Lloyd's List: The Shipping Podcast

International insecurity is placing seafarer welfare under increasing pressure. This podcast, featuring London P&I, outlines risks and priorities for owners, clubs and crews

Container shipping’s orderbook looks significant, tanker contracting is rising again and dry bulk is becoming more top-heavy — but Lloyd’s List markets editor Rob Willmington says the headline numbers only tell part of the story

Data lies behind virtually all decisions and calculations related to vessel performance, yet errors can easily creep in, says Selin Sari, a product manager at StormGeo. In this podcast, she explores where data quality can go wrong and why getting the data right is critical to making better performance and commercial decisions. She also considers the role of AI and human expertise in interpreting vessel performance data

Record premiums, softening rates and war risk dominated debate at IUMI 2026, and Lloyd’s List’s marine insurance editor David Osler was there to find out whether there’s more to the eye-catching numbers being discussed

Any company planning to incorporate AI into its operations should start with a clear plan and set of objectives, Ben Thurecht, chief technology officer at maritime freight management solution provider Veson Nautical, advises in this podcast

WEATHER risk is increasing for shipping.

In part one of this episode, we highlighted some particular hotspots to watch out for in the near-term future and laid out how more regions of the globe will be affected by changing weather in the long-term future.

This week, Lloyd’s List senior reporter Joshua Minchin asks how stakeholders can mitigate their risk and avoid being disrupted by weather affecting sites a few links up or down the supply chain.

Joining Joshua on this week’s podcast are:

Mike Yarwood, managing director – loss prevention, TT Club

Eirik Hooper, senior associate – ports and terminals, Drewry Shipping Consultants

Drew Lerner, founder, World Weather

As chief executive of international towage and marine services company Svitzer, Kasper Friis Nilaus has identified opportunities to improve performance at many ports where the company operates. In this podcast, he shares his ideas for achieving greater efficiency

This episode of the Lloyd’s List Podcast is brought to you by Veson

ASK the compliance team of a major shipping company what the biggest risk to their business is and they might say its sanctions. Ask the security officer and they’ll likely say geopolitical uncertainty and conflict.

But ask the operations manager and they might give you a different answer: the weather.

Weather risk is something that is assessed by people working hard in shipping offices and on board vessels all over the world, but it has been catapulted into the headlines in recent months amid drought in Europe and a so-called “Super El Nino” phenomenon currently unfolding across the Pacific.

How is extreme weather affecting the way vessels operate? What can we expect from El Nino in the coming months? Should we be braced for low water levels across river systems in the future?

Joining Joshua on this week’s episode are:

Drew Lerner, founder, World Weather

Chris Aversano, partnership lead, Wood Mackenzie

Eirik Hooper, senior associate ports and terminals, Drewry

This episode of the Lloyd’s List podcast is brought to you by Veson. To find out more visit www.veson.com

FIFTEEN years ago, Somali piracy was one of the biggest stories in mainstream news, not just shipping.

That may be hard to fathom today, with threats stretching from the Gulf and Red Sea to the Black Sea, which has become one of the most dangerous places in the world for seafarers in recent weeks.

Yet between 2010 and 2012, Somali pirates hijacked almost 100 vessels, according to the International Maritime Bureau. By 2013, that number had fallen to zero and remained there through 2016.

In fact, just two major commercial vessels were hijacked between 2013 and 2023.

What was once the biggest risk to commercial shipping was successfully repelled through international cooperation, but in recent months there is evidence to suggest that Somali piracy is once again on the rise.

Six commercial vessels have been hijacked since the start of 2026, including sanctioned Sibu 1 which was hijacked in late August. Rather chillingly, the crew changed its location on its automatic identification system to “pirates onboard help”.

The increase in attacks is concerning, but suspicious approaches and occasional hijackings have occurred periodically over the past few years. Many were viewed as isolated incidents, often attributed to a single pirate group acquiring a mothership and exploiting an opportunity.

Is this a proper resurgence? Is Somali piracy really back?

Joining Joshua on the podcast this week are:

Vice Admiral Ignacio Villanueva Serrano, Eunavfor Operation Atalanta

Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer, Bimco

In previous editions of the Lloyd’s List Top 100 Container Ports, scale has been king. The more boxes you can handle, the higher up the rankings you will be.

But in 2026, the ability to adapt, solve problems and present carriers with alternatives in an age where the shocks keep on coming is proving almost as important as the number of cranes you have available.

Deputy editor Linton Nightingale talks through the key takeaways from this year’s rankings, including why the geography of container shipping is shifting and why one simple decision from a major carrier can make or break a port’s fortunes.