Over 90 vessels decommissioned in the Far East, Q I-III 2009
Over 90 vessels were decommissioned for metal scrap in the Far East within 9 months current year, stated Nikolai Sukhanov, Chairman of Far East regional organization of the Russian Mariner Union.
‘These are mainly vessels over 30 years old flying Cambodia, Mongolia flags of ‘convenience’ that now present a threat to the lives of mariners,’ PIA Novosti sited Sukhanov.
As per Sukhanov, over 15 vessels sank in the Far East within last 10 years: motor-vessels West, Arosa, Captain Uskov, Kastor 1, Ji Vong 1 are among them. Most of them were impossible to operate, as they didn’t meet safety requirements. Over 100 mariners perished in the accidents.
‘The number of such accidents will be reduced in the nearest future,’ ponders Nikolai Sukhanov.