Security, double seizure in the port of Genoa – The Medi Telegraph
Genoa – Two more ships stopped by the Genoa Coast Guard during the verification of foreign units who scale Italian ports, technically known as Port State Control. In the days before Christmas it was the turn of the ships “Miriam M” and “Glory”, 70 years of service in two, to be detained for serious violations of international standards on the protection of human life at sea, the safety of navigation and the protection of environment. The “Miriam M” is a cargo unit flying the Togolese flag, the second stop this year, of about 5,000 tons, built in 1981, and the “Glory”, in Vanuatu, 2,800 tons, built in 1989 and therefore in service for over 30 years: «We started the inspection on 22 December in the early morning – says one of the four officers of the inspection team who operated in these two days – and we immediately realized that the “Miriam M” was what is defined, in jargon, a sub-standard ship, that is, non-compliant to international standards and characterized by serious deficiencies that make themselves a danger for the safety of the crews themselves and the environment ».
The verification continued until about 9 pm, at the end of which 25 deficiencies were identified, including some very serious such as the malfunctioning of the fire-fighting devices, the suitability of the rescue vehicles for abandoning the ship, some problems with the systems as well as criticalities relating to the watertightness of the hatches. Lastly, also the preparation of the crew for the management of emergencies was insufficient: “The high risk profile of the ship”, continues one of the officers, “also characterized by the flag (Togo is on the European black list), by the classification register, by the performance of the management company and of the ship itself, was already a strong indicator of the potential problems they might encounter ».
The ship will now have to rectify all deficiencies, as well as being subjected to additional inspections and checks by the classification society and the flag authorities, before being re-inspected by the Coast Guard men, and only if successful be deemed fit to return to sea. Not even 24 hours after the “Miriam M” stopped, the same fate befell the “Glory” on which the inspectors found equally serious deficiencies concerning the functioning of fire-fighting equipment and lifeboats, which – also in this case – led to the issuance of a new arrest order: «It hasn’t happened for a long time to stop two ships in even 24 hours – the officers reveal -. Thanks to Port State Control’s activities, the quality of the ships that scale European ports has increased considerably over the years “.
Admiral Sergio Liardo, commander of the port of Genoa and maritime director of Liguria, highlights how “the inspection activity on board foreign and Italian ships is one of the priority tasks of the Coast Guard to ensure the safety of navigation, the protection of the marine environment and the protection of living and working conditions of the crews. I like to underline that despite the pandemic emergency still in progress and the period of common holidays, the level of attention of my men is always high as evidenced by the last two units under arrest just on Christmas Eve. Port State Control ”he reiterates“ is essential to ensure that seafarers are carried out in full compliance with the required parameters, including a guarantee for shipowners that ships are safe ”. Port State Control duties are performed by Coast Guard personnel, duly trained and authorized as a PSC inspector, located between various territorial commands located in the ports most affected by merchant traffic and organized in Port State Control Nuclei, coordinated by the PSC regional services established at the maritime management level. The competent authority is the Sixth Department of General Command – Navigation and Maritime Safety – which, through the Port State Control section and the National Coordinator, monitors and directs the activity.