Your Maritime World; by the numbers: Piracy, Port Calls, & more…
At mid-year, there is no shortage of news from the domestic waterfront and far beyond into the International trade routes. Doubts about the (recovering) economy can always be tied – to a certain extent – to trade and commerce numbers. If so, then the light at the end of the tunnel may just be in sight.
Sometimes, it is prudent to boil it all down to the numbers. Sometimes, however, the data does not paint a pretty picture. Usually, the numbers do not lie. This is one of those times. Take a moment and look at a slice of the maritime world today, by the numbers:
1.58 Billion: dollars recently authorized by U.S. DOT for Major Transit Projects Across America in the near future (announced 27 June).
7.648 Million: tones of cargo passing through the St. Lawrence Seaway System (YTD) as of May 31 2011. Up modestly from this time one year ago.
1154: Number of State Maritime Academy graduates in 2010.
568: Number of 2010 State Maritime Academy graduates who sat for and received a marine license. Less than half opted for the license track.
445: Total number of global piracy attacks in all of 2010. This year’s numbers are on a pace to eclipse that number by a wide margin. Source: IMB Reporting Center.
439: Total number of mariners being held hostage by so-called pirates as of June 13 2011.
243: Total Number of Global Piracy/Armed robbery incidents reported in 2011 through 13 June 2011. At this pace, that number would top 500 by year’s end. Sobering thought, indeed.
154: Total Number of Piracy/Armed robbery incidents reported in Somalia region alone through 13 June 2011.
97: Percentage of tanker port calls in the United States in 2010 that were made by double-hull vessels, up from 78 percent five years earlier (source: Marad). Oil spilled from tank vessel operations is, for the most part, dramatically down, from just a few decades ago. Is it training, double hulls or the onerous regulatory climate that is responsible for those improved numbers?
49: Percentage of State Maritime Academy graduates who opted for the “license track” curriculum in 2010. Hint: below 50 percent, those numbers continue to slide…
40: Number of firms, oil companies and training institutions planning to attend this week’s U.S. Coast Guard, two-day primer on STCW developments. Seems like folks are taking this seriously; for very good reasons. January 2012 is looming large in the porthole.
27: number of DOT Transit Surface Projects recently authorized (but not necessarily funded) – See: $1.58 billion above. Note the word “surface” – it refers primarily to roadways. Authorization does not necessarily mean that the money will be allocated or spent.
23: Total number of merchant vessels being held by pirates as of June 13.
13: percentage that vessel calls at U.S. ports are up in 2010, as compared to 2009. According to Marad, oceangoing vessel calls reflect waterborne trade between the United States and countries around the world, and are a measure of import, export and domestic ocean shipments. This can be characterized as nominally good news.
10.27: percentage increase in total transits through St. Lawrence Seaway, YTD. This coincides with Marad’s domestic port call numbers. Note that while Seaway traffic is up 10 percent, tonnage has only increased 3.66 percent (see below). Why is that? Shallower drafts due to lack of adequate dredging?
8: percentage of total marine volume (or vessel calls) that declined in 2009 during the economic downturn. This year’s upsurge would indicate that we are nearing previous “normal” levels. Is it enough?
8: total number of mariners killed in piracy incidents in all of 2010. Source: IMB Reporting Center.
7: Number of seafarer deaths at the hands of pirates in less than six months of 2011 alone; all in the Somalia region. So much for pirates being non-violent criminals...
4: The number of consecutive quarters that the Moore Stephens Shipping confidence survey has recorded a drop. According to Moore Stephens, in the three months ended May 2011, Shipping confidence levels reached their lowest level in two years. Source: Moore Stephens.
3.66: percentage increase in St. Lawrence Seaway traffic YTD, comparing 2010 to 2011 totals. Commerce is rebounding – albeit slowly – on all fronts, apparently.
1: number of DOT Transit projects with a maritime component as recently announced (but, according to DOT sources, not necessarily funded). In fact, the one project listed is labeled as “Alaska/Hawaii Ferries,” but our source also tells us that there is no actual plan for the $15 million “authorization,” no applications to date for specific spending targets, and as it turns out, probably no hope that the money will ever be doled out. Don’t you know the shortsea shipping folks would just love to use that money to dredge a few ports?
0: percent confidence (by this writer) in the U.S. Department of Transportation’s intention, ability and prospects of improving the U.S. maritime business climate during this administration’s tenure. The bleeding on the waterfront continues, especially while this administration and its DOT component fail to understand that the way out of the HTF crisis, the route to reduced traffic, road wear-and-tear and associated air pollution is through the ports. In the face of those indisputable facts, even U.S. Maritime Administrator David Matsuda says, "As our economy recovers, maritime can play even more of a key role in the affordable, efficient and environmentally sustainable transportation of goods, both within our borders and across oceans." Sometimes, the words of wisdom do not match the actual numbers in action. This is one of those times.
A complete list of the 27 projects receiving New Starts funding allocations for 2011 can be found by clicking HERE.
Click Here to see the latest Great Lakes Seaway numbers:
Marad’s “Vessel Call Snapshot 2010” report – which summarizes and highlights vessel calls for U.S. ports by coast and vessel type, age, size, global vessel calls, and top 10 U.S. port calls – is available online by clicking HERE:
* * *
Joseph Keefe is the lead commentator of MaritimeProfessional.com. Additionally, he is Editor of both Maritime Professional and MarineNews print magazines. He can be reached at jkeefe@maritimeprofessional.com or at Keefe@marinelink.com. MaritimeProfessional.com is the largest business networking site devoted to the marine industry. Each day thousands of industry professionals around the world log on to network, connect, and communicate.