Salvage companies are reacting to grounded fishing vessels in the US, South Africa and New Zealand, and a sinking towboat in Ohio
In the US, salvors are attempting to refloat a grounded commercial fishing vessel and prevent pollution near Bodega Bay, north of San Francisco, California.
The US Coast Guard (USCG) formed a unified command with partner agencies to deal with the incident, 3 km southwest of Bodega Bay, but the first attempts to remove Aleutian Storm from the beach failed.
An unknown volume of diesel was discharged into the water during the tug operation on 12 February, resulting in contractors refocusing salvage operations for the 18-m fishing vessel. Contractors under the direction of a unified command began removing fuel from the vessel 13 February.
“Crews were able to remove diesel from one storage tank before tidal conditions made further operations unsafe,” said the USCG. “Attempts to remove pollution from the vessel, address the crab catch, and assess the vessel’s integrity will continue, pending safe working conditions. An investigation into the cause of the grounding and volume of diesel discharged is ongoing.”
The fuel capacity of the vessel is 12,870 litres, and 5,670 litres of diesel is estimated to be on board. The captain of Aleutian Storm reported the grounded vessel in Sonoma Coast State Park on 9 February, that all four crew members aboard were uninjured and had immersion suits.
A USCG emergency response boat and MH-65 Dolphin helicopter rushed to the site along with a California Highway Patrol helicopter to rescue the crew.
The unified command consists of representatives from the USCG, California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response, California State Parks, Sonoma County Department of Emergency Management and the vessel’s captain.
Elsewhere in the US, rescue teams rushed to help crew on a sinking towboat in the Ohio River, in Scioto County, Ohio state on 10 February. Teams were dispatched to the Portsmouth Raceway Park to rescue up to nine crew members from the vessel. Scioto County commissioners are working with local agencies to respond further and refloat the towboat.
In South Africa, the Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) was preparing to remove a wrecked fishing trawler that grounded on rocks with 24 crew on board. Resolve Marine was appointed to extract the grounded wreck of Elke M from the coast of an environmentally sensitive area near St Francis Bay.
Elke M went aground 6 January 2024 and its crew were rescued after they abandoned ship. SAMSA then started selecting a salvage company to remove the wreck and began removing pollutants. Favourable weather and sea conditions have enabled more than 27,000 litres of marine fuel to be removed from the vessel.
The incident management team, aided by helicopter assistance, had prioritised removing the remaining fuel and non-oil pollutants and transferring these to designated disposal sites.
Pollutants and Wreck Removal Directives have been issued in line with the Wreck and Salvage Act and the Marine Pollution (Control & Civil Liability) Act, underscoring the commitment to environmental safety and compliance. The removal operation will be overseen by SAMSA and involves reducing the wreck to the waterline level, then the subsea sections will be split into sections for scuttling. The operation is expected to last two months and should be completed in Q2 2024.
In New Zealand, a fishing boat ran aground at Castlepoint on 9 February while sailing to a new owner. Rescue Coordination Centre New Zealand received the emergency call and sent a rescue helicopter from Wellington.
Two crew members were safely ashore after the vessel was beached following mechanical problems during the voyage to the new owners. On 11 February, diesel and hydraulic oil had been removed from the vessel and the insurance company was organising removing the boat from the sea.
The 27th International Tug & Salvage Convention, Exhibition & Awards will be held in association with Caterpillar in Dubai, UAE, 21-23 May 2024. Use this link for more details of this industry event and the associated social and networking opportunities
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.