The new Qwest Legal service plugs a number of holes in the existing arrangements that owners or charterers have to protect themselves from the day to day legal costs encountered in the shipping business writes Mark Mathews.
Packages of cocaine were discovered on board a vessel during cargo discharge at port A, Mexico. It is alleged that the drugs were loaded on board the vessel at a port in Colombia, at which point the vessel was scheduled to call at port B, Mexico, before being diverted to Port A due to congestion.
There has been an increasing recognition of crew welfare issues across the industry. However, the broader risks associated with these issues are often less widely understood. The consequences of inaction could be wide reaching and dire.
Earlier this year the Marine Insurance Asia Conference held a panel discussion on crew mental health. It brought together a range of speakers around the shipping industry with a shared concern for the mental wellbeing of seafarers.
Many ship operators will be aware of the current detention by the Hellenic Coast Guard of the bulk carrier Skyros following arrival from Brazil with a cargo of soyabeans. The ship and all 23 crew members remain detained...
The devil is in the detail where claims and counterclaims are concerned – and it’s our job to root out and verify those details,
writes Phil Butler, Qwest Forensics
