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goods are involved there is the ever-present danger of pollution and damage to the marine environment. The shipping lines argue that the number of containers lost overboard remains small, relative to the total number of containers shipped in a year. The latest figures from the World Shipping Council, which represents the major container lines, show the number of boxes lost overboard in 2020-21 account for less than a thousandth of 1% of the 241 million containers shipped each year. But the past two years had seen a “worrying break in the downward trend” of losses, with the average number of containers lost at sea per year in the 14 years since the survey began increasing to 1,629, up 18% since the previous survey results for the 12 years to 2019. “The winter of 2020-21 saw an unusually high number of weather-related incidents, and the average losses for the two-year period were 3,113 compared with 779 in the previous period,” the WSC said. Three-year moving average figures had been trending down since 2013, when the total loss of MOL Comfort (IMO: 9358761) with 4,293 containers on board led to a sharp spike in the number of boxes lost. But this trend was reversed in 2020 following the ONE Apus casualty, where more than 1,800 containers were lost in a single event, and the loss of another 750 from Maersk Essen in 2021. To reduce the number of losses, the WSC and its member carriers have joined with Dutch research institute Marin to run a study on how to reduce the risk of container losses. Parametric rolling Among the concerns being investigated is the phenomenon of ‘parametric rolling’, where ships lose stability in following seas. A Notice to Mariners has been developed to help crew recognise, plan their response and prevent parametric rolling. The WSC and member companies have also contributed to and supported revision of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) guidelines for the inspection programmes for cargo transport units. It also supports the creation of a mandatory reporting framework for all containers lost at sea. The WSC will be increasing the frequency of its own reporting, following the sharp increase in numbers during 2020-21. The report, which was previously published every three years, will now be issued annually. There is an increased emphasis on safety in the maritime environment, which is to be welcomed, but it is incumbent upon each party in the supply chain to play their part in driving up standards.
The number of containers lost overboard has, worryingly, begun trending upwards again after a period of decline. As a result the World Shipping Council has joined a study looking at how to reduce these losses How did that happen? Container overboard
In a recent BIFAlink article we highlighted the dangers of undeclared dangerous goods, especially lithium batteries, to ships, crews and landside operations. Whilst major incidents such as the loss of MSC Napoli (2007) attract the most attention, the loss of a number of containers overboard attracts little attention. Some of these incidents can be amusing and can actually have beneficial side effects. The most famous such incident, and the one discussed by David Attenborough in the Blue Planet, was the case of the ‘friendly floatees’ after a consignment of some 29,000 plastic yellow ducks, red beavers, blue turtles and green frogs (estimated weight 28,000 kilos) were washed into the Pacific in 1992. The little toys began appearing on beaches around the world, from the west coast of America to South America, Australia, and by 2007, Europe. This incident attracted considerable media attention and allowed scientists to analyse global ocean currents.
The sad truth of the matter was that scientists were already working on a model, tracking 61,000 Nike trainers lost overboard in 1990. Unfortunately, amusing as these incidents are, sight must not be lost of the simple fact that each container lost overboard represents a loss to the owner of the goods. Also shipping lines, where there is a danger to shipping, are required to recover such containers whenever possible. Bay of Biscay losses One such incident occurred on 14 February 2014, when 520 containers were lost overboard in bad weather in the Bay of Biscay. About 85% of the containers, being empty, sank almost immediately, but some of the balance entered the English Channel. Whilst empty containers sink reasonably quickly, it can take up to two months for a loaded 20 ft container to sink and, buoyed by refrigerant, a ‘reefer’ can take longer. While afloat, these containers represent a danger to shipping, and in all cases where dangerous
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August 2022
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