Works, which were undertaken on the 'Maa' near Tenneti Park, have raised questions over compliance with the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) directions, as the proposal to convert the ship into a tourism attraction was yet to clear the prescribed approval process. Denizens and environmentalists were seeking clarity on the permissions under which the activities are being carried out. In its order in a suo motu case (OA No. 702 of 2023), the NGT directed that no construction, stabilisation, installation of structures or tourism-related activities, including preliminary works, should be undertaken at the site until all statutory approvals, including Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) and forest clearances, were obtained. The National Green Tribunal passed the order while disposing of a suo motu case. It also directed the Andhra Pradesh Coastal Zone Management Authority (APCZMA) to complete its appraisal of the proposal, including a field inspection and assessment of wastewater and solid waste management, structural safety and potential impacts on the coast. The authority directed the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) to constitute a high-level committee to finalise the tourism facilities proposed on the vessel, and resubmit the proposal through the PARIVESH 2.0 portal for further examination. Environmental concerns extended beyond the ship itself. The proposed painting of the vessel has drawn particular scrutiny, as the site falls within an ecologically sensitive intertidal zone. Environmentalists warned that paint residues could affect marine organisms, while road construction could disturb a turtle-nesting site and the rocky shoreline. The area’s ecological significance came into focus during the City Nature Challenge in April, when a translucent nudibranch, or sea slug, believed to be a rediscovery of a species not recorded for more than 160 years, was recorded. The APCZMA minutes also noted that the project proponent had been advised against including a kitchen and banquet hall. A committee visit found that both facilities were being planned, prompting the authority to seek further consideration of the proposed tourism facilities. With the proposal still subject to scrutiny, locals demand the authorities to establish the nature of the works currently being carried out, and clarify whether any approvals have been granted. They claimed that the ongoing works wee a direct violation of the NGT order and amount to contempt of court. The NGT had directed that the project, or any activity planned as part of it, be halted until the required clearances were obtained.
News
IONA
Due to the serious unrests in France, P&O Cruises has changed the itinerary of the 'Iona' at short notice: The planned call to Le Havre on Oct 18 has been cancelled aninstead the ship had a day at sea. The stay in Vigo has been brought forward by one day to oct 19, and A Coruña became an overnight stop on Oct 20 until Oct 21. Those who have booked an excursion in Le Havre through P&O will have it canceled and refunded. Tours in Vigo and A Coruña were also adjusted. The Shore Experiences team contacted affected guests.
CG ACTIVE
The US Coast Guard suspended its search on the evening of Oct 18 for an estimated 11 people missing approximately 140 miles west of Ensenada, Mexico, after rescuing 16 people from the water on Oct 16. The Coast Guard, alongside Mexico and the U.S. Navy, searched more than 2,441 square miles for a combined 89 hours. The search efforts began after Coast Guard Sector San Diego command center watchstanders received multiple distress broadcasts on Oct 16 at approximately 1 a.m., reporting a vessel taking on water with 27 people reported aboard. On-scene assets located vessel debris in the water, and an Air Station Ventura aircrew rescued 16 people who were transferred to various hospitals in San Diego for medical assessment and care. Multiple survivors were treated for suspected shark bites. Involved in the search: Coast Guard Southwest District; Coast Guard Sector San Diego; Coast Guard Air Station Ventura; Coast Guard Air Station Sacramento; Coast Guard Cutter 'Active (WMEC 618)'; USS 'Kingsville (LCS 36)'; U.S. Navy helicopter with Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 23; ARM 'Mariano Matamoros' – Armada de Mexico Uribe-class offshore patrol vessel; 'MLB-101' – Armada de Mexico 50-foot Motor Lifeboat; 'Sagittarius' – Mexico’s Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport 35-metre buoy tender vessel.
JING SHENG777
The 'Jing Sheng 777' was detained in Shenzhen on Oct 14, 2026, with six detainable defiencies: 11126 - LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES - Means of recovery of life saving appliances (no responsibility of RO) 07101 - FIRE SAFETY - Fire prevention structural integrity (no responsibility of RO) 07126 - FIRE SAFETY - Oil accumulation in engine room (no responsibility of RO) 03108 - WATER/WEATHERTIGHT CONDITIONS - Ventilators, air pipes, casings (no responsibility of RO) 11199 - LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES - Other (life saving) (no responsibility of RO) 07109 - FIRE SAFETY - Fixed fire extinguishing installation (no responsibility of RO).
XIN FU YUAN 16
The 'Xin Fu Yuan 16' was detained in Zhoushan on Oct 15, 2026, with three detainable defiencies:10113 - SAFETY OF NAVIGATION - Automatic Identification System (AIS) (no responsibility of RO) 14699 - POLLUTION PREVENTION - MARPOL ANNEX VI - Other MARPOL Annex VI (no responsibility of RO) 07117 - FIRE SAFETY - Jacketed high pressure lines and oil leakage alarm (no responsibility of RO).
PROSPERITY 102
The 'Prosperity 102' was detained in Taizhou, Jiangsu, on Oct 15, 2026, with two detainable defiencies: 07105 - FIRE SAFETY - Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions (no responsibility of RO) 03104 - WATER/WEATHERTIGHT CONDITIONS - Cargo & other hatchways (no responsibility of RO).
LORD OF THE ISLES
The 'Lord of the Isles', serving on the route Mallaig - Lochboisdale, encountered a medical emergency on its way to Lochboisdale on Oct 16. Due to the emergency, the ferry returned to Mallaig. As a consequence, the scheduled 5:35 p.m. arrival to Lochboisdale was delayed until 06:45 p.m.
DOMENICA L
The 'Doménica L' sank on Oct 16, 2026, about 34 miles from Puntilla de Santa Elena. A large wave caused the vessel to lose stability and capsize. SAR operations were launched after the contact was lost with the vessel, which had departed from Posorja with 20 people on board. An alert was activated immediately after the vessel's satellite signal was completely lost. In response to the emergency, the Ecuadorian Navy's Coast Guard Command deployed maritime patrols to the last recorded coordinates of the incident. Upon arriving at the site of the incident, naval personnel carried out the rescue of six crew members in two separate operations: Three sailors were located alive aboard a life raft. Minutes later, three more fishermen were rescued floating near the impact zone. After the rescue, the six sailors were taken to the Salinas dock and urgently transferred to the Ancón Hospital. The crew members remain in stable condition under professional evaluation. One body was recovered on the afternoon of Oct 17 about 20 miles from the port of Anconcito at the coast of Santa Elena. The remains were taken to the Santa Elena Forensic Center for medico-legal procedures and to establish the identity. 13 sailors remained missing in a search area of 3,500 km². Four naval vessels and two aircraft participated in the search efforts as of Oct 18. Report with photo: https://www.expreso.ec/ecuador/naufragio-pesquero-domenica-l-armada-ecuador-halla-tripulante-vida-299812.html
IVY1
The 'Ivy 1' was one of the fleet of about 40 ships, among them tugs, dredgers, and specialised vessels, which were idled in Rødbyhavn after a cyberattack paralyzed the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel construction site. Due to the IT failure at the construction consortium Femern Link Contractors (FLC), they have been unable to set sail since the evening of Oct 12, 2026. Not only the consortium's digital systems were affected, but also those of numerous subcontractors. The situation was so serious that employees have been banned from logging on to Wi-Fi, opening computers or reading emails sent by Fehmarn Link Contractors. The impact of the disruption on the already tight schedule for the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel remained unclear. The control and monitoring of all work is done digitally in order to optimise documentation and make the deployment of the fleet more efficient. If the system fails, all ships and construction vehicles must cease operations and return to port. The crews were using the time for maintenance, shore leave, and exercise. After the problem arose over the weekend, first it was said the weather was to blame. But on Oct 12,, there were no new orders, as these as well as the data on upcoming work steps are normally issued and managed digitally. For the ship owners, the problem has no financial consequences, as they have fixed charter contracts. For the FLC, however, every day of downtime costs almost one million euros in charter fees alone for all the specialized vessels. Uncertainty also prevailed among many of the more than 2,000 employees, as working hours could not be recorded digitally as usual. Therefore, employees feared that a prolonged absence could have an impact on their salary payments. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has also been informed and stated that it intended to consult with international partners. It remained unclear how the cyberattack would affect the ongoing construction of the world's longest immersed tunnel, at 18 kilometers. The fourth of 79 standard segments, each exactly 217 meters long, was completed at the end of September. This element is only 39 meters long but has a basement level. Inside are, among other things, technical installations and lay-bys for the two road tubes. The lowering of this fifth element is crucial for the overall construction schedule. The transport ministries of Germany and Denmark agreed months ago to meet in October and announce a new timetable. Most recently, it was stated that the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel would not open before 2031, at least partially. In May, the tunnel builder Femern A/S announced that it would first open the two tubes for road traffic and later the tubes for rail traffic. The enormous delays in the completion of the German railway line were cited as the cause. On Oct 14, the reconnaissance vessel 'Kildin', belonging to the Russian Navy, was operating in the vicinity of the construction site. The ship can locate and jam radio signals. On Oct 16, the work could be resumed stepwise. Offshore tests with the 'Ivy' for lowering further tunnel elements and steelwork in the assembly halls were able to resume. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/baustelle-fuer-fehmarnbelttunnel-steht-still-russisches-spionageschiff-zieht-vorbei-T3UZTQFJEZC3TMZMZM35UW3BI4.html
POLAR
The 'Polar' was detained in Ulsan on Oct 14, 2026, with tow detainable defiencies: 14610 - POLLUTION PREVENTION - MARPOL ANNEX VI - Operational procedures for engines or equipment (no responsibility of RO) 07101 - FIRE SAFETY - Fire prevention structural integrity (no responsibility of RO). The tanker was released again on Oct 15 and left the port enroute to Lianyungang on Oct 16 with an ETA as of Oct 17.
SHENG WEI
The 'Sheng Wei' was detained in Shanghai on Oct 15, 2026, with four detainable defiencies: 07109 - FIRE SAFETY - Fixed fire extinguishing installation (no responsibility of RO) 11124 - LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES - Embarkation arrangement survival craft (no responsibility of RO) 03105 - WATER/WEATHERTIGHT CONDITIONS - Covers (hatchway-, portable-, tarpaulins, etc.) (no responsibility of RO) 08101 - ALARMS - General alarm (no responsibility of RO).
GLOBAL GOLD
The 'Global Gold' was detained in Townsville, Queensland, on Oct 15, 2026, with one defiency: 11129 - LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES - Operational readiness of lifesaving appliances (Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (NKK)). The ship was released again on Oct 16.
HUA XING
The 'Hua Xing' was detained in Lianyungang on Oct 15, 2026, with three detainable defiencies: 14104 - POLLUTION PREVENTION - MARPOL ANNEX I - Oil filtering equipment (no responsibility of RO) 07117 - FIRE SAFETY - Jacketed high pressure lines and oil leakage alarm (no responsibility of RO) 04102 - EMERGENCY SYSTEMS - Emergency fire pump and its pipes (no responsibility of RO).
LOCH RIDDON
The 'Loch Riddon', serving on the route Colintraive - Rhubodach, suffered an issue with the generator on the morning of Oct 18. As a consequence, the departures from Colintraive at 08:30 a.m. and 09:00 a.m. and from Rhubodach at 08:40 a.m. and 09:10 a.m. had to be cancelled. After the issue was resolved, the service re-commenced from Rhubodach at 10:40 a.m. and shuttled to clear any traffic.
FINNCANOPUS
19 passengers were unable to disembark the 'Finncanopus' in Långnäs, Åland, on Oct 17, 2026, due to a technical fault on board. The door leading to the car deck did not open, which prevented the passengers from reaching the terminal via the car deck. A total of 300 passengers were to disembark in Långnäs, some of whom were then transferred to another ship in the opposite direction, a so-called picnic cruise. The others were forced to continue their journey to Kapellskär. The shipping company Finnlines offered them cabins, meals and hygiene items.
HEBO-LIFT 9
The 'Hebo Lift 9' was one of the fleet of about 40 ships, among them tugs, dredgers, and specialized vessels, which were idled in Rødbyhavn after a cyberattack paralyzed the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel construction site. Due to the IT failure at the construction consortium Femern Link Contractors (FLC), they have been unable to set sail since the evening of Oct 12, 2026. Not only the consortium's digital systems were affected, but also those of numerous subcontractors. The situation was so serious that employees have been banned from logging on to Wi-Fi, opening computers or reading emails sent by Fehmarn Link Contractors. The impact of the disruption on the already tight schedule for the Fehmarn Belt Tunnel remained unclear. The control and monitoring of all work is done digitally in order to optimise documentation and make the deployment of the fleet more efficient. If the system fails, all ships and construction vehicles must cease operations and return to port. The crews were using the time for maintenance, shore leave, and exercise. After the problem arose over the weekend, first it was said the weather was to blame. But on Oct 12,, there were no new orders, as these as well as the data on upcoming work steps are normally issued and managed digitally. For the ship owners, the problem has no financial consequences, as they have fixed charter contracts. For the FLC, however, every day of downtime costs almost one million euros in charter fees alone for all the specialized vessels. Uncertainty also prevailed among many of the more than 2,000 employees, as working hours could not be recorded digitally as usual. Therefore, employees feared that a prolonged absence could have an impact on their salary payments. The German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) has also been informed and stated that it intended to consult with international partners. It remained unclear how the cyberattack would affect the ongoing construction of the world's longest immersed tunnel, at 18 kilometers. The fourth of 79 standard segments, each exactly 217 meters long, was completed at the end of September. This element is only 39 meters long but has a basement level. Inside are, among other things, technical installations and lay-bys for the two road tubes. The lowering of this fifth element is crucial for the overall construction schedule. The transport ministries of Germany and Denmark agreed months ago to meet in October and announce a new timetable. Most recently, it was stated that the Fehmarnbelt Tunnel would not open before 2031, at least partially. In May, the tunnel builder Femern A/S announced that it would first open the two tubes for road traffic and later the tubes for rail traffic. The enormous delays in the completion of the German railway line were cited as the cause. On Oct 14, the reconnaissance vessel 'Kildin', belonging to the Russian Navy, was operating in the vicinity of the construction site. The ship can locate and jam radio signals. On Oct 16, the work could be resumed stepwise. Report with photos: https://www.kn-online.de/schleswig-holstein/baustelle-fuer-fehmarnbelttunnel-steht-still-russisches-spionageschiff-zieht-vorbei-T3UZTQFJEZC3TMZMZM35UW3BI4.html
UNITY GLORY
The 'Unity Glory' was detained in Zhangjiagang on Oct 14, 2026, with five detainable defiencies: 03108 - WATER/WEATHERTIGHT CONDITIONS - Ventilators, air pipes, casings (no responsibility of RO) 07109 - FIRE SAFETY - Fixed fire extinguishing installation (no responsibility of RO) 07109 - FIRE SAFETY - Fixed fire extinguishing installation (Panama Maritime Documentation Services (PMDS)) 07101 - FIRE SAFETY - Fire prevention structural integrity (Panama Maritime Documentation Services (PMDS)) 07117 - FIRE SAFETY - Jacketed high pressure lines and oil leakage alarm (no responsibility of RO). The ship was released again on Oct 16.
NYK VEGA
The 'NYKL Vega' was detained in Shenzhen on Oct 15, 2026, with three detainable defiencies: 07106 - FIRE SAFETY - Fire detection and alarm system (no responsibility of RO) 10109 - SAFETY OF NAVIGATION - Lights, shapes, sound-signals (no responsibility of RO) 14104 - POLLUTION PREVENTION - MARPOL ANNEX I - Oil filtering equipment (no responsibility of RO). The ship was released again on Oct 16.
GLOBAL GOLD
The unified command composed of the Coast Guard, Oregon State Department of Environmental Quality, Washington State Department of Ecology and responsible party completed the cleanup of diesel fuel spilled near Pier 1 of the Port of Astoria on Oct 4, 2015, after the 'Global Gold' spilled 1,100 gallons of diesel fuel into the Columbia River in an allision with the pier on Oct 1. Incident Management Division investigators from Coast Guard Sector Columbia River demobilized the cleanup contractors on scene at Pier 1 in the morning. All hard containment boom was removed from around the ship on Oct 3 night and absorbent boom was removed on Oct 4.The "Global Gold" had a soft patch in place on the damaged section of the hull, and was not taking on water. All the diesel fuel was cleaned up or it dissipitated. The investigation phase of the response was still on-going and the "Global Gold" has not been cleared to take on a load or move from the pier. The ship has submitted a vessel repair plan to the captain of the port that included having the repairs completed at Pier 1.
FREE SAILING
The 'Free Sailing' was detained in Tianjin on Oct 16, 2026, with four detainable defiencies: 07199 - FIRE SAFETY - Other (fire safety) (no responsibility of RO) 02139 - STRUCTURAL CONDITIONS - Water Level Detectors on Cargo Ships (no responsibility of RO) 11101 - LIFE SAVING APPLIANCES - Lifeboats (no responsibility of RO) 07109 - FIRE SAFETY - Fixed fire extinguishing installation (no responsibility of RO).

