Africa-Press – Liberia. The Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Liberia Maritime Authority (LiMA) said the agency has launched a coordinated effort with the owners and operators of the only Liberian-owned fishing vessel to save it from sinking.
The vessel, F/V GLOBAL 8, owned and operated by a Liberian couple, Stanley and Roseline Giah of Global Ocean Fisheries Inc. experienced a mechanical fault on Saturday while at sea. The vessel ran aground at the back of Sophie Community in Congo Town.
Since then, the owners and operators have been making a frantic effort in calling on authorities of the marine sector including LiMA, the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) and the APM Terminals, among others.
Since Saturday, the vessel is still stranded there.
However, Commissioner Nagbe, responding to FrontPage Africa’s inquiry, acknowledged that the Maritime Authority was aware of the incident.
“The Maritime Authority is currently engaged with the owners and operators to have the vessel salvaged and towed to a refuge home or safe location. Additionally, bunker fuel and cargoes were removed from the vessel as proactive measure to prevent pollution to the marine environment,” LiMA said through its Commissioner and CEO Len Eugene Nagbe.
According to Mr. Nagbe, the Monrovia Regional-Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Center (MRMRCC) received a distress alert from the vessel on Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 2:30 AM. The nature of the distress alert was mechanical problem due to engine failure caused by contaminated bunker fuel as reported by the captain of the vessel.
Upon receipt of the distress alert, he stated the Liberia Maritime Authority stated activated its search and rescue response mechanism and launched a rescue mission led by the Liberian Coast Guard.
As search and rescue operations were underway, the vessel drifted and went aground along the Coast behind the Sophie Community in Congo Town, adding that the crew of 13 persons were rescued by the joint efforts of the Maritime Authority and the Liberian Coast Guard.
The Maritime boss stated that following the rescued operations, the Liberia Maritime Authority dispatched a team of safety inspectors and maritime casualty investigators at the scene of the grounded vessel.
“The primary focus was to search for and rescue the crew. This mission was effectively performed as all 13 crew members were evacuated,” he said.
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