Working Conditions Aboard the Bulk-King

The disposal of damaged rice from the cargo vessel 'Ocean Princess' is officially underway. On April 16, 2023, the first batch of 70 tons of Burmese rice was destroyed at the Kossihouen Landfill in Côte d'Ivoire. This rice was part of a larger shipment of 18,000 tons that arrived at the Port of Abidjan between March 11 and 18. Following extensive analysis by both national and international laboratories, the rice was deemed unfit for human consumption, prompting the necessity for destruction. In total, authorities plan to dispose of between 500 to 1,000 tons of rice per day over the course of a month. Additionally, the bags that held the rice have been incinerated to prevent any further contamination. The 'Ocean Princess' bulk carrier faced rejection from multiple ports, including Togo, Guinea, Ghana, and Senegal, before finally securing offloading in Côte d'Ivoire. During this challenging period, there were reports of unsuitable rice leaking from warehouses at the Port of Abidjan into local shops, highlighting the urgency of the disposal process.

In a recent decision, Togo has prohibited the bulk carrier 'Ocean Princess' from discharging its cargo of 18,000 tons of rice. This action follows a similar measure implemented by Guinea, which requested the return of the questionable quality Burmese rice back to the supplier, Huilerie de Guinée, on November 30, 2018. Following the ban from Guinea, the rice shipment has been redirected toward Dakar for the time being. Currently, the 'Ocean Princess' remains in international waters after attempts to dock in neighboring countries were unsuccessful. The vessel has been under close surveillance since leaving the port of Lomé, and on March 20, it arrived at the anchorage in Abidjan.

Authorities in Guinea and Togo have taken decisive action against a shipment of rice aboard the bulk carrier 'Ocean Princess', citing serious concerns over the cargo's quality and safety. The vessel, which arrived from Yangon, Myanmar, has been ordered to halt the discharge of its rice shipment, deemed unfit for human consumption. Following its arrival at Lomé port on January 6, 2019, the cargo of 18,104 tons of 'Myanmar rice' was met with regulatory scrutiny. The technical services of the Togolese Ministry of Agriculture found the provided documentation to be inconsistent, preventing them from performing the necessary phytosanitary inspection as required by local regulations. As of February 13, the Ocean Princess remained anchored off the Togo coast. Guinean Minister of Commerce, Boubacar Barry, reported that the ship carried an additional 14,000 tons of 'Indian rice' alongside the questionable 22,000 tons of 'Burmese rice'. He noted that the Indian rice is currently undergoing administrative procedures and mandated that the contaminated Burmese rice be returned to the supplier due to its moldy condition, rendering it unsafe for consumption.