Heavy fog over Istanbul disrupted maritime traffic on the Bosphorus, bringing two-way vessel movements to a halt. Reports from RIA News, citing the Coast Guard General Directorate, indicate that a total of 301 ships found themselves queued, awaiting a safe window to proceed through the strait.
A government statement clarified that entry for ships through the Bosphorus was halted starting at 04:15 local time on Sunday, as visibility dipped and crews needed to coordinate safe navigation across one of the world’s busiest waterways.
By 08:30, entries showed that Russian-flagged vessels were among those waiting in the queue for permission to pass. The authorities emphasized that the plan remained to resume traffic as soon as conditions allowed, with safety as the primary concern for captains and port authorities alike.
The fog in Istanbul affected several districts, especially along the shores where meteorologists noted reduced visibility and damp air pockets that complicate navigation for large ships sharing the channel with ferries and cargo vessels.
Earlier in the year, a Liberian-flagged tanker named Peria briefly blocked movement in both directions on the Bosphorus. After a lengthy standstill of about fourteen hours, the vessel was eventually managed to be moved to a safe position, and normal traffic resumed in the aftermath. This incident served as a reminder of how turbulent weather and the strait’s narrow, busy waterway can complicate even routine passages.
Prior to these events, a congestion buildup near the Bosphorus entrance occurred due to a cooling trend in shipping lanes and a hesitancy among certain European insurers to issue coverage for oil tankers traversing the strait. The resulting insurance hesitancy fed delays, as ships waited for clarity on whether coverage would be secured for their voyages, underscoring the cascading impact that financial decisions can have on global energy logistics.
Beyond the immediate operational concerns, observers note that fog and transit restrictions on critical sea routes like the Bosphorus have broader implications for regional trade, fuel supply chains, and the timing of shipments to markets across North America and Europe. Industry analysts urge readiness for possible weather-driven setbacks and encourage ongoing coordination among shipping lines, insurers, and port authorities to minimize disruption while preserving safety at sea.
In a broader sense, experts have long debated the role of atmospheric conditions in shaping maritime risk and logistics. Dense mists remind seafarers that even well-charted waters can present sudden challenges, reinforcing the importance of robust navigation systems, disciplined bridge procedures, and flexible scheduling to accommodate weather variability. The situation near Istanbul underscores how weather, regulatory responses, and commercial insurance interact to influence the pace of global trade, with ripple effects that can reach suppliers, manufacturers, and consumers across Canada, the United States, and beyond.