Aug 14 - Gibraltar Maritime Administration To Terminate Migrant Rescue Ship’s License
The Gibraltar Maritime Administration (GMA) says it’s terminating the registration license for the Aquarius because it has resumed migrant rescue operations. The vessel is registered in Gibraltar as a survey ship and had been instructed by the GMA to revert to its original registered status.
The license will terminate on 20th August. There are currently 141 migrants currently onboard and no EU port is offering to take them in. Once the registration terminates, the vessel will leave the Gibraltar (UK) registry and revert back to its underlying owner’s Flag, Germany.
A spokesperson from Number Six said:
“The Motor Vessel AQUARIUS bareboat registered in the Gibraltar Ship Registry as a Survey vessel, with the Federal Republic of Germany as the primary underlying Register, in 2009.
“The Gibraltar Ship Registry is managed by the Gibraltar Maritime Administration (GMA) and is a British ‘Category 1’ Ship Registry within the ‘Red Ensign Group. The Flag State for vessels registered in Gibraltar is the United Kingdom.
“In 2016, the AQUARIUS was chartered by two charities (Medicins Sans Frontieres and SOS Mediterranee) to engage in maritime rescue activities within the Italian Search And Rescue (SAR) zone. The vessel operated exclusively under the direction of the Italian authorities for rescue operations within its remit as a search and rescue vessel.
"In June/July 2018, the AQUARIUS was instructed to suspend operations as a dedicated rescue vessel by the GMA and revert to its original registered status as a ‘Survey Vessel’, following delays in the availability of disembarkation ports for a number of rescue vessels within the Italian SAR zone.
“When the operators failed to inform and seek clearance from the GMA of the resumption of these dedicated activities in August, the owners of the AQUARIUS were served with a 'notice of removal’ by the Maritime Administrator on the 6th August, with a termination date set for the 20th August 2018. Should the registration terminate, the vessel will leave the Gibraltar (UK) registry and revert back to its underlying owner’s Flag, Germany.
“It should be pointed out that no Flag State can prevent a vessel, whether registered in Gibraltar or not, from assisting with a rescue operation conducted in accordance with the Search And Rescue (SAR) Convention, if it is transiting an area and has the capacity to take on additional persons safely.
“The individuals presently on board the AQUARIUS are people who have been rescued at sea and their safety should be the primary concern. The GMA urges ports within the vicinity to fulfil their obligations under the SAR (Search And Rescue) Convention and allow the AQUARIUS to disembark safely and promptly at a nearby port in the Italian SAR area.”
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