MED SEA EAGLE

General information

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Latest news

Cargo ship remains stranded in Libya

Less than a year after it was abandoned off the coast of the United Arab Emirates, the 'Med Sea Eagle' delivered military equipment to a Libyan strongman, leaked documents revealed. The ship’s then-owners abandoned it in June 2023, and conditions grew so dire that one crew member attempted to commit suicide. In summer 2024, a company that chartered the vesselallegedly bribed its crew to deliver high-speed boats and military tactical vehicles to Libya, according to leaked emails written by the ship’s owner. The ship was sold to the Turkey-based Sea Lion Shipping Co in late 2022. The company ran into financial trouble soon after it bought the vessel, and abandoned it along with its crew in June 2023. The crew wasn’t paid for months and ran short of food, water and medicine. Some crew members began to panic. One took a potentially lethal dose of painkillers and was taken ashore to a hospital for medical treatment by Emirati authorities and then forced to return to the dismal conditions aboard the 'Med Sea Eagle'. The Sea Lion Shipping’s website is defunct.

St. Kitts-Nevis ship registry critizised for abandoning seafarers

The St Kitts and Nevis ship registry is facing severe criticism for allegedly shirking its duty towards over 30 stranded seafarers. The registry stands accused of deregistering three ships, effectively abandoning the crew members onboard, a move vehemently condemned by the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The 'Med Sea Eagle' and the 'Med Sea Fox', anchored off Sharjah in the UAE since July 2023, along with the 'Med Sea Lion' in West Africa, have all been deserted by the owners, Sea Lion Shipping. The crews have endured months without pay, lacking essential support for their well-being. Aboard the 'Med Sea Lion' a significant stash of cocaine was discovered earlier this year. With dwindling food and water supplies, and many in urgent need of medical assistance, the situation has become dire. One crew member of the 'Med Sea Eagle' was driven to attempt self-harm due to the distressing circumstances. ITF inspectors report a widespread deterioration in the mental well-being of these seafarers. David Heindel, ITF seafarers’ section chair and president of the Seafarers International Union, stated: “St Kitts and Nevis is playing fast and loose with international law… It is morally unacceptable to leave these seafarers to rot on stateless vessels. By merely deregistering these vessels, it should not relieve them of their obligations. If it’s that easy, what good do our international instruments provide in protecting seafarers.”