Malta Naval Visits – August 2024

Contrary to the month of July, August was an interesting month indeed, starting with an interesting Russian Navy Replenishment tanker RFS AKADEMIK PASHIN that passed in the Malta/Sicily Channel on Friday 2nd August. Tuesday 6th August. The Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana) ocean ketch , a sail training yacht ITS ORSA MAGGIORE A 5323 anchored […]
Local Shipping – Tugboat SPINOLA sold – March 2024

The 2009 Spanish built AVT 37/70 Terminal/Escort Tug SPINOLA part of Tug Malta Limited a fully owned company of Rimorchiatori Mediterranei SpA, the latter being a sub-holding company of Rimorchiatori Riuniti Group of Genova, that commenced towage operations within the Harbours and Territorial Waters of the Maltese Islands in 1980. She was built in Spain […]
Casualties – Ferry COSSYRA on fire after leaving Lampedusa – 29.09.2023

On Friday 29th September, 2023 around 2340 hrs a fire broke out in the engine room on the 1980 built ITA flag and owned ferry COSSYRA, off Linosa Island whilst sailing from Lampedusa to Porto Empedocle, with 177 souls on board, including 150 passengers (83 of them were migrants) and 27 crew members. After the […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – 265 rescued souls brought to Porto Empedocle, Sicily by OPEN ARMS – 04.01.2021
On Monday 4th January, 2021 the converted tugboat now a rescue ship OPEN ARMS with 265 rescued souls arrived off Porto Empedocle, Sicily after Italy assigned the landing port as safe. They were rescued by the 1974 built vessel OPEN ARMS in international waters on December 31st, 2020 and last Saturday 2nd January, 2021 are […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – OCEAN VIKING Saga – 06.07.2020

On Friday 3rd July, 2020 the NGO SOS Mediterranee ship OCEAN VIKING with rescued illegal immigrants in Central Mediterranean has issued a state of emergency after 6 souls embarked attempted suicide in 24 hours, 2 of them that went on a hunger strike. “This is an unprecedented step in the history of SOS Mediterranée, triggered […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – NGO ships MARE JONIO and SEA-WATCH 3 enter Sicilian Ports – 20/21.06.2020

On Saturday 20th June, 2020 the 1972 built tugboat MARE JONIO owned by NGO Mediterranea with 67 illegal immigrants entered Pozzallo Port, Sicily rescued the day before from offshore Lampedusa. First to disembark was the only woman aboard followed by 4 young Bangladeshi Nationals. These group of 67 were all young and in healthy conditions […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – MOBY ZAZA accomodation ship for immigrants – 18.05.2020

The 1982 built ropax MOBY ZAZA owned by Moby Lines SpA was awarded the tender of the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transports to face the accommodation emergency related to sea rescue with illegal immigration. On Sunday 10th May around 0200 hrs she arrived at Porto Empedocle with checks and controls followed by the Harbour […]
ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION – 78 rescued immigrants by vessel MARINA on 03.05.2020 disembarked at Porto Empedocle on 09.05.2020

On Sunday 3rd May 2020 NGO Alarm Phone said that they had alerted the Maltese and Italian authorities to launch a rescue immediately without delay as around 90 people were in distress on a wooden boat in Malta’s search and rescue area. Alarm Phone raised alarm about the migrants’ wooden boat early in the morning, […]
BFT (Blue Fin Tuna) Season 2018 – Updates – 18.05.2018 The Blue Fin Season (BFT) 2018 continued with Italian vessels towing cages working for Maltese Tuna Ranches.From 0727 – 1600 hrs the 1995 built Italian flag 28.10 metres stern trawler BARTOLOMEO ASARO with fishing number MV 371 was at Valletta. Then she proceeded south to Marsaxlokk harbour to tow a cage […]