What Crew Members Say About Viking-Bay

The New Zealand Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre has officially halted the search for the Galician chief engineer of the longliner 'Viking Bay', who went missing on December 27, 2025. All search operations, including aerial and maritime resources, have been withdrawn. On December 28, a P-8A Poseidon aircraft from the Royal New Zealand Air Force was deployed to assist in the search, which was soon joined by two merchant vessels on December 29. The missing engineer, who resided in O Cabalo (Beluso, Bueu) yet originally hailed from the parish of Ardán in Marín, was last seen on the fateful afternoon of his disappearance. His absence was reported by the crew aboard the 'Viking Bay', prompting the captain to issue a mayday call spanning a 300-mile radius while retracing their route. The search and rescue area fell within New Zealand's territorial jurisdiction. The 'Viking Bay', which had set sail from Suva, Fiji, on December 24, had been fishing in the region since December 16 and holds an active fishing permit from the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission, focusing on swordfish and shark targets.

The owner of the vessel 'Viking Bay,' Copemar, has successfully settled over $60,000 in quarantine-related expenses with the New Zealand government. The total amount paid was a substantial $62,000, covering the costs for the Managed Isolation Quarantine (MIQ) of 18 crew members, 15 of whom tested positive for COVID-19. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment issued the invoice to Copemar on August 13, with the payment due by November 11; however, it was completed one day later on November 12. Initially, fishing crews in New Zealand were not held liable for their quarantine expenses; however, the government later mandated that companies would be responsible for a portion of the MIQ costs, with taxpayers shouldering the remaining balance. The 'Viking Bay' arrived at Wellington on July 12, with two confirmed COVID-19 cases aboard. Those infected had already been picked up in Taranaki after departing from a quarantine facility. To avoid a potential humanitarian crisis and prevent multiple medical evacuations in international waters, authorities made the decision to bring the ship back to New Zealand. It docked at Wellington's Queens Wharf under strict security measures. The vessel was required to display the international yellow quarantine flag, and all 20 crew members underwent virus testing. The results revealed an additional 13 infections, with many cases being attributed to the more transmissible Delta variant. Subsequently, all but five crew members, including two close contacts, were transferred to the Grand Mercure hotel in Wellington to complete their MIQ process. The remaining crew on board were assigned to maintain the ship during its three-week stay in the capital.

On July 18, authorities confirmed three additional cases of Covid-19 on the 'Viking Bay', currently docked in Wellington. This announcement comes from the Ministry of Health, which reported a total of 10 new Covid-19 cases in managed isolation. The newly confirmed individuals will continue their quarantine on the vessel, alongside one other person who has tested negative for the virus.

As of July 15, the final four crew members aboard the 'Viking Bay' have been subjected to a second COVID-19 test. Currently, 16 of the 20 crew members are in Managed Isolation Quarantine (MIQ) at the Grand Mercure in Wellington. Out of these individuals, 15 have unfortunately tested positive for the virus. Notably, one crew member who had been transferred to MIQ after displaying symptoms has since received a second negative test result. Alarmingly, 13 of the infected crew members have been identified with the highly transmissible Delta variant. The 'Viking Bay' vessel docked at Queens Wharf on July 12, prompting the necessary health protocols.