Alameda CA April 23, 2007 - The Coast Guard will offload more than 40,000 pounds of cocaine worth an estimated $500 million from cutter Sherman here today seized by the crew in three busts near Central America in February and March.

The offload will include approximately 38,000 pounds of cocaine seized in the largest cocaine bust in maritime history.

The Ecuadorian-flagged fishing vessel Don Juan K was approached in the Pacific Ocean Feb. 19 off the coast of Mexico while allegedly offloading cocaine into "go-fast" (cigarette-style boat) boats. The fishing vessel's crew apparently set fire to Don Juan K in an attempt to destroy the evidence and flee in the go-fasts. Sherman's crew stopped the go-fasts and recovered about 900 pounds of cocaine as Don Juan K sank. The 14 crewmembers are being processed for further legal action.

The 330-foot Panamanian-flagged motor vessel Gatun was interdicted in the Pacific Ocean Mar. 18 off the coast of Panama while heading north toward the United States. Sherman's crew stopped and boarded the vessel and found 765 bales of cocaine weighing approximately 38,000 pounds in two shipping containers. Gatun was escorted back to Panama and its 14 crewmembers processed for further legal action.

Sherman's crew stopped and boarded a small stateless go-fast in the Pacific Ocean Mar. 25 off the coast of Panama following a short chase, in which, the go-fast attempted to flee at a high rate of speed. Approximately 2000 pounds of cocaine was found aboard the go-fast and its four crewmembers were processed for further legal action.

The Coast Guard works in close coordination with Joint Interagency Task Force South, U.S. Attorney's office, Panama Express South, DEA, FBI, Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Customs and Border Protection. In addition they work with the Departments of Justice, State and Homeland Security on counter drug operations in the Pacific Ocean near Central and South America. These drug smuggling routes are some of the most active, yielding roughly 70% of the cocaine seized annually by the Coast Guard.

The Coast Guard has kept about two million pounds of cocaine from reaching America's streets since 1973.

Juneau AK April 22, 2007 - The Coast Guard is currently searching for state Rep. Bruce Weyhrauch, who was reported missing after a boating trip in Auke Bay this evening.

The Coast Guard Cutter Mustang, a rescue helicopter from Air Station Sitka, a patrol boat from Station Juneau, and a Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel are currently searching the waters of Auke Bay for Rep. Weyhrauch.

The vessel Navigator reported Rep. Weyhrauch's abandoned pleasure craft adrift approximately one-mile southeast of the Auke Bay ferry terminal at approximately 6:30 p.m. this evening.

The last known time and place Rep. Weyhrauch seen was at approximately 5:00 p.m. after disembarking his son at the Weyhrauch's residence in Auke Bay. After disembarking his son, Rep. Weyhrauch proceeded toward Auke Bay Harbor for mooring.

Coast Guard units will continue to search for Rep. Weyhrauch throughout the night.

Rep. Weyhrauch is the current chair of the Alaska State House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee and has been a state representative since 2003.

New York April 23, 2007 - Overseas Shipholding Group, Inc. announced today that the acquisition of the Heidmar lightering business from Heidmar, Inc., a subsidiary of Morgan Stanley Capital Group, Inc., was completed on April 20, 2007.

The acquired lightering operation and staff of eight personnel based in Houston, Texas, includes a fleet of four International Flag Aframax tankers and two U.S. Flag workboats that provide crude oil lightering services to refiners, oil companies and trading companies, primarily in the U.S. Gulf. The business manages a portfolio of one-to-three year fixed rate cargo contracts. Under the agreement, OSG acquired the lightering fleet, which is time chartered-in, including a 50% residual interest in two specialized lightering Aframax tankers, the Heidmar Sabine and the Heidmar Brazos.

The acquisition, an all cash transaction for approximately $41 million, was made pursuant to an agreement in principal between the companies announced on February 26, 2007. The Heidmar Lightering operation will be renamed "OSG Lightering" in connection with the transaction.

Jacksonville April 23, 2007 - Trailer Bridge Inc today announced that it highlighted its environmental differences on Earth Day in an email to customers with specific reductions in various emissions associated with moving cargo on Trailer Bridge’s vessels. The differences in these emissions are primarily due to the cleaner distillate fuel used by Trailer Bridge compared to the heavy residual fuel typically used in marine vessels.

Based on a study by Dr. James J. Corbett, Associate Professor, College of Marine and Earth Studies, University of Delaware on the emissions characteristics of the carriers serving the Puerto Rico market, cargo moving with Trailer Bridge can be associated with:

• 64% less carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas associated with global warming;
• 90% less particulate matter, the emission tied directly to port area health concerns;
• 94% less sulfur oxide, an emission associated with respiratory illness, acid rain and smog.

"Today environmental factors don’t play a decisive role in a shipper’s decision making process, but that is rapidly changing as we all become more aware of the environment. On this Earth Day, we wanted to highlight to our customers and their customers that actions they have taken for the benefit of their business by utilizing Trailer Bridge also happen to be good for the environment," said John D. McCown, Chairman and CEO of Trailer Bridge.

Trailer Bridge is the first marine carrier to join the Smartway Transport Partnership, an innovative voluntary collaboration between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the freight industry designed to increase energy efficiency while significantly reducing greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Trailer Bridge’s in-place emissions differences are driven by the distillate fuel that tugs routinely use. Self-propelled vessels utilize residual fuel but they can utilize cleaner distillate fuel. The greater awareness of the impact and effect of vessel emissions is behind the recent suggestions that all vessels switch to distillate fuel from residual fuel as the most direct way to decisively address vessel emissions worldwide.

"We and the general public breathe easier due to Trailer Bridge’s geometric and compelling difference in particulate matter and other harmful emissions," said Mr. McCown. "The striking emissions improvements available from using the cleaner distillate fuel we use are beginning to receive more attention. If all domestic liner operators using residual fuel switched to distillate fuel, more people would breathe easier in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Alaska and on the mainland. The U.S. flag merchant marine would clearly move to the forefront of environmental leadership in the area of vessel emissions. It is important to remember that in the Jones Act liner trades, all vessel emissions are local and affect American citizens on both ends."

St John’s NL April 23, 2007 - The Hon. Loyola Hearn, Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, today announced a $50,000 cooperative effort between Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Fish, Food and Allied Workers (FFAW) union to document offshore Traditional Ecological Knowledge.

This project, which is equally cost shared, complements ongoing efforts by DFO to continue to engage the fishing industry in ocean management. It will include participation by fishers involved in the offshore fishery and collect information related to their activities, experiences and traditions.

Minister Hearn said, "I believe that the first hand knowledge of those involved in the offshore fishery provides some of the most valuable data we have. This cooperative effort will develop a fisheries information archive that will expand over time, and contribute significantly to the management of oceans resources in offshore areas."

FFAW/CAW Secretary-Treasurer David Decker said the Union supports efforts to capture the traditional knowledge of harvesters. "Harvesters have a tremendous wealth of knowledge and our Union believes strongly that this knowledge must be documented or we will be in danger of losing it as people retire from the industry or as the fishery changes. Documenting the traditional knowledge of harvesters in the over 35’ and under 65’ fleets will help guide future fisheries management decisions," he said.

DFO is pleased to partner with FFAW. The results of this project will create a foundation for continued involvement of the over 35’ and under 65’ fleets in oceans management. It will provide valuable information, which will contribute to DFO’s ongoing efforts with integrated management.

Integrated oceans management for sustainable development is one of four key components of the Government of Canada’s Oceans Action Plan (OAP) released in May 2005.