Ko Koo
8 seafarers abandoned on the Ko Koo (IMO 9114074, flag United Republic of Tanzania) in Noumea, New Caledonia, France, 1 May 2025. ILO case 1331, status: Unresolved.
- Status
- Unresolved
- Abandonment ID
- 1331
- IMO Number
- 9114074
- Flag
- United Republic of Tanzania
- Port of Abandonment
- Noumea, New Caledonia, France
- Abandonment Date
- 1 May 2025
- Notification Date
- 20 May 2025
- Seafarers
- 8
- Reporting Org.
- International Transport Workers' Federation
Circumstances
Crew owed 2 months wages (March and April 2025)
Seafarers applied to insurer?: No
Insurance certificate dates: 14th October 2024 to 13th October 2025
Updates
22 April 2026: United Republic of Tanzania
(From the High Commission of the United Republic of Tanzania)
Repatriation completed. Outstanding wages to be settled following vessel auction in coordination with ITF.
5 June 2025: China
Thanks for your qiuck reply.
Unfortunately, for unkown reasons, my Colleagues from China Maritime Administration can't identify these seafarers via the Passport Number. Could you please request relvant parties to further provide their Chinese National ID number/Chinese Citizen Identification Number, or Seafarer’s Certificate of Competency number.
5 June 2025: International Maritime Organisation
Meanwhile, since there apparently has not been a response so far from the responsible flag State, I would call in particular on United Republic of Tanzania (Zanzibar), to respond to the severe situation for the crew on board which is in particular caused by the failure of the shipowner to pay wages since February 2025, the inadequate provision of food for the crew and the organization of medical care on board.
5 June 2025: France
(From the Deputy permanent representative of France to the IMO)
In February 2025, the vessel KO KOO (9114074), United Republic of Tanzania flag, was subject in the French territorial waters off the Island of New- Caledonia to a boarding procedure for violations of customs legislation.
Once at berth, it was also subject to a detention decision issued following a port state inspection on February 8, 2025. This decision was notified to the shipowner (ship’s agent), the classification society, the flag administration (contact under GISIS) and ILO secretariat (mlc@ilo.org). A second inspection took place on March 20, 2025.
On April 28, the vessel's captain alerted the New Caledonia Maritime Affairs Directorate of a crew distress situation due to a lack of food for the vessel's crew.
This alert led to an inspection of the vessel Ko Koo by the Maritime Affairs Directorate on April 30, which revealed a lack of sufficient food for the crew, as well as the non-payment of crew wages since March 2025.
On May 12, 2025, the Maritime Affairs Directorate notified the shipowner of a decision declaring the vessel abandoned, dated April 30, 2025.
This decision stipulated the shipowner's failure to fulfill its obligations to rectify the deficiencies that led to the vessel's detention since February 8, 2025, the failure to pay wages since February 2025, and the inadequate provision of food for the crew and the organization of medical care on board, given the 13 crew members living on board.
The shipowner also stopped paying the vessel's supply costs since early May 2025, leading the ship’s maritime agent to terminate its contract with the shipowner, and the Noumea port authorities to issue a formal notice regarding the prolonged obstruction the vessel is causing to the exercise of port activities and the use of port infrastructures.
Regarding the notification to the Flag State, it is noted that the email address listed on GISIS has never acknowledged or responded to Maritime Affairs Directorate since February 8, 2025.
The French authorities in New Caledonia are organizing the supply and access to care for sailors, in coordination with the local seafarers' union and with the voluntary and solidarity support of local associations.
4 June 2025: France
(From the Deputy permanent representative of France to the IMO)
In accordance with your previous message, following the request of the Chinese authorities (China MSA) , please find attached the crew list of the vessel KO KOO, as communicated by the Maritime Affairs Department in New Caledonia (France).
I will leave it to you to forward it to the Chinese authorities.
29 May 2025: International Maritime Organisation
In particular, the China MSA is kindly requesting relevant parties to further provide information about the abandoned Chinese seafarers, including his/her full name, CoC and passport ID number, to facilitate further verification and follow-up actions by the Chinese authorities.
Therefore, I would call in particular on United Republic of Tanzania (Zanzibar), as the responsible flag State, to provide the requested information.
29 May 2025: China
(From the Maritime Safety Administration of the People's Republic of China)
Your email about new abandonment case(Ko Koo) has been well received and processed.
According to the records of dispatched Chinese seafarers on this vessel held by China MSA, all Chinese seafarers having previously served on Ko Koo(previous name of the ship was JING SHENG) have been repatriated. We have no information or records of the Chinese seafarer in this report. We requests the relevant parties to further provide information about the abandoned Chinese seafarer, including his/her full name, CoC and passport ID number, to facilitate further verification and follow-up actions by the Chinese authorities.
Should there be any developments, we will keep you informed promptly.