Vessel to remain in place until the improvements are carried out
A Nautilus ITF inspector has criticised conditions onboard a Panamanian-flagged vessel detained in the UK over safety and welfare concerns.
Tommy Molloy said the conditions onboard the 7,087gt livestock carrier Express 1, owned by Sun Light Shipping Co SA were outrageous’.
The 25 crew of the Express 1 – including 15 Syrians, eight Filipinos and two Romanians – are being cared for by the Mission to Seafarers in Fowey, Cornwall, where their vessel is currently held after suffering engine failure.
The Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) has served a detention notice because of a number of safety issues’ – including concern over the crew’s emergency training, the fire detection systems and deficiencies in the crew accommodation, with a lack of hot water and heating.
This notice, which prevents the Express 1 from sailing, will remain in place until the necessary improvements are carried out by the vessel’s owners, said the MCA.
Panama have consistently failed to live up to the expectations of a flag state, even though they have signed up to the Maritime Labour Convention,‘ added Mr Molloy.
Here is another Panama-flagged vessel, another livestock carrier, another breakdown at sea and still we haven’t had the report issued on the Danny F2 – the Panama-flagged carrier that sank in 2009,‘ he said. The reason Nautilus is pushing for that report is to learn the lessons. But we still don’t know what they are, because Panama won’t issue the report in the public domain.‘
Mr Molloy praised the work of the Mission as tremendous, but it is outrageous that the crew’s employers have let the Mission to take on its responsibilities.’
Source: Nautilus Int
