MoEW launches emergency monitoring, and Minister Alexiev holds an emergency meeting with the Turkish Embassy
“We unanimously decided as a crew to stop work. Each of the sailors on board wants to go home. Only the captain and the chief engineer work on the ship. We want the owner company to pay for the remuneration, which is our right.” This was stated by a sailor from the crew of the ship “Vera Su” sunk near Kamen Bryag in front of BNT.
According to him, the sailors of the vessel did not receive salaries, and the owner owed them a total of 11,380 dollars. The sailors demand that the amount be paid in cash.
“We have been in a very difficult situation for 14 days. We lose weight mentally. Every night we fall asleep thinking we might die“, he explains.
According to the sailors, talks were held with representatives of the company in London and Varna, but to no avail. The crew claims to have a record on which they are threatened:
“We are threatened by the crew manager. We have a record of the threats. No one is helping us. We have been working hard since the first day we sailed. Despite all our efforts, we cannot get our salaries.”
Meanwhile, by order of the Minister of Environment and Water Asen Lichev, as of todayadditional area monitoring of the sea waters in the region on the stranded ship “Vera Su”.
The monitoring will serve as a basis for comparison of the consequences for the environment in subsequent rescue operations. The plan was developed jointly with experts from the Institute of Oceanology – BAS, the ministry announced.
The points are selected according to the distance from the ship, the direction of the prevailing current and the forecasted meteorological situation for the next 10 days. This will allow tracking of the potential impact on the marine environment in the event of urea entering the marine waters during the restart of the ship’s landing activities.
The first sampling today is with a Border Police ship. Regular water samples will be taken at 7 points in the area south and southeast of the ship. The first sample will be followed by weekly model surveys of coastal seawater throughout the month.
In parallel with the additional area monitoring, the MoEW continues to monitor the state of the waters in the Black Sea on a daily basis in the immediate vicinity of the stranded ship, the ministry said.
And the official one Minister of Transport Hristo Alexiev held an emergency meeting with the Turkish Embassy.
Hristo Alexiev has set a condition for strict control over the commitment and obligation of the shipowner to present a timely adequate plan in accordance with Bulgarian and European legislation. The Minister stressed that the Bulgarian state continues to manage the rescue operation and has mobilized equipment, including for the evacuation of the crew, and the situation is currently under control, but additional urgent and adequate measures are needed by the shipowner.
Deputy Chief Erman Topcu informed Minister Alexiev that the shipowner has already provided a specialized company to rescue the ship and is awaiting written confirmation from the Bulgarian side.
In response, Minister Alexiev stated that the Bulgarian state will confirm the engagement of this type of company, but expects to be presented with a clear plan with concrete steps to deal with the situation. The Minister insisted on the strict implementation of the plan and crew care guaranteeswhich are of paramount importance to our country.
“I am confident that Bulgaria and Turkey will show their good cooperation in resolving this critical issue,” Alexiev said.
Deputy Head Erman Topcu has pledged that the embassy will provide the necessary assistance and play an active role in coordinating the issue.
–
