Salammbo

The Italian Coast Guard has ordered the detention of two ships in the port of Genova, among the ten inspected since the beginning of the year, as part of the environmental and safety control activities conducted by the Port State Control personnel on foreign vessels transiting Italian ports. The detention orders were issued against the 'Commander' and 'Salammbo', which had serious shortcomings in terms of navigation safety and environmental protection. The 'Commander', which had arrived in port on Jan 21, 2025, was selected thanks to the targeting system developed by the General Command of the Coast Guard. The system, in line with the objectives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, analyses a series of data relating to ships, considering elements such as the company's performance, the flag and the results of previous inspections (https://www.parismou.org/detentions-banning/white-grey-and-black-list). The analysis of the data, in particular the low performance of the company and the shortcomings already reported in a previous inspection, allowed the ship to be identified as a priority for control. After three days of detention, the ship was authorised to leave again following a re-inspection which verified that the technical, operational and documentary shortcomings had been resolved, in collaboration with the flag State and the monitoring Classification Society, and left the port on Jan 24 en route to Samsun with an ETA as of Feb 3. The 'Salammbo', which had arrived in Genova on Jan 19, was inspected for its high risk profile. Serious deficiencies were also found on this ship, which remained moored at the Genova Port Terminal, including problems with the collective lifesaving equipment and the waste water treatment plant, in violation of current environmental regulations. At the moment, the ship remains detained, awaiting resolution of the reported critical issues.

The "Salammbo", of to the Tunisian Navigation Company (CTN), has been detained by the Italian authorities due to irregularities after its arrival in the port of Genova on Jan 19, 2025. On Nov 13, 2024, the Coastguard of Livorn had already ordered the detention of the "Amilcar", also belonging to the CTN. According to a report published on Nov 15, 23 shortcomings had been noted on board, 10 of which were classified as serious, in violation of international regulations on maritime safety. They included problems related to maintenance, the living conditions of workers on board and non-compliance with the necessary certifications. As a result, the ship was deemed not to comply with minimum safety requirements and was forced to remain at the dock until the identified problems were resolved. The General Federation of Transport denounced this as a "recurring scenario and a scandal that has become a symbol accompanying our national institutions, in a disturbing silence and flagrant mismanagement. What is happening is not a simple isolated incident, but the direct result of negligence and mismanagement within the Tunisian Navigation Company. Any attempt at justification or disengagement of responsibility constitutes a new humiliation for the company and for Tunisia". The Tunisian Ministry of Transport should soon provide clarification on the reasons for the detention of the ship, knowing that on Jan 15, the President of the Republic, Kais Saied, held a crucial meeting with the Head of Government, Kamel Maddouri, and the Minister of Transport, Rachid Amri, concerning the precarious situation of the Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation.

The 'Salammbo' requested medical assistance in the morning of Nov 25, 2019, after two crew members had been seriously injured in an accident on board. Both had suffered heavy wounds on lower limbs. The ship was en route from Genoa to Tunis and diverted to Cagliari where it was met by a Coast Guard helicopter from Decimoannu with medical staff on board, which intercepted the ship near Capo Carbonara. Both injured seamen were safely hosted and transferred to the Marine Hospital of Cagliari. The ferry resumed the voyage and reached Tunis in the foremidday of Nov 26.