GMTS TRACKER 01
16 seafarers abandoned on the GMTS TRACKER 01 (IMO 9007142, flag Liberia) in Durban, South Africa, 28 December 2022. ILO case 726, status: Resolved.
- Status
- Resolved
- Abandonment ID
- 726
- IMO Number
- 9007142
- Flag
- Liberia
- Port of Abandonment
- Durban, South Africa
- Abandonment Date
- 28 December 2022
- Notification Date
- 23 February 2023
- Seafarers
- 16
- Reporting Org.
- Liberia
Circumstances
The crew has not been paid since December 2022. The vessel has been waiting at Durban anchorage since December 6, 2022, for the owner's decision to supply new towing wire and insurance. The vessel berthed on 2/22/2023 for a supply of fresh water and provision.
Updates
10 January 2025: Liberia
(From the Liberian Registry)
On 3/22/2024, lawyers for the crew confirmed “assisted with the recovery of their outstanding wages… the full outstanding wages were received and paid to the crew, who were also repatriated to their respective home countries.”
Please update this case accordingly and consider it resolved.
4 April 2023: Georgia
On behalf of Maritime Administration of Georgia, let me draw your attention to the abandonment case of M/V GMTS Tracker 01, IMO N9007142, Flying Liberian Flag as reported bellow.
As you already are aware, there are 9 Georgian seafarers together with other nationals on-board the vessel:
From February 25, 2023 the vessel is berthed in Port Durban, South Africa and the Maritime Administration of Georgia together with Diplomatic Mission of Georgia in South Africa are trying hard to assist the seafarers to promote their welfare, to ensure the protection of their labor rights and facilitate their safe repatriation.
According to information available to us, the ship owner “Propetrol Limited” failed to fulfil the obligations in accordance with MLC and the working contracts of the seafarers, and to ensure their wages for the last 5 months. After declaring that the duty holder is unable to cover the costs of wages and repatriation of the seafarers, the process of selling the ship was initiated. The ship owner asked for the deadline till the March 31, 2023 to finalize the selling process and to compensate financial duties. But as you might already be aware, the finalization of the process seems to be the huge challenge, because the Buyers have insisted on having a valid and subsisting P & I cover for the vessel before making the payment. The Club on its own is requesting for evidence of payment of the crew outstanding wages as a condition precedent for revalidation of the P&I.
The stocks of drinking water, food and fuel is already out on- board, also according the incident reports from the vessel, the crew is the target of attacks by unknown persons with knives. It is impossible for seafarers to stay on-board the vessel and seafarers are asking for help from all the relevant parties to plan their repatriation process but with issuing their wages.
Maritime Administration of Georgia is aware of support already given, however payment of wages and subsequent repatriation has now become imminent necessity.
If the Insurers for unknown reasons are delaying the process, we will kindly ask to everyone concerned to raise the similar concerns to them.
Taking into consideration all above mentioned, we kindly ask from all relevant interested parties for your active involvement to settle the case in the shortest reasonable time considering the concerns of Georgian Seafarers.