Shipping news Merchant fleet shrinking

Press, 27 May 1981, Page 28

Shipping news Merchant fleet shrinking

It has been a long time since Britannia ruled the waves, and according to figures recently released regarding the size of the United Kingdom's merchant fleet, it appears that any resumption of that exhortation could be far into the future, if ever. The Industry' Department has recently released figures which show that Britain's fleet is continuing to decline in terms of deadweight tonnes (carrying capacity). In September of last year, the department reported an apparent partial recovery with the fleet standing at 42.8 million tonnes for an increase of 1.6 million tonnes since the beginning of 1980. However, the “recovery'’ figures represent a decline of 4.7 million tones, as compared with the same period in 1979, and the fleet currently stands at about 17.5 per cent below the peak level which had been reached in 1975 when the total was nearly 52 million tonnes. Nor does the situation, look as though it is about to improve. British shipbuilders recently gave shipyard workers blunt warning that more than 600 would be forced to take redundancy because of the drop in ship construction. The industry employs about 70.000 workers and the contraction of the British fleet along with increased competition and price-cutting by other countries involved in shipbuilding could mean further cuts in the workforce, officials say. ends pick up arrivals etc ARRIVALS Union Hobart (7.37 a.m.j 4376, Dunedin (U.S.S.). Coastal Trader (8.28 a m.) 2500, Auckland (5.C..N.Z.). DEPARTURES Amokura (10.30 a'.m.) 19.867, Taurariga (U.S.S.). Tcrney (4.14 p.m.) 2690. sea (Scales). Union Hobart (7 p.m.) 4376, Wellington (U.S.S.). EXPECTED ARRIVALS Union Lyttelton. Wgtn. today (No. 2 West to Gladstone Pier). Strathmore. Auck.. 6.30 a m. today (Cashin Quay No. 1). Pristina. Dunedin, tomorrow. Nedlloyd Amsterdam, Wgtn.- tomorrow. Austral Envov, Melbourne. May29. Elsfleth. Japan, May 29. Union Lvttellon, Dunedin, May30. Coastal Trader, Auck., June 1. British Security, Geelong, June 1. Coastal Trader, Dunedin, June 3.

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