Abandoned cargo ship poses risk of “environmental as well as human disaster”

AN ABANDONED cargo ship broken down near a busy African shipping lane is posing a risk to passing ships and the seafarers still on board, according to the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

MV Onda (IMO 8912467) was declared abandoned in December last year. The ship is now anchored off Dakar, Senegal, with a broken-down engine.

The ITF has warned that, without electricity, the ship cannot be lit at night to warn passing vessels of its presence, heightening the risk of collision.

ITF said it had asked authorities at Port of Dakar to tow the ship in so the engine could be repaired, but authorities’ response was that they were “too busy”.

ITF inspectorate coordinator Steve Trowsdale said ships are constantly passing through Dakar’s anchorage, a few kilometres from West Africa’s main shipping lanes.

“An unlit vessel positioned there at night puts the lives of the Onda’s seafarers in immediate danger as well as those on any ship passing by,” Mr Trowsdale said.

“There has already been one near miss. If an oil tanker crashes through the Onda, there will be an environmental as well as human disaster.”

According to the International Labour Organization abandonment database, the four seafarers on board have not been paid in up to seven months. The crewmembers are from Cameroon, Lebanon, Nigeria and Syria.

Mr Trowsdale said the port’s refusal to tow the ship in was “unacceptable”, and that authorities were prioritising the business of the port over the safety of seafarers.

“I hope the people who have made this decision can be persuaded to change their minds before there is a catastrophe and they have the lives of seafarers on their consciences.”

Onda is reportedly operated by AMJ Marine Services and owned by the Amin Ship Company, both of which are Honduras-based companies.

ITF said the owners have been providing the crew with some provisions, “but not nearly enough to survive”.

The union said it has stepped int to ensure the crew receives full provisions and drinking water for as long as they remain at anchor.

This is reportedly the second time a crew on Onda had been abandoned by Amin Ship Company, the first abandonment reportedly occurring in 2020.

ITF also highlighted the issue of Onda’s uncertain flag status. It said the ship was previously registered in Togo, but Togo said the registration had been transferred to Guyana in 2021.

However, according to ITF, the Guyana register has no record of the ship and suspects it is operating illegally under a false flag.  

“The flag of convenience system is chaotic and leaves ample room for unscrupulous shipowners to dodge and weave their way out of their obligations,” Mr Trowsdale said.

“Governments have allowed a morally bankrupt system to develop where it’s commonplace to see a ship change register on paper four or five times over its service life, switching between flags to avoid tax, evade environmental regulations, and duck their responsibilities to crew.”

ITF said owners’ avoidance of obligations means responsibility for seafarers’ lives often falls to port authorities such as those in Dakar.

“There is no doubt the owners and operators have shown neglect in their treatment of their crew over a number of years,” Mr Trowsdale said.

“However, I have little confidence that they can be persuaded to sort this situation out. In the meantime, the crew remains in great danger and our only hope is that the authorities at Dakar or higher up in the Senegalese government take the action needed.”