With no clarity yet on the fate of the Shipping Corporation of India oil tanker detained by Iran, the India National Shipowners’ Association (INSA) is looking at raising the issue with international bodies to ensure safety of the crew.
Last Tuesday, Iran detained the MV Desh Shanti carrying crude oil from Iraq in international waters alleging that it was spilling oil. SCI Chairman and Managing Director B.K. Mandal has refuted the allegation, saying the ship was not even in Iranian waters when it was detained.
DETENTION METHOD
The manner in which Iran detained the merchant vessel has raised eyebrows.
“The problem is, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, which is an elite force responsible for protecting their top leaders and therefore parallel to our SPG, reportedly boarded India’s merchant vessel. This could be very intimidating for the Indian crew,” said Anil Devli, CEO, INSA, the lobby for India-flagged vessels.
According to Devli, if a country discovers deficiencies in a ship, it has to give a notice to the master of the vessel to correct the deficiency. The deficiency can be corrected at sea, or it may be allowed to sail to the nearest port for repair.
Young vessel
Also,INSA also feels that such activity – of law enforcement officers boarding a merchant vessel – happens only when there are concerns of a more serious nature, such as the ship carrying contraband or illegal cargo. Experts say, prima facie, the vessel was not the type to attract attention for possible spillage. “Technically, it is highly unlikely that a nine-year old double-tanker (the age and type of MV Desh Shanti) can cause an oil spill. Nine years is young by shipping fleet age standards. In the last 20 years, rarely has a double hull tanker been found spilling oil,” Anand Sharma, Director, Mantrana Maritime Advisory, said.
Double hull vessels have an outer protective layer that is intended to prevent any contaminants from leaking into the sea in case of any damage.
INSA cites strategic reasons as the reason behind the detention of the vessel . “Many Iranian vessels also enter India. All crude oil coming to India from Iran is carried in Iran-flagged vessels,” said Devli.
The incident has caused concern for another reason — around 20 India-flag crude tankers transit the Persian Gulf every month carrying crude from Iraq, Saudi Arabia and other West Asian nations. This incident is sure to be worrisome for the crew who man these vessels.
If the issue is not resolved soon, INSA says it would look to raise it with international bodies.
“We are concerned for the safety of the Indian crew. We are looking at options to raise the issue with IMO or the International Transport Workers Federation, the supranational body for seafarers,” said Devli.
Also, for a legal recourse, India can approach the Indian Ocean MoU, of which Iran is a part although this process takes much longer.