SOUTH AFRICA: Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) has taken delivery of the first four tugboats to boost marine fleet availability and shipping efficiencies at the ports of Durban and East London.

SOUTH AFRICA: With just under 100 nominations, the annual South African Boat Builders Export Council (SABBEX) awards were hotly contested this year as the industry sought to celebrate the achievements of both individuals as well as companies within the sector.

LIBERIA: The Fisheries Committee for the West Central Gulf of Guinea (FCWC), in cooperation with the government of Liberia under the aegis of its National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) will host a regional meeting of the FCWC West Africa Task Force (WATF) to end illegal fishing this week in Monrovia to continue building cooperation in West Africa’s fisheries management.

GHANA: A consortium, including the African Development Bank (ADB) has signed an agreement to extend $94 million in senior debt funding to PMD Assetco Limited (PMD) for the construction and operation of a floating dock ship repair facility in Ghana’s western Takoradi port.

NIGERIA: A fleet of 15 boats was launched at the end of last month to provide high commercial operations by Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA).

SOUTH AFRICA: Admitting that the Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) had failed to provide effective oversight of the ports over the last ten years, Lebohang Ntwampe, Transport Economist at the DPE, made a commitment to correct this during yesterday’s Port Consultative Committee (PCC) roadshow session for Cape Town port users.

Only four African ports reflected positive change in the newest global Container Port Performance Index (CPPI) published by the World Bank this week.

Announcing the release of a seafarer who had been stuck on board a Tanzanian flagged vessel for more than a decade, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) has hailed the African flag as one of the worst offenders for failing to step in when crew have been abandoned.