By Dipo Olowookere
The Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) has said it would recommend fishing vessels on the nation’s territorial waters to have fixed fire-fighting systems.
Head of Maritime Safety and Seafarers Standards Department at NIMASA, Captain Sunday Umoren, dropped this hint while reacting to reports that the agency failed to provide assistance to a distressed fishing vessel; MV ORC4, resulting in the sinking of the vessel and loss of lives.
In a statement issued on the matter, NIMASA said it actually saved the vessel through its Search and Rescue Operations alongside the Nigerian Liquefied Natural Gas company (NLNG).
According to NIMASA, the said fishing vessel did not sink and is currently at the ORC Jetty at Kirikiri Lighter Terminal in Lagos where it was safely towed after rescue.
The maritime regulatory agency explained that its Search and Rescue Control Room received a distress call at about 8pm on February 6, 2019 that a Vessel MV ORC 4 (ORC IV) was on fire at Bonny Anchorage and that the crew were abandoning the vessel.
It said the team swung into action and relayed the emergency call to shipping within the area in line with its statutory mandate as enshrined in SS.22(1) and SS.22(4) of the NIMASA Act 2007 and S.2(1) of the Merchant Shipping Act 2007 on Maritime Safety.
NIMASA said further that after preliminary investigation and assessment of the distress, it immediately sought collaboration with the NLNG whose fire-fighting tug was closest to the scene to assist in bringing the situation under control along with other neighbouring vessels, which collaborated in the rescue exercise, in line with global shipping standard.
Accordingly, the NLNG immediately swung into action by dispatching the fire-fighting tug boat named; CTOW ANN SOPHIE to the scene which was used to extinguish the fire.
It said the crew onboard were safely evacuated and the vessel safely towed to her owner’s jetty where she is currently undergoing repairs.
Mr Umoren, while commending the support of Atlantic Shrimpers’ vessels, his team and NLNG for the successful operation in saving the fishing vessel further, stated that, “There is a difference between emergency and salvage operations.
“Saving of lives is the mandatory action during an emergency and should be treated with top priority, but saving an asset is salvage, which is never free,” he stressed.
He also stated that usually, to save time, the salvor and the Master of the Vessel (to be salvaged) will agree for the operation to be under Lloyd’s Open Form (LOF), an international agreement which is a standard form contract for a proposed marine salvage operation which is aimed at eliminating pre-salvage negotiations deferring such to be decided by Arbitrators on completion of the salvage operation.
On the incident, Mr Umoren hinted that post incident analysis will be conducted and recommendations put forward especially on fixed fire-fighting systems on fishing vessels and that lessons learnt from the incident will be shared with stakeholders in the shipping industry.
Also, in a letter titled “Appreciation for Support During Fire Incident on Board ORCiv Trawler” addressed to the Director General Dr. Dakuku Peterside on February 11, 2019, the Group Managing Director of ORCiv Fishing and Food Processing Limited, Rahul Savara, thanked the agency for the rescue efforts.
In his words, “We would like to sincerely appreciate Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) for every assistance provided during the fire incident. Your timely support in dousing the fire aided in reducing the material loss that would have been incurred as a result of the incident. Please remain assured of our utmost regards and best wishes.”
It would be recalled that in a recent interactive session with journalists in Lagos, Mr Peterside had made it known that the agency will continue to engage relevant stakeholders on the need for a sustained collaboration to develop the sector.
Adedapo Adesanya