The Atlantic Star scam
The Atlantic Star remained disused in Marseille for more than 2 years. Construction of the Atlantic Star at La Seyne-sur-Mer in 1984 had mobilized, as in all cruise ships, significant amounts of asbestos.
The ship belonged to the Spanish shipowner Pullmantur, a subsidiary of the American company Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. Her operation became prohibitive; replacing her steam turbines with a diesel propulsion was impossible. The Atlantic Star, still in the hands of Spanish interests, remained under the European flag of Malta until March 1, 2013.
To-be scrapped vessel stolen in Liberia
Object: European Union and ship demolition
The Tahoma Reefer, a vessel measuring 102 m in length, was stolen the 11th of May by an armed band and towed out to sea by 2 fishing boats. Its fate remains unknown to this day.
The Tahoma Reefer had been anchored in Liberia since the beginning of the year in a waiting zone near the access channel to the Monrovia port. Upon its arrival to the port, the vessel had suffered damage from a fire on the 11th of august 2006. This fire was put out by an ocean tugboat belonging to the UN fleet that was on site to help put back into effect port infrastructure systems. The Tahoma Reefer was thus towed to dock. At the start of the year, the port authorities ordered the Estonian proprietor ELS Trans (4Adala tn, Tallin Estonia)* to free the docks, as the Tahoma Reefer posed risks for port security.
