February 9 - ALP Maritime Services has been established in Rotterdam by three former members of the Fairmount Marine management team.

ALP Maritime Services will be active in the fields of ocean towage, heavy transport and non-conventional marine contracting.

A company statement advises that ALP Maritime has been appointed as the European general agent for Fukada Salvage and Marine Works Co Ltd (FSMW), one of Japan's largest towage, salvage, heavy transport and on/offshore construction specialists, with a fleet of semi-submersible barges, floating cranes and offshore support vessels.

This has been disputed by Fairmount Marine which, according to a statement on the Fairmount website, has had an agency agreement with FSMW since 1979. Fairmount Marine CEO, Albert de Heer told HLPFI that his company has not been given the requisite period of notice by FSMW and is taking legal advice.

In an email from FSMW, Mr Nobuo Nakamura states that "we terminated (the) agency agreement with Fairmount and appointed ALP Maritime as our agent start(ing) from 1st February."

Mr de Heer states: "The agency agreement has not been legally terminated."

ALP Maritime has been founded by Paul Mulder (Commercial and Marketing), Leo Leusink (Operational) and Arjen de Geus (Financial), with Caroline Steenbergen joining as office support manager.