THE troubled 957-TEU Vega Auriga remains stranded in New Zealand's Port of Tauranga since August 31, having been banned from Australia for poor treatment of crew, who are in worse shape as a result of their their worsening plight.
The Mediterranean Shipping Co (MSC), which chartered the ship, but ended its hireage of it when it was unloaded in Tauranga as it was no longer able to fulfil its contract, which included taking cargo to and from Australia.
The company has since been unable to find a new charterer, reports the New Zealand Times, and the future of the ship remains unclear.
Tauranga port chaplain Sid Wells approached the foodbank and local businesses for donations because the 20-man were paid for August, but not since and were short of food.
Enough food had been donated to tide them over until they could buy more, he said.
Rev Wells told the Bay of Plenty Times it was possible the crew might again need assistance depending on how long the ship remained in port.
Tauranga Community Foodbank chairman Alan Plunkett said the organisation was happy to help and donated rice, tinned vegetables and fruit.
"They've basically got nothing else as I understand it."They've got accommodation, but that's it.The crew were without hot water and had been since prior to its arrival in New Zealand, he said.
It was the responsibility of whoever was paying the wages, be it the shipping company or the bank, to get the crew home at the end of their contracts.
Most of the crew had two to three months left before their contracts expired, he said.
The Liberian-flagged ship is owned, commercially operated, and managed by Vega Reederei, a German shipowner, shipbroker, charterer and sale/purchase broker. The third-party operator is MSC.
International Transport Workers Federation Australia coordinator Dean Summers said MSC needs to vet its chartered fleet more carefully if it is serious about protecting its reputation.
The ship was last detained in Brisbane on August 25 and sailed that day for Auckland. It has been detained at least eight times, once in Singapore and seven times in Australia.
WORLD SHIPPING
09 October 2014 - 21:40
Crew suffering as MSC ship stranded in NZ Port of Tauranga
THE troubled 957-TEU Vega Auriga remains stranded in New Zealand's Port of Tauranga since August 31, having been banned from Australia for poor treatment of crew, who are in worse shape as a result of their their worsening plight.
WORLD SHIPPING
09 October 2014 - 21:40
Crew suffering as MSC ship stranded in NZ Port of Tauranga
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