MAY 2026 
BREAKBULK QUARTERLY
BREAKBULK QUARTERLY 
30
Port of Stockton’s DeJesus says resolving 
dredging challenges will increase growth
By Stas Margaronis, AJOT
(RESOLVING – continued on page 32)
Continued dredging issues related to U.S. 
Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) practices 
have frustrated the Port of Stockton’s ability 
to reach its legally mandated 35-foot draft 
undermining waterborne transport volumes 
of import and export 
cargoes, according to 
Kirk DeJesus, Exec-
utive Director, Port 
of Stockton.
Resolving these 
challenges will increase 
cargo volumes and 
growth, he said.
In an interview 
with AJOT on April 
20th, DeJesus described 
problems getting the 
US Army Corps of 
Engineers San Fran-
cisco District to fully 
dredge the Stockton 
Ship Channel which stretches along the San 
Joaquin River to Stockton, an inland river port 
that is a major import/export link for ware-
houses and agricultural growers in Califor-
nia’s San Joaquin Valley: 
“So, we are authorized at 35 feet of draft 
for the ship channel to Stockton.  We are one 
of two river ports in the state. So, we get a 
lot of attention, and we get a lot of support… 
Congressman Josh Harder (D-CA) is great. He 
bangs the door as much as we need him to… I 
am in D.C. four or five times a year. We have a 
great relationship with the Corps…” 
According to the USACE San Francisco 
District website: “The ship channel is an inte-
gral component of the California Bay Delta 
and supports the Port 
of Stockton, which is 
the largest inland and 
fourth busiest port in 
California.  Approxi-
mately 30 cargo ves-
sels pass through the 
channel each month, 
taking 
more 
than 
300,000 trucks off 
area roads annually. 
The port is a vital link 
to the agricultural 
industry of the Cali-
fornia Central Valley, 
handling more than 
90% of fertilizer used 
by the regions growers and over 50% of Cali-
fornia’s bagged rice to Japan.”
Volume Versus Depth
DeJesus says the US Army Corps of Engi-
neers San Francisco District has been a solid 
partner but expressed frustration with some 
aspects of how the dredging process is man-
aged. “The way they structure the contracts is 
based on volume. So, they will tell the con-
Kirk DeJesus, Executive Director, Port of Stockton
Sidelining ‘big oil’ and 
decarbonizing shipping: 
Progress on the ‘Net-
Zero Framework’
By E.C. Lauriat, AJOT
(PROGRESS – continued on 
page 36)
From the 20th to the 24th 
of April, the governments of 
62 countries met to work on 
the development of the Net-
Zero Framework’s guidelines. 
Jesse Fahnestock, Director of 
Decarbonization, Global Mar-
itime Forum, said: “This week 
at the IMO we saw an encour-
aging willingness from both 
states and industry to make 
progress on the guidelines 
essential 
to 
implementing 
an agreement. The transition 
to 
zero-emission 
shipping 
requires companies to develop 
strategic plans and begin 
making investments today, 
but to do so they need a clear 
and reliable regulatory envi-
ronment. Detailed and compre-
hensive guidelines that are in 
line with the IMO’s greenhouse 
gas strategy — for example 
on emission calculations and 
rewards for alternative fuels 
— can give the companies the 
guidance they need and the 
confidence to invest in the tran-
sition to zero-emission technol-
ogies. It is now vital that this 
week’s spirit of collaboration 
continues next week.”
Revenue in a Net-Zero 
Framework
The major topic of dis-
cussion for many countries 
was the revenue generated by 
the NZF punishing non-com-
pliance with its regulations. 
Christiaan 
De 
Beukelaer, 
Senior Lecturer in Culture & 
Climate, University of Mel-
bourne, said: “When adopted, 
the Net-Zero Framework will 
raise money by penalizing 
non-compliance. The use of 
such revenues has long been 
a point of contention. This 
week, the vast majority of 
countries have constructively 
engaged in discussions on the 
purpose and modalities of the 
Fund administering and dis-
bursing these revenues. This 

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