Following an inspection, Israeli maritime authorities have detained the vessel Serafina, identifying 29 defects, 18 of which are serious rule breaches that alone could have warranted the vessel’s detention.
The Palau-flagged vessel Serafina has been deemed the worst ship inspected by ITF Inspector Assaf Hadar in his four years of work in Israel. The ship’s conditions are dire, with no employment contracts for the crew, food storage freezers malfunctioning and set above 0°C, a stench of rotten meat, and widespread bug infestations. The sanitation facilities are broken, and the overall environment is described as inhumane.
Most of the crew, consisting of 12 Turkish, 5 Egyptian, and 5 Azerbaijani members, face additional hardships including inadequate refrigeration for food and severely compromised sanitary facilities.
In response, Hadar has arranged for portable toilets and showers at the dockside and is working on the repatriation of the crew.
ITF in its Human Rights Due Diligence guidance firmly states that seafarers’ right to a healthy and safe work environment should be respected and treaded with utmost care. Regulations and declarations on the matter do not only exist as legal texts but to ensure that people onboard the ship are safe and sound, working in conditions that ensure their dignity and wellbeing.
