The 'Simone Martini', operating between Trapani and the Aegadian Islands, has been arrested in Trapani since July 8, 2025, by order of the Port Authority. The request of the Health and Safety Commission regarding irregularities found in the crew canteen service has been granted upon a request from the Territorial Commission for Accident Prevention, Health and Safety on Board, which had inspected the vessel to verify compliance with the requirements issued to the company in February regarding the failure to provide free food as part of the canteen service, in line with national and international ILO standards. The dispute concerned the unions' termination of the second-level agreement with which, until the beginning of the year, the company and worker representatives had regulated the exceeding of the minimum requirements of the National Collective Bargaining Agreement. Essentially, the canteen service was no longer available on the 'Simone Martini' and replaced by a substitute allowance provided by the shipping company, which, from 2019 until December 2024, allowed seafarers to provide their own meals. The Commission, however, maintained that in the absence of an agreement, "the general conditions established by the national collective bargaining agreement for the sector shall apply, which stipulates that food supplies must comply with national and international ILO standards: In the event of a failure to reach an agreement at the company level, the shipowner will be responsible for the food costs, up to a limit of €15 per meal, upon presentation of supporting documentation." The Commission also objected that the change in use of the kitchen to so-called 'pantry' has not been authorized by the competent Ministry with the approval of new accommodation plans and the technical specifications. Regarding the closure of the kitchen, the Commission also noted the failure of the onboard arrangements to comply with the documentation (drawings and technical specifications) sent to the competent Ministry. No exemption has been granted in this regard. Regarding the sale of pre-cooked food to the crew at the onboard bar, it was emphasized that access to food for seafarers must be free. The possible purchase of food ashore, cannot in any way be considered an acceptable measure, also because the summer timetable for scheduled services came into effect on June 1st, meaning seafarers are employed from 6:30 a.m. to 8:20 p.m., being at sea during the scheduled breakfast, lunch, and dinner times, preventing them from enjoying meals at shore-based catering establishments. After the arrest, Caronte responded in a statement, claiming "the agreement was still valid, meaning it did not automatically expire in the absence of a new agreement. It continued to provide meal allowances and meal vouchers to seafarers and, in the meantime, optimized onboard services by installing so-called pantry rooms dedicated to heating and defrosting food) on all ships, equipping onboard bars with pre-cooked meals accessible at cost price, and authorizing captains to grant, where possible, brief leave to seafarers to purchase food ashore. It believed the best solution was to restore the existing system, pending a new agreement to replace the previous one regarding the lack of free meals. Otherweise alternative solutions that must be compatible with the unions' well-aware need to reduce costs would be evaluated.
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MATTHEW TT
Eight crew members from the 'Matthew' have received prison sentences ranging from 13.5 to 20 years for their roles in Ireland’s largest cocaine seizure – a 2.2-tonne haul valued at €157 million. The sentences mark the conclusion of a case that began with a military operation in Sep 2023, whicg dismantled a sophisticated smuggling attempt orchestrated by a transnational crime group based in Dubai. The bulk carrier, which had traveled from South America via Willemstad, Curaçao, was intercepted off Ireland’s coast after being tracked for several days. When the vessel ignored multiple warnings and attempted to evade authorities, the Irish Navy patrol vessel 'LÉ William Butler Yeats' fired warning shots before military forces boarded the ship via helicopter. A second vessel, the 'Castlemore', had been purchased to collect the cocaine from the mother ship for smuggling into Europe, but it ran aground off the Wexford coast. The heaviest sentence of 20 years was given to Dutch national Cumali Ozgen, described as “the cartel’s man on the ship” who stood to receive a substantial bonus for the operation’s completion. The court deemed the case within exceptional and egregious circumstances due to its scale and sophistication. The organization used Starlink Wi-Fi, encryption software, and spoofing techniques to disguise the vessel’s route and location at sea. The 'Matthew' was escorted to a naval base at Marino Point in Cork Harbour after the raid. Equassis data revealed the vessel was owned by a one-ship company based in the Marshall Islands and had changed hands just weeks before the operation.
SHTANDART
The 'Shtandard', banned from EU ports, was intercepted by the Coast Guard and gardaí in the early hours of July 9 after docking in a harbour in Co Louth. The vessel is subject to European sanctions imposed following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, preventing it from doing business with EU countries or visiting their ports. The ship drew significant attention on July 7 when it arrived in Killiney Bay off south Dublin and laid anchor a few hundred metres from the shore. Crew members and supplies were ferried from the shore on dinghies. On July 8 the 'Shtandart' was approached by the Irish Naval Service ship 'LÉ Aoibhinn'. which interrogated its captain, Vladimir Martus, over its intentions. He said he had not applied for permission to dock in Ireland as he knew it would be denied. However, he said he may have to dock somewhere soon to take on fresh drinking water. The ship departed Dublin waters around 3 p.m before sailing north. Shortly after midnight it docked at Port Oriel, a small fishing harbour in Clogherhead, County Louth. The Irish Coast Guard had been tracking the movements of the vessel and sent a unit to the scene. A Garda unit also attended. Coast Guard personnel boarded and checked the ship’s papers. The 'Shtandart' departed at 6 a.m. It sailed north and left Irish waters on the afternoon of July 9. Pro-Ukraine groups have accused the Shtandart as operating as a propaganda vessel for the Russian regime. The ship has also been accused of breaching maritime law, including by turning off its transponder signal to hide its movements.
NORROENA
A coastguard helicopter has been tasked to evacuate a medical casualty from the 'Norröna' early on July 9, after a call was made for assistance at around 5.40 a.m. as the ferry was sailing north of Unst on her way to the Faroes. The Rescue 900 helicopter had been tasked to carry out the medevac. The rescue operation was under way at 7.30 a.m.
HEBRIDES
The 'Hebrides ', operating on the route Uig-Tarbert was waiting on the arrival of emergency services on July 9. As a consequence, the scheduled 2:20 p.m. sailing from Uig departed at 3:12 p.m., 52 minutes late- The ETA in Tarbert was approx. 4:52 p.m. This had a knock-on effect for the 4:30 p.m. crossing from Tarbert to Uig. The 'Hebrides' departed Tarbert at 5:22 p.m., 52 minutes late. with an ETA at Uig as of approximately 6 p.m.