Swedish P&I Club alert on Ebola virus in Africa
The Swedish P&I Club has issued alert regarding a recent case reported by their correspondent in Nouakchott of local stevedores refusing to work on a vessel which had called in a port in an Ebola affected country.
The vessel arrived in Nouakchott, Mauritania in late August with a WFP aid cargo. The vessel was finally shifted to the anchorage after local dockers refused to board the vessel. After a delay of several days, the vessel sailed for Las Palmas and then on to an undisclosed Mediterranean destination.
It is reported that after calling in Monrovia, Liberia, the vessel was due to discharge further cargo in Dakar, Senegal. The Senegalese authorities however refused berthing of the vessel and the World Food Programme reportedly re-directed the vessel to Nouakchott where it was also refused.
It would therefore appear that Senegal is officially refusing vessels coming from Ebola virus affected countries and that Mauritanian stevedores are on their own initiative refusing to work on such vessels.
| Operators with vessels trading in the area are therefore advised to check with the Club or their locally appointed agents on the official position of the authorities and on any potential initiatives taken by local dockers. |
Source: The Swedish P&I Club
