE and other customary conditions, including approval by shareholders and consent from creditors.Once completed…

Supertanker costs in the Middle East have hit all-time highs, according to shipping data and industry sources on Tuesday, as the U.S.-Iran conflict intensifies with Tehran attacking ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.Shipping through the Strait between Iran and Oman, which carries around one-fifth of oil consumed globally as well as large quantities of liquefied natural gas, has ground to a near halt after vessels in the area were hit as Iran retaliated against U.S. and…

J.F. Lehman & Company, an alternative asset manager focused on the aerospace, defense, government, maritime, environmental and infrastructure sectors, has announced that investment affiliates, including JFL Equity Investors VI, L.P., have acquired Forged Solutions Group, Inc. (FSG).With roots dating back to 1836, FSG is a provider of high specification forgings for the aerospace, defense, and space end markets with a particular focus on flight-critical, rotating aeroengine components.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings forecast annual profit below Wall Street expectations, as demand for its higher‑priced voyages softened amid economic uncertainty and rising geopolitical tensions.Shares of Norwegian fell about 7% in premarket trading, mirroring a broader market selloff sparked by escalating conflict between the U.S. and Israel, and Iran.

Marine insurers are cancelling war risk coverage for vessels and oil shipping rates are set to surge further after the widening Iran conflict left at least three tankers damaged, a seafarer killed and 150 ships stranded around the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has responded to U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on Saturday with retaliatory attacks that have sharply increased risks to commercial shipping in the past 24 hours.In the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, at least 150 vessels including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers had dropped anchor…

Marine insurers are cancelling war risk coverage for vessels and oil shipping rates are set to surge further after the widening Iran conflict left at least three tankers damaged, a seafarer killed and 150 ships stranded around the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has responded to U.S. and Israeli strikes that began on Saturday with retaliatory attacks that have sharply increased risks to commercial shipping in the past 24 hours.In the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters, at least 150 vessels including oil and liquefied natural gas tankers had dropped anchor, shipping data showed on Sunday.Typically, ships carrying oil equal to about one-fifth of global demand from Saudi Arabia…

The term necropolitics was first coined with reference to concentration camps, apartheid regions, and historical slave plantations.It is the exercise of sovereignty which resides, to a large degree, in the power and the capacity to dictate who may live and who must die.Now researchers from Australia and New Zealand have extended the concept to fishing vessels where captains control medical decisions, food and water distribution and the use of violence onboard.Migrant fishers onboard remote fishing vessels can suffer “active” or “slow” deaths.

CMB Tech reported fourth-quarter core earnings above market expectations on Thursday as robust tanker and dry-bulk markets allowed the Belgian shipping group to lock in charter contracts and sell older ships at high prices.The tanker group said market conditions remain supportive into early 2026, though a potential crude supply surplus later in the year could pressure oil prices and curb transport demand if producers cut output.Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation came in at $322 million for the quarter ended in December…

Cuban forces killed four people and wounded six others aboard a Florida-based speedboat that entered Cuban waters on Wednesday and opened fire on a Cuban patrol, the Cuban government said at a time of heightened tensions with the United States.The wounded were evacuated and receiving medical attention, while the Cuban patrol commander was also wounded, Cuba's Interior Ministry said in a statement, adding that the matter was under investigation to clarify exactly what happened.The highly unusual incident took place as the United States has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island…

Britain on Tuesday sanctioned Maritime Mutual, the New Zealand-based marine insurer that was the subject of a Reuters special report into how it had helped in the trade of tens of billions of dollars of Iranian and Russian oil."(Maritime Mutual) is or has been involved in obtaining a benefit from or supporting the Government of Russia by carrying on business in a sector of strategic significance to the Government of Russia, namely the Russian energy sector," the British government…

The EU Council has extended the European Union’s maritime security operation to safeguard freedom of navigation in relation to the Red Sea crisis (EUNAVFOR ASPIDES) until 28 February 2027, following the strategic review of the operation.The Council agreed to provide nearly €15 million ($18 million) to cover the costs of the operation which contributes to safeguarding freedom of navigation in the Red Sea and surrounding waters in response to ongoing threats against merchant and commercial vessels.Operation ASPIDES provides defensive maritime security…

Hong Kong conglomerate CK Hutchison said on Tuesday Panama authorities had threatened its employees with criminal prosecution if they defied orders to leave two strategic canal ports at the centre of a legal battle that has embroiled Beijing and Washington.CK Hutchison said Panama's decision to cancel key port contracts and grant temporary licences to Maersk and the Mediterranean Shipping (MSC) was 'unlawful' as it considers national and international legal action against the…

All-Cash Deal, Expanding Brazil FootprintTidewater Inc. (NYSE: TDW) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Wilson Sons Ultratug Participações S.A. and its affiliate Atlantic Offshore Services S.A. (collectively, WSUT) in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $500 million, including the assumption of existing debt.The acquisition significantly strengthens Tidewater’s position in the global offshore support vessel (OSV) market while marking a decisive expansion in…

Jason Turner, Chairman and CEO of Entanglement, started the AI quantum computing company in 2017. He quickly realized it was too early. Rather than focus on quantum computing hardware, which is still on the journey to maturity, he chose to focus on quantum logic, and quantum inspired algorithms applicable to existing compute technologies.He and his team therefore turned their attention to using quantum logic. “We reframed the math into our own solvers that can solve massive problems on non-classical computer technology.

Iran issued a notice to airmen (NOTAM) that it plans rocket launches in areas across its south on Thursday from 330 GMT to 1330 GMT, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration website showed on Wednesday.Iran conducted navy drills this week in the Hormuz Strait and plans to conduct a joint naval exercise with Russia on Thursday."Creating convergence and coordination in joint measures to counter activities threatening maritime security and safety (...) as well as combating maritime terrorism…

Marcura has acquired Shipdem, a UK-based specialist in chemical tanker laytime and demurrage, from its parent company, Casper Shipping. Shipdem brings expertise in chemical tanker demurrage, where operational complexity and contractual nuance demand technical knowledge and disciplined claims handling process. The acquisition follows HubSE in 2025 and continues Marcura’s investment in claims management capabilities across all major cargo types. HubSE’s self-service technology for tanker demurrage complements Shipdem’s fully managed service capability…

Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz for a few hours on Tuesday, Iranian state media reported, without making clear whether the waterway, one of the world's most vital oil export routes, had fully reopened.Earlier, Iranian state media had reported that the Strait of Hormuz would be partially shut for a few hours on Tuesday due to "security precautions" for shipping safety while Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards conducted military drills there.(Reuters - Reporting by Menna Alaa El-Din; Editing by Gareth Jones)

The Australian Border Force (ABF) has seen early results under Operation BROADSTAFF, intercepting two foreign fishing vessels in northern Queensland and the Torres Strait over the weekend before illegal fishing activity could occur.Launched last week, Operation BROADSTAFF is designed to deter, detect and disrupt illegal foreign fishing in Australian waters.On 14 and 15 February 2026, during intelligence led patrols, ABF officers from Maritime Border Command (MBC), working with partner agencies…

In a move that further reshapes the global liner landscape, Hapag-Lloyd has agreed to acquire ZIM Integrated Shipping Services Ltd. in an all-cash transaction valued at approximately $4.2 billion, the companies announced today.Under the terms of the merger agreement, Hapag-Lloyd will acquire ZIM for $35.00 per share in cash, representing a 58% premium to ZIM’s prior-day closing stock price, a 90% premium to its 90-day VWAP, and a 126% premium to its unaffected share price of $15.50 in August 2025 prior to market speculation.The transaction…