Malta’s report on Erika described as ‘laughable’

by Franco Aloisio

Malta’s report on the sinking of the Erika has been described by people in the shipping industry as “laughable” and “mediocre”, the influential shipping newspaper Lloyds List reported yesterday. A conference on the Erika disaster and its aftermath is currently being organised by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in London. Malta’s report, compiled by the Malta Maritime Authority, is being discussed during the conference together with the reports of other key players in the Erika sinking, such as the Italian classification society Rina. Lloyds List said Malta’s report will be a key part of the debate which will take place in London: “But even before its (Malta’s) public presentation, a number of powerful figures in the shipping industry had lamented the quality and depth of a draft version of the report circulated to those with an interest in the casualty. “Laughable”, was the reaction of a senior European regulator, and “mediocre” the comment of an oil industry executive who wanted to remain unidentified.
The newspaper said the executive director of the Merchant Shipping Directorate of the MMA, Lino Vassallo, defended the report. He has already addressed the IMO delegates on the contents of the Malta report.
The report is highly critical of the lack of cooperation from parts of the shipping industry. It stated that some classification societies, IACS and other parties, including hull underwriters, some oil majors, and the French authorities, did not make available all the relevant information, and this could have had a
bearing on the findings of this
investigation.
The MMA report further stated that ongoing court cases have blocked access to certain information. Mr Vassallo said in interview with Lloyds List that the report was based on “information available today”. In his address to the Erika session at the IMO, he made it clear that if new information came to light further work would be done.
“If need be, a supplementary report might follow,” he said.
Mr Vassallo particularly deplored the fact that during the first 10 days after the disaster, the Maltese investigating team was denied access to the master, who was held in custody by the French authorities.
Mr Vassallo told IMO delegates: “The crew was very uneasy to talk, probably because they feared they would be held as well.”
Nonetheless, Mr Vassallo was adamant the study should be read as “a report on causal factors so that lessons may be learnt and similar accidents avoided”.
The Malta report on the Erika further states that an “overall pattern of corrosion has emerged, but as the information received is incomplete, it may be that certain defects have not been identified”.