The Republic of Singapore Navy has an important role to play not only in protecting Singapore's waters, but also in ensuring maritime security internationally, said Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen.

Commenting for the first time on the foiling of two piracy attacks in the Gulf of Aden by a Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) task group last week, he said he was proud of the role they played in sinking the pirate vessel.

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has deployed a team to assess the scope of the piracy threat in the Gulf of Guinea and make recommendations for possible United Nations support in tackling this scourge.

The assessment mission is being sent to the region in response to a request from President Boni Yayi of Benin, according to Mr. Ban’s spokesperson.

It is co-led by Sammy Kum Buo, Director of the Africa II Division in the UN Department of Political Affairs (DPA), and Mariam Sissoko, Country Representative of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Nigeria.

The mission will visit Cotonou, Benin, from 7 to 16 November; Abuja, Nigeria, from 17 to 19 November; Libreville, Gabon, from 20 to 21 November; and Luanda, Angola, from 22 to 24 November.

It will meet with representatives of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) and the Gulf of Guinea Commission, as well as Government officials and relevant national counterparts in each country.

Last month Mr. Ban urged States and regional organizations in the Gulf of Guinea to develop a comprehensive and integrated strategy to combat maritime piracy, which he said was threatening to hinder economic development and undermine security in the region.

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The Gulf Petro-Chemical & Chemical Association (GPCA) expressed alarm on the mounting maritime piracy.
At its recent Supply Chain Conference in Abu Dhabi, a survey was conducted where over 83 percent of the participants consider piracy a real and tangible threat to their organizations that result in increased costs, customer service issues, environmental risk and crew safety challenges.
Twenty percent responded that they have been direct victims of an attack and 53 percent believe that attacks will continue to grow over time without increased intervention.

Noting that piracy is a major risk to core industrial economies of the region, Dr. Abdulwahab Al-Sadoun, Secretary General of GPCA, said “pirates are now using hijacked vessels as motherships for their attacks and crews have been held as hostages on these motherships, making cases increasingly more difficult resolve.”

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The economics of very big ships

ABOARD one of the world’s largest container ships, moving almost imperceptibly through the seas off Vietnam, it’s easy to appreciate the economies of scale that allow a T-shirt made in China to be sent to the Netherlands for just 2.5 cents.

The Eleonora Maersk and the other seven ships in her class are among the biggest ever built: almost 400m long, or the length of four football pitches, and another half-pitch across. The ship can carry 7,500 or so 40-foot containers, each of which can hold 70,000 T-shirts. On the voyage your correspondent took, the Eleonora was carrying Europe’s New Year celebrations: 1,850 tonnes of fireworks, including 30 tonnes of gunpowder.

To move all this cargo from China to Europe in just over three weeks, the Eleonora boasts the largest internal-combustion engine ever built, as powerful as 1,000 family cars. This engine turns the longest propeller shaft (130m) ever made, at the end of which is the largest propeller, at 130 tonnes. Yet the ship is so automated that it requires a mere 13 people to crew it. Reassuringly, most captains prefer to take a few more.

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The head of Japan’s largest shipping line — Mitsui OSK — has said that a merger of the three major Japanese container lines into one entity “could be an option” to their financial problems.

Koichi Muto, President of MOL, made the remark amid broad criticism of the way the bigger container lines on the Asia-Europe trades had demonstrated a "lack of self control” that was detrimental to themselves and the industry.

Muto said the idea of a merger “could be an option, of course. At the moment there is no such discussion, but we should be flexible in every way”. He added: “We roughly studied such a possibility, of course.”

He mentioned that all the major lines were losing too much money in their container divisions to be sustainable over the long term. MOL itself is set to lose ¥4 billion (US$51 million) this year.

K Line has the greatest exposure and has not joined the trend to charter ultra-large container ships through alliances. K Line is set to lose ¥30 billion ($384m) this year.

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Master and second officer could be jailed over environmental damage from shipwreck
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Two senior officers from the Rena, the cargo ship grounded on a New Zealand reef for almost a month, are to face further charges, the country’s shipping authority has announced.

The Rena caused New Zealand’s worst environmental crisis after it ran aground on Astrolabe Reef, off Tauranga, nearly three weeks ago, leaking hundreds of tonnes of oil.

The master of the Liberian-flagged Rena and its second officer have already been charged with operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk. They were remanded on bail by the Tauranga District Court.

The charge carries a maximum fine of NZ$10,000 (US$8,000) or a jail term of up to 12 months.

Yesterday Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) said it was laying a further charge against the two men relating to the “discharge of harmful substances from ships or offshore installations”.

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Environmental officers are on board the Rena assessing noxious fumes from the rotting food on board.

Maritime New Zealand salvage unit manager Bruce Anderson said the first priority was ensuring the ship was as safe as possible for salvage teams.

The cargo ship grounded on the Astrolabe Reef near Tauranga a month ago with 121 containers holding perishable food goods, which have been decomposing.

Salvors are also back on board today, taking advantage of improved weather conditions.

Mr Anderson said they were continuing to transfer oil and lubricants to a centralised tank, which would make it easier to pump on to the Awanuia.

Dive teams hoped to continue assessing damage to the hull of the stricken ship.

There would be a further update late this afternoon.

Meanwhile, the Bay of Plenty Regional Council is developing a long-term plan for monitoring the environmental effects caused by the ship's grounding.

The plan - a partnership between local government authorities, central government agencies and iwi - will cover areas known to have been affected by oil and container debris.

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Asset1 WTC has revealed its intentions for a 14-storey commercial building between Flinders St and Shed 5 at North Wharf.

The developer believes the proposal is sympathetic with the adjacent heritage-listed Mission to Seafarers building and Shed 5.

Asset 1 WTC chief operating officer Gavin Boyd said the development included restoration of Shed 5 and would soon be revealed and submitted to the State Government for town planning input
and approval.

Mr Boyd said the proposal had been carefully designed to reflect the heritage significance of the former Australian Wharf building and historic crane, and rejuvenate the Seafarers Park and wharf frontages to create “a harmonious amenity” for the precinct.

“For many years the existing building has been derelict so, as part of our planning, we aim to restore the building to its original heritage and integrate the site to create a very high quality corporate environment and one which is inviting to the community,” Mr Boyd said.

Mission to Seafarers CEO Andrea Fleming said: “The Mission to Seafarers Victoria looks forward to neighbouring the new Shed 5 development and appreciates greatly WTC Asset 1’s support for the restoration also of the heritage-listed seafarers centre at 717 Flinders Street, Docklands.”

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A seafarer was repatriated due to chest pains. He reported to his own physician within two days of his repatriation, but did not report to the company-designated physician within three days, as is required by the Philippines Overseas Employment Administration Standard Employment Contract (POEA SEC). The seafarer alleged that his manning agent had failed to refer him to the company-designated physician.

The Supreme Court refused the seafarer's claim.(1) It held that, under the contract, it was mandatory for him to be examined by a company-designated physician within three days of his repatriation. By failing to comply without justifiable cause, he forfeited his right to claim for compensation and disability benefits under the POEA SEC.

The court explained:

"The foregoing provision [on the three-day mandatory reporting requirement] has been interpreted to mean it is the company-designated physician who is entrusted with the task of assessing the seaman's disability, whether total or partial, due to either injury or illness, during the term of the latter's employment... this does not mean that the assessment of said physician is final, binding or conclusive on the claimant, the labor tribunal or the courts. Should he be so minded, the seafarer has the prerogative to request a second opinion and to consult a physician of his choice regarding his ailment or injury, in which case, the medical report issued by the latter shall be evaluated by the labor tribunal and the court, based on its inherent merit. For the seaman's claim to prosper, however, it is mandatory that he should be examined by the company-designated physician within three days of his repatriation. Failure to comply with this mandatory reporting requirement without justifiable cause shall result in forfeiture of the right to claim the compensation and disability benefits under the POEA SEC."

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U.S. containerized imports rose 1 percent in September as a 25 percent jump in auto parts shipments helped offset declines in toys, apparel, computers, furniture and housewares, PIERS data show.

Journal of Commerce Economist Mario O. Moreno said the big surprise was a 9 percent year-over-year drop in toy imports at a time when their volumes “should be rising, not falling.”

“High unemployment, subdued growth in disposable income and rising import prices stemming from Asia have prompted toy retailers to be highly cautious with their inventory positions,” he said.

Moreno forecasts a 1 percent rise in fourth quarter containerized import volume following a 1.8 percent drop to 4,458,227 20-foot equivalent units in the third quarter. He had forecast a third quarter decline of 0.9 percent.

Trans-Pacific, imports fell 3.8 percent to 3,332,793 TEUs in the third quarter. Moreno had forecast a 2.4 percent drop in that trade lane. He said imports of home goods such as furniture remained soft amid a weak housing market and slow-growing economy.

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A unanimous decision from the United Nations reconfirming a global approach to tackling piracy is a good thing for international security, Washington said.

Washington welcomed a U.N. Security Council call for international consensus on investigating and prosecuting piracy, armed robbery at sea and kidnapping for ransom off the Somali coast.

A series of kidnappings near Somalia prompted Kenya to send forces across the border to take on fighters with al-Qaida's regional affiliate al-Shabaab.

The U.S. State Department said the Security Council measure "is the latest indication of growing international consensus that these transnational criminals pose a serious shared security challenge for the safety and well-being of seafarers, global commerce and humanitarian aid."

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The unchecked entering of trucks transporting seafood from areas adjacent to Iran and Indian borders into Karachi fish harbour has given rise to security concerns among the seafarers who blame the Karachi Fish Harbour Authority (KFHA) for being indifferent to the situation.

"Mainly these trucks bring fish like Maya, Tapori and Chind from areas near Iran border including Gwadar, Pasni and Jiwani and trash fish and Kiddi shrimp from Sir Creek and Keti Bunder close to Indian sea border," said President Bona Fide Fishermen and Boat Owners Welfare Association Asif Bhatti on Thursday.

He said the loaded trucks entered the fisheries unchecked giving rise to fears that they might transport explosives into the red zone area near the naval installations and Karachi seaport for sabotaging activities.

Responding to the authority's move to clamp down on the outlaws at fisheries, he said "we [fishermen] want crime-free fish harbour where everyone could seek better opportunities for business and services but oppose the KFHA's fresh move of seeking magisterial powers for its MD".

He said the fishermen community were concerned that the magisterial powers would lead to a greater disturbance at the fisheries instead of bringing normalcy to the area.

"It is feared the law abiding fishermen will be the first victim of the dictatorial powers the MD is seeking for himself," he added.

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"K" Line has unveiled a new weekly service called Jaseco-J shipping from North East Asia to South East Asia.

"K" Line aims to expand the service coverage to and from China to the Philippines and Indonesia with this direct service. The weekly service will follow the following port rotation: Qingdao-Shanghai-Ningbo-Hong Kong-Manila South Port-Manila North Port-Jakarta-Surabaya- anila South Port-Hong Kong-Qingdao.

Earlier, "K" Line has enhanced its East India service with the introduction of a new Thailand-East India Express (TCX) service from Laem Chabang as a slot operator.

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Ships capable of hauling 4,000 cars across the world’s oceans may make the most money next year since the global recession as production reaches a record and demand from emerging markets swells cargoes.

Shipments will rise 10 percent to 12.7 million vehicles in 2012, more than twice the fleet’s expansion, according to ABG Sundal Collier ASA, an investment bank in Oslo. Rates for the 550-foot vessels will gain 36 percent to $15,000 a day, RS Platou Markets AS estimates. Wilh. Wilhelmsen ASA, Europe’s biggest owner of the ships, will boost profit for at least two more years, analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg show.

Global car sales will rise 8.5 percent to 80.7 million in 2012, according to researcher JD Power & Associates. Demand is being led by developing nations, which will expand 6.1 percent next year, compared with 1.9 percent for advanced economies, the International Monetary Fund predicts. For owners of car carriers, that means profit at a time when freighters hauling commodities are losing money.

“Who’s buying cars? That’s Brazil, that’s Russia, that’s India, that’s China,” said Ole Stenhagen, an analyst at SEB Enskilda AS in Oslo, whose recommendations on shipping companies would have returned 71 percent for investors over the past three years. “As long as you’ve got fleet growth under control, you’re set for a significant increase over the next three to five years.”

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A 2,000-pound cannon pulled from the waters near Beaufort Wednesday will give archeologists and historians more ammunition for separating fact from legend surrounding the infamous pirate Blackbeard.

The Queen Anne’s Revenge Project brought the massive gun ashore and displayed it to the public before taking to a laboratory at East Carolina University. Onlookers cheered as the 8-foot-long gun was raised above the water’s surface.

“The last people who saw this were pirates,” QAR project director Mark Wilde-Ramsing told more than 100 spectators who later gathered in front of Beaufort’s Maritime Museum for a closer look at the 18th century weapon.

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Are seafarers left to fend for themselves in the event of piracy attack?

Hardly any maritime international conference takes place these days without the raging piracy issue being touched upon. Many of them even feature masters and their crew giving testimonials about their time in captivity of the pirates, the grueling episodes of tortures, both mental and physical, types of temporary and permanent injuries seafarers suffer at the hands of their captors and the effect of long periods in captivity and also the efforts to contain the menace.

At the recent Seatrade India Shipping Summit a full length debate was held where piracy was discussed threadbare in almost every aspect. There was strong support to the suggestion made by Capt M. M. Saggi Nautical Advisor to the government of India that instead of the naval vessels of the 25 countries which are lending support to fight piracy and involved in patrolling the entire Indian ocean and the Gulf of Aden it would be more effective if they patrolled only the Somalian coast and searched every vessel coming in and out of Somalia.

Nearly everyone attending the Summit was of the view that armed guards served as a deterrent to piracy attack. Since no vessel carrying armed guards have ever been attacked as yet, it appeared to be the best solution - but only for the time being. When the vote was taken the result was an almost unanimously in favor of carrying armed guards on board the vessels which trade in Somalian waters and the vicinity. The few who had reservation on the issue felt this was only a temporary solution because presently it has been possible to outdo the pirates using superior weapons but the pirates too could arm themselves soon or later with more sophisticated weapons.

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The two men charged with grounding the Rena more than two weeks ago are alone, desperate to see their families back home and "putting on a brave face" while they wait to learn of their fate.

Filipino woman Daisy de Groot is one of the few people who has had regular contact with the crew since the Rena struck the Astrolabe Reef, off the Tauranga coast, on October 5.

She cries, recalling how the captain and navigational officer are being kept in two separate locations, alone, and thousands of kilometres away from their wives and children.

"I know they're putting on a brave face, but I want New Zealand to know that they didn't mean for this to happen and they're sorry.

"It's very difficult for them because they have family back home. They have wives and children. They're telling their family not to worry and saying it's OK, even though they face these charges."

The captain and navigational officer have both been charged under section 65 of the Maritime Transport Act, 1994 "for operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk".

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All U.N. member states should make piracy a crime as the problem surges in Somalia, the Security Council said Monday.

Council members unanimously agreed to ask all U.N. member states to issue reports before the end of the year on measures they have taken to criminalize piracy, and to support prosecution of people suspected of piracy off the coast of the eastern African country.

The Malaysia-based International Maritime Bureau’s Piracy Reporting Center reported last week that sea piracy worldwide has surged in the first nine months of this year, with Somali pirates intensifying their attacks despite more patrolling of nearby waters.

According to the global maritime watchdog, there have been a record 352 attacks worldwide in the first three quarters of this year, up 22 percent from a year ago. Pirates took 625 hostages, killed eight people and injured 41 in the nine-month period.

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The prospect of clearing all the heavy fuel oil from the grounded Rena container vessel and averting further beach spills has increased after the salvage team made good progress yesterday.

With the sea near calm in sunny weather around Astrolabe Reef in the Bay of Plenty - and likely to stay that way for the next five days - the salvors had by yesterday afternoon pumped nearly half of the Rena's remaining oil to the waiting barge Awanuia.

Meanwhile, little blue penguins affected by the oil spill were to be moved to a new enclosure at the wildlife response centre at Te Maunga.

Builders were aiming to finish three of the planned 10 aviaries yesterday. Each aviary can house 25 birds.

A total of 645 tonnes of oil has been taken off the stricken ship, leaving 700 tonnes of the original load of 1700 tonnes on board.

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Gov. Nathan Deal, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed and Georgia Ports Authority Executive Director Curtis Foltz gathered Tuesday for a panel discussion at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s third annual State of the Port event in Atlanta.

The three leaders spoke about the ports’ impact on jobs and commerce, their importance to the Southeast’s economic future and the need to deepen the Port of Savannah.

In the 2011 fiscal year alone, more than 1,500 new port-related jobs and $295 million in investment were created in the Atlanta region, according to new figures released today by the Georgia Department of Economic Development.

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In an incredible story the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) tell us that a case in which they had become involved has taken yet another bizarre twist with a container ships crew being robbed of their wages not once or twice but THREE times. Earlier this month a routine inspection of the freighter, the Gibraltar flagged Philipp, apparently revealed evidence of a double book keeping scam showing that crew had received into their banks $230,000 less than the amount shown as being paid in wages.

Liverpool based ITF inspector Tommy Molloy confronted the operators, Vega Friedrich Dauber GMBH & Co KG and its subsidiary, Vega Manila Crew Management Incorporated who agreed to hand over the shortfall at the port on the 4th October.

According to the ITF a company representative, Mr Vicente Fedelicio of Vega Crewing in the Philippines, stayed aboard the vessel on the night of the 3rd October intending to relieve the crew of the wages after they received them. His presence was allegedly recorded in the ships day book, but, after accusations of interference were made, the relevant page ‘disappeared’. Vega Friedrich Dauber GMBH & Co KG itself appears to be a subsidiary of Vega Reederei GmBH of Hamburg and a Captain Meyn from this company apparently signed an indemnity stating the crew would not be interfered with.

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Shipping company Horizon Lines Inc said it will discontinue its Five Star Express (FSX) trans-Pacific container shipping service as it looks to focus on its core domestic services.

The company will stop all operations related to FSX service during the fourth quarter and said it will record a pretax restructuring charge of $105-$110 million.

The FSX service offers eastbound transit between China and the U.S. West Coast.

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The People's Republic of China and the Republic of Singapore signed a memorandum today to strengthen the maritime cooperation and relations between the two countries.

Minister of Transport of the People's Republic of China Mr Li Shenglin and Minister for Transport and Second Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Singapore Mr Lui Tuck Yew signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Maritime, Shipping and Port Cooperation, which provides for an expanded scope of cooperation between the two countries.

This includes shipping policy, maritime safety and security, as well as maritime research, development, education and training.

The memorandum supersedes an earlier one signed on the sidelines of the 2nd Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM) Transport Ministers' Meeting (TMM) held in Chengdu, China in 2004.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Mr Zhang Dejiang, Vice-Premier of the People's Republic of China.

Under the memorandum, China and Singapore will cooperate to encourage the development of shipping and logistics services and share best practices in port management and application of port operation technology.

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A Philippines-based seafarers association has accused "racist and extreme right" New Zealanders of blaming the Rena disaster on the racial origin of the vessel's Filipino crew.

In a statement, the International Seafarers Action Center (ISAC) said the ship grounding on Astrolabe Reef off Tauranga was an accident waiting to happen.

It defended the Rena's Filipino crew and blamed international shipping rules for the environmental disaster unfolding across the Bay of Plenty.

The "trauma, fear and physical sufferings" of the vessel's mostly Filipino crew, who stayed on board the grounded ship for six days, highlighted the the human damage of the incident, it said.

"This is further worsened by some racist and extreme right elements in New Zealand who blame the national origin of the Filipino crew for the incident, in order to launch a racist attack on the some 20,000 Filipino migrants who are now in New Zealand."

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A body for seafarers says racist and extreme right elements in New Zealand have been uncovered in the wake of the Rena oil spill.

The International Seafarers Action Centre in the Philippines says the disaster has been made worse by racist groups in this country, with people using the incident to launch a racist attack on the some 20 thousand Filipino migrants.

The group claims the Rena's owners, rather than the ship's crew, are to blame for the grounding on Astrolabe Reef.

The International Seafarers Action Centre says the disaster shows the evils in sub-standard shipping by unscrupulous ship owners to amass more profit.

The Green Party is asking if Filipino workers need to be banned from locally registered vessels.

The European Union is threatening the ban based on concerns about Filipino seafarer training.

Co-leader Russel Norman says the Government should investigate the same matter, particularly in light of the Rena grounding.

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The Green Party is calling on the Government to investigate Filipino seafarer training in light of serious concerns raised by the European Commission.

The European Commission has threatened to ban Filipino workers from European Union registered ships, following a report by the European Maritime Safety Agency which raised concerns about the level and quality of training for Filipino seafarers.

The captain and second officer of the Rena, which is currently stranded off the coast of Tauranga, are both Filipino, and are charged with operating a vessel in a manner causing unnecessary danger or risk, under the Maritime Transport Act.

The stricken ship has been grounded since October 5 and has spilled 350 tonnes of oil and 88 containers into the sea.

Green Party Co-leader Dr Russel Norman said he hopes the Government will consider greater scrutiny and regulation over shipping vessels.

"Given the tragic consequences that can occur when things go wrong at sea, it is of the utmost importance that our Government ensures that all vessels entering New Zealand waters are crewed by well-trained individuals," Norman said.

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Warning against the ''cancerous potential'' of pirates joining hands with terrorists, the Indian Navy has stressed the need for tracking the ''fiscal trail'' of huge sums of money paid as ransom to sea brigands besides carrying out counter-piracy operations.

Addressing the International Seapower Symposium at New Port in the US yesterday, Navy Chief Admiral Nirmal Verma said pirates were benefiting by the 'catch and release' policy of the navies but India was in the process of having domestic laws to tackle the menace.

Citing a report which stated that the economic cost of piracy may be as high as USD 12 billion a year, Verma said, "The question that begs to be answered is that how do they manage to divert funds in so unfettered manner?"

"There is a need to build a strategy beyond multinational maritime counter-piracy operations to facilitate tracking of the fiscal trail.

"It is important that our efforts be cultivated before what is at present a relatively benign problem of piracy, develops a nexus with radical terrorism which has a cancerous potential," he said.

Observing that piracy had resulted in high cost of operations for the shipping industry, Verma said at present, "nine ships with over 300 seafarers of a range of nationalities, including 53 of my own countrymen are presently hostages in this contentious conflict".

He said, "Despite multinational efforts, the number of incidents of and net effects of piracy are on the rise with seasonal variations on account of monsoon and other geographic shifts dependent on the presence of naval units."

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Royal Marine Commandos staged a daring raid freeing 20 sailors held hostage on a pirate 'mothership' afloat in the Indian Ocean, it was revealed today.

Backed by gunfire from a Merlin helicopter, a boarding team stormed the cargo vessel, which had been hijacked by pirates to use as a base to attack merchant shipping in the area.

'Through my weapon sight I could see dark figures moving in the shadows on the bridge,' said Captain Rod Yapp, who led the assault.'We quickly boarded and secured the dhow, then mustered the 24 occupants on her bow.'

Four suspected pirates have been held. The Ministry of Defence said the pirates were holding 20 Pakistani sailors when the HMS Somerset and RFA Fort Victoria closed in last Friday.

Operating as part of Ocean Shield, Nato's counter-piracy task force, the British vessels caught up with the dhow - a kind of Arab sailing vessel - some 200 miles (320km) off the coast of lawless Somalia.

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Three sailors have died and five others are missing after their Turkish merchant ship collided with a passenger ferry and sank in the Adriatic, Albanian port authorities said Thursday.

The 3,300-ton Reina 1, sailing under a Maltese flag, sank immediately after the collision in international waters with the car ferry Ankara, said police spokeswoman Ornela Cako. The crash happened at about 1 a.m. (2300 GMT) Thursday some 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the Albanian port of Durres.

One body was taken aboard the ferry while two others have been spotted but not yet recovered due to rough seas, ports head Edmond Doraci told The Associated Press by telephone. Two sailors were rescued.

The Reina 1, loaded with grain in the Black Sea Russian port of Novorossiysk, had been headed to Bar, Montenegro, with a Turkish crew of 10, according to Ahmed Soyturk, 54, one of the survivors, speaking from the Durres hospital.

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A Turkish merchant ship sank and eight of its sailors are missing after the vessel collided with a passenger ferry off the Albania’s coast, Albanian port authorities said Thursday.

The 3,300-ton Reina 1, sailing under a Maltese flag, sank immediately after the collision in international waters with the car ferry Ankara, said police spokeswoman Ornela Cako.

The crash happened at about 1 a.m. (2300 GMT) Thursday some 20 miles (30 kilometers) from the Albanian port of Durres. No injuries were reported on the ferry, which had left Durres en route for the Italian port of Bari with about 200 passengers. It later arrived in Bari, Italy.

The head of the ports, Edmond Doraci, initially said one body was recovered and two others were spoted at sea but later said that the eight sailors remain missing.

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