Warning on transponder use

Responding to reports that a number of ships turned off their transponders while passing through the Strait of Hormuz and that vessels appear to have slightly altered their routes once inside the Persian Gulf, Richard Gunn, master mariner and partner in Reed Smith’s global transportation industry group, said: “With the escalating tensions in the Gulf, shipowners are looking to boost safety measures when navigating the shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz and the adjacent waters.