RF Ministry of Transport has proposed to give the status of seaports to the ports of Azov and Rostov-on-Don in order to intensify control of safe navigation rules observance. The proposal was made on January 22, 2008, at the meeting of Interdepartmental Committee on response to emergency situation of November 11, 2007 in the Kerch Strait.
According to the Ministry’s press center, the members also noted some other measures to intensify control of safe navigation rules observance: to ensure fitting of rescue teams of State Marine Rescue Service with specialized equipment; to improve hydrometeorological information service for vessels and on-shore services; to tough requirements as regards licensing of shipping companies in terms of safe navigation and operation; to introduce compulsory insurance of shipping company’s liabilities; to introduce procedure for further training of shipboard personnel and appointment of shipmasters by Rosmorrechflot Council.
As of today, Rosmorrechflot continues environmental monitoring in the area, where the bow of the Volgoneft-139 tanker sank. According to Valeri Dyadyuchenko (Federal Service of Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring, deputy head), the latest data show the contamination has stabilized at the level not exceeding 0.2–0.4 (MPC) with 0.6 MPC at the southwestern shore of Tuzla bar.