What future for the Christos XXIV and the Varzuga ?
Update June 18, 2021
The Christos XXIV returned to sea on Tuesday 15 June at 5pm heading to Las Palmas (Canary Islands, Spain). The 50 year old tug, her 8 Filipino sailors and her 2 Greek officers stayed in Le Havre for 1 month and 8 days.
The Christos XXIV left alone, leaving the Varzuga at Joannès Couvert wharf. Discussions are still ongoing between the owner of the old Russian ship, the maritime authorities and a French demolition yard. The Varzuga will have to be accompanied in the demolition yard by her green passport, which she lacked when she left Murmansk. The green passport is a map with an estimate of the quantities of hazardous materials on the ship at the end of her life.
The Varzuga’s detention should end within 10-15 days.
Like beasts in substandard ships
The report “78 EU-approved livestock carriers” written by Robin des Bois in partnership with the NGOs Animal Welfare Foundation and Tierschutzbund Zürich is more than damning. It is sharp.
Like beasts in substandard ships
The report “78 EU-approved livestock carriers” written by Robin des Bois in partnership with the NGOs Animal Welfare Foundation and Tierschutzbund Zürich is more than damning. It is sharp.
Record turtle seizure in Burkina Faso
On Tuesday, June 8, 555 juvenile African spurred tortoises were rescued from international trafficking by customs officers in Koudougou, Boulkiemdé province. They were hidden in the baggage compartment of a bus travelling between Bamako in Mali and Lomé in Togo. They were placed in wooden crates, cardboard boxes and canvas and plastic bags. False CITES permits accompanied the shipment. CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. The African spurred tortoises are listed in Appendix II. Their international trade is still allowed. Export permits are required. The seizure is the result of cooperation between Mali Customs and Burkina Faso Customs.
The International Shipbreaking Show in the Covid-19 gale
“Shipbreaking” # 62
double issue, October-November-December 2020-January-February-March 2021
122 pages, 112 sources, 381 photos
“Shipbreaking” is an unexpected and privileged observatory to analyze the trends of the global business and to identify its shortcomings.
Radioactive rhinos
Rosatom, the prime contractor and spearhead of the Russian nuclear industry, has found a new way to extend its influence on the African continent in the fight against poaching.
The leaded Notre-Dame’s square
Notre-Dame de Paris
Press release no. 16
On Friday 14 May 2021, the Agence Régionale de Santé (Regional Health Agency) issued a press release stating that an increase in lead levels in the forecourt of Notre-Dame de Paris had been detected since 26 April. After a clumsy ‘wash down’, which did not specify whether the water was collected or poured into the gutters and the Seine, the levels continued to rise, reaching a very high peak of 34,609 µg/m2 in the centre of the forecourt (ARS press release).
All at sea
The Christos XXIV was towing the Russian oil tanker Varzuga from Murmansk (Russia) to a Turkish shipbreaking yard. On Monday, May 3, 2021, at around 22:00, the tow rope broke and the Christos XXIV lost control of the Varzuga north-west of Cherbourg.
The Christos XXIV / Varzuga convoy left Murmansk on April 17, 2021. It was expected to arrive in Aliaga on May 26 after a 9,000 km journey through the Arctic Ocean, the North Sea, the English Channel, the Bay of Biscay, off Spain and Portugal and the Mediterranean Sea. In Murmansk, just before departure, 7 deficiencies were reported on board the tug by the marine safety inspectors concerning the safety of navigation, the life saving appliances, the radio communications and the pollution prevention.
