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The Mega Cargo Ship Blocked the Suez Canal for Almost a Week Causing a Congestion of 425 Vessels and a Debt of Almost 1 Billion Dollars
With official status of “seized”, the 25 crew members of the gigantic cargo ship Ever Given, stranded in the Suez Canal in Egypt in March, remain on board to this day. The group may even face years of waiting before they can leave the ship due to a multimillion-dollar conflict.
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The crew is living far from home in Egypt due to a multimillion-dollar conflict. In this debacle, the Panama-flagged ship, owned by a holding company in Japan, is operated by a German firm, and the crew is from India.
Last month, from March 23 to 29, the mega ship Ever Given caused the blockage of one of the world’s main commercial maritime routes while it was aground. Currently, the ship is in the Bitter Lakes, part of the Suez Canal system.
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Crew of Ever Given Is Trapped on the Vessel and May Spend Years There
Last week, representatives from the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) boarded the Ever Given to verify the health and well-being of the crew. According to them, the group on board was still in good condition and in “good spirits”.
Despite this, the crew is in a delicate position — they are anxious to know if they will be able to return home as usual when their contracts expire.
The Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has already warned, however, that the gigantic ship will remain in Egypt and its crew cannot leave until the nearly US$ 1 billion demanded for compensation for the damage caused by the ship’s grounding is paid. This amount also covers the salvage operation and the “loss of reputation”, according to the BBC.
“It’s natural for them to be anxious given the uncertainty of the situation”, said Abdulgani Serang, from the Indian Boaters’ Union, representing the Ever Given crew. Serang also indicated that the German company Bernard Schulte — which chartered the vessel and hired the crew — is well-known, and the sailors have adequate union agreements.
Experts, however, highlight that this international litigation involving all companies, insurers, and government agencies could take years to resolve.
The Mega Cargo Ship Blocked the Suez Canal for Almost a Week Causing a Congestion of 425 Vessels
The ship blocked the passage connecting the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea in Europe for almost a week. Due to the issue, there was a congestion of over 400 vessels.
After being refloated, several companies sought insurance due to the cargo — 90% of which are not insured for delays, according to the specialized magazine Lloyd’s List. Several corporations may not be compensated.
According to the BBC, while the SCA argues that the efforts to free the ship were costly and should be compensated, the shipowners have filed a lawsuit in the UK against the company operating the cargo ship. For experts, determining responsibility and compensation will not be easy, given the accusations and lawsuits.
“There was no loss of life, no oil spill or criminal activity in the incident. It is just a civil matter about the financial implications negotiated by the Egyptian owners, charterers, insurers, and authorities”, evaluated Abdulgani Serang.
Sailor ‘Trapped’ on Abandoned Ship Leaves Vessel After Four Years
After being trapped on a ship for 4 years, Mohammed Aisha returned to his home country, Syria. The nightmare that began on July 5, 2017 finally came to an end. It was 48 months of living almost alone aboard the cargo ship MV Aman, which was stranded in the Red Sea of Egypt.
Aisha was just a crew member when his ship was detained at the Egyptian port of Adabiya in Cairo. The safety equipment documents and exploration certificates were expired, and it would have been an easy problem to solve if the owners had not decided to deny support due to financial difficulties.
Mohamed Arrachedi, who took on Aisha’s case in December, argues that this should be a moment for everyone in the maritime industry to reflect. “Aisha’s case has to serve to open a serious debate to prevent these abuses against seafarers on ships,” he says.
As surprising as the story is, Aisha’s experience is not unique. In fact, the abandonment of ships is on the rise. According to the International Labour Organization, there are over 250 active cases worldwide where crews are simply left to fend for themselves. The organization states that 85 new cases were recorded in 2020, double that of the previous year.
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