Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Necibe-Imamoglu

On August 24, 2019, the freighter 'Sfax' was detained by French port authorities shortly after docking at the port of Nantes. The vessel, which carries a crew of 17, includes two Egyptians serving as the captain and chief engineer, alongside 15 Tunisians. This incident follows previous alerts during the ship's stopover in Algeciras from August 6 to 9, where authorities noted serious deficiencies concerning its ballast water management plan, fire protection systems, and life-saving equipment. The Ship Safety Center (CSN) of Nantes has now imposed a sailing ban on the 'Sfax' due to over a dozen identified deficiencies. Currently, crew members face significant hardships, including a lack of hot water, insufficient access to clean wash basins, and a complete absence of personal protective equipment. Alarmingly, their employment contracts fail to outline legal working hours, compelling the crew to work stretches of up to 17 hours without recorded overtime pay. Compounding these issues, the crew operates under precarious conditions, earning only USD 300 monthly, which is considerably less than international wage standards. In a troubling showing of negligence, the vessel navigated from Caen to Nantes without nautical charts, and crucial equipment such as a bilge separator meant to prevent pollution was found inoperable, alongside visible oil leaks around the crane area. The International Transport Federation (ITF) has been alerted about these serious concerns alongside the CSN. Notably, the 'Sfax' had previously been detained in January 2018 by Italian authorities for 17 distinct deficiencies, including concerns related to life-saving appliances and deplorable working conditions, such as inadequate sanitary facilities and insufficient training for emergency drills.

On the morning of July 5, 2018, the Elefsina Port Authority received reports of a crane accident involving the vessel 'Sfax' during a lightering operation involving the transfer of wheat cargo from the bulk carrier 'New Gemini.' The incident resulted in damage to the crane, which caused its grab to drop, impacting the railings on the 'New Gemini' as well. Fortunately, there were no injuries reported among the crew. In response to the incident, the Elefsina Central Port Authority initiated a preliminary investigation and temporarily detained both vessels until necessary repairs and class surveys could be conducted.