Do not permit Eritrean Ship salvage: Fishermen

Mangalore, Sep 5 (UNI) The Akhila Karnataka Fishermen Parishat today urged the Deputy Commissioner not to permit any salvage operation of the Eritrean Ship M V Den Den which sank off the Tannirbavi Coast on June 13.

In a memorandum, Parishat General Secretary Vasudeva Boloor said any salvage operation should be abandoned in the best interest of both the fishermen community and the marine environment.

Mr Boloor warned the District Administration that the fishermen would be forced to resort to agitation if the authorities went ahead with the move to break the ship which would have far reaching consequences on both the environment and the marine life.

However, sources at the New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) said the salvage operation was the only option left as it was not possible to float wreckage piece by piece.

Meanwhile both the district administration and NMPT authorities were making all efforts to clear the ship wreck as early as possible.

According to sources, due to the lacunae in Indian Maritime Law, several issues linked to the salvage ship could not be sorted out as yet.

These issues had become a stumbling block in signing a Letter of Undertaking (LoU) between NMPT and Protection and Indemnity Club on behalf of the owners of MV Den Den.

In the absence of such letter, the 21 crew members who were rescued from the sinking ship on June 23 by local fishermen had remained in a hotel in the city.

Having stayed in a hotel for over two and half months, they had become desperate to reach their motherland, they said.

UNI