What Crew Members Say About Med-Nordic

On the evening of April 21, the 'Med Nordic', a tanker sailing from Carteya Guadarranque towards Tarragona, notified the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center (MRCC) of Salvamento Marítimo in Almeria about a migrant boat in distress located 21 nautical miles from Mesa Roldán. The industrious crew of the 'Med Nordic' provided a secure escort for the vulnerable vessel until the SAR boat 'Salvamar Spica' arrived on the scene. The dedicated rescuers successfully retrieved the 15 individuals aboard the distressed craft, safely disembarking them at 2 a.m. on April 22. This act underscores the vital role maritime vessels play in the humanitarian efforts along the coast of Spain. For more details, you can view the report with accompanying photo at: https://twitter.com/salvamentogob/status/1649715589189885952.

On April 27, 2022, the tanker 'Black Star' was officially barred from entering the bustling port of Barcelona. By the next day, April 28, the vessel found itself drifting in the serene Balearic Sea, just off the coast of Barcelona, while awaiting further directives. Loaded with palm oil and oil derivatives, the 'Black Star' is under strict orders from the Ministerio de Transportes, Movilidad y Agenda Urbana (MITMA) to exit Spanish territorial waters. The General of the Merchant Marine, part of the Ministry of Transport, has raised alarms regarding the ship's questionable activities, particularly the ship-to-ship transfer involving Russian cargo from the Russian flagged tanker 'Andrey Pervozvanniy'. This illicit transfer took place at an anchorage located approximately 12.5 miles off Malta's coast. Notably, the 'Andrey Pervozvanniy' had already been denied entry into Barcelona due to existing EU sanctions on Russia.