Fertilizer spills from stricken vessel

Salvage efforts continue

SOUTH AFRICA: The continued extreme weather over the weekend resulted in the detachment of the hatch covers of the stricken MV Ultra Galaxy causing the ship’s fertilizer cargo to be swept overboard with some of the bags washing up on the shoreline.

Although salvage efforts managed to retrieve a number of the hatch covers, a navigation warning was issued to ships in the vicinity.

Current efforts are focused on removing the fertilizer bags that are washing up on the shoreline. It is expected that most of the fertilizer in the individual cargo bags would have dissolved and the Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Environment (DFFE) is implementing an environmental monitoring program.

The search for debris from the ship will be expanded over the next few days, as the salvage crew tries to maximise the good weather between cold fronts.

Salvage teams and divers have started to seal the fuel tanks to prevent any spillage of oil. They are also investigating the structural integrity of the vessel to plan a way forward to secure and safely remove the oil and wreck from the area.

According to a statement issued by SAMSA, the vessel currently poses no new environmental threats, however all efforts are being made to monitor the situation and put preventative measures in place.

With the drift pattern expected to be in a southerly direction, members of the public on the West Coast south of Brand se Baai to St Helena Bay have been requested to look out for any debris that may wash up on the beach, and report them to SAMSA through the Maritime Rescue Coordinating Centre (MRCC) at 021 938 3300 or 012 938 3303.

The Authority has, however, warned against attempts to salvage any debris by the public.

The vessel ran aground on the evening of Tuesday, the 9th of July 2024, off the coast of Duiwegat, just south of Brand se Baai on the West Coast. The ship was abandoned by her crew of 18 Filipino seafarers after developing an excessive list. The crew is now safely back in the Philippines.