A crew member of British nationality, aged 60, who showed symptoms of a cerebrovascular accident (CVA), was medevaced from the 'Iona' in the morning of March 20, 2024. The ship was sailing 163 nautical miles northwest of Madeira, when the alert was received at the MRSC Funchal, at around 6:28 a.m. The Urgent Patients Guidance Center Mar (CODU-Mar) was then contacted, which, through the information that pointed to signs stroke considered the need for immediate medevac. The Portuguese Navy coordinated the operation through the MRSC Funchal and in collaboration with the Guidance for Urgent Patients – Seafarers (CODU-MAR) and with the Regional Civil Protection Service (SRPC IP-RAM). After the alert, the ship moved to the port of Funchal, where the crew member disembarked at 4:25 a.m., and was transported to a hospital unit with the support of agents from the Local Command of the Maritime Police and the ambulance from the Maritime Association. Madeiran Volunteer Firefighters who were already on site.
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RIDENS
On March 20, 2024, the CROSS Gris-Nez was informed that several migrant boats were in difficulty in the Strait of Pas-de-Calais. In the middle of the night, the CROSS Gris-Nez deployed the 'Ridens' as a rescue ship chartered by the State, to assist a boat in difficulty off the coast of Gravelines. Once on scene, the 'Ridens' noticed that the boat had suffered an engine failure, but initially the castaways refused to be rescued. A few hours later, 23 people requested assistance. The 'Ridens' then took them on board. Several people still on board the boat continued to refuse the assistance offered by French ship and continued on their way after having managed to restart the engine. Given the risks in the event of restrictive actions to force them to board state rescue resources such as falling overboard, thermal shock, various trauma, the choice was made to let them continue their voyage. In connection with the CROSS Gris Nez, surveillance was maintained on this boat by on-site resources. The castaways rescued by the 'Ridens' were then dropped off at the dock at the port of Dunkirk in the middle of the day. Later in the night, the CROSS Gris-Nez engaged the emergency tug 'Abeille Normandie', chartered by the French Navy, to assist another migrant boat off the coast of Sangatte. The crew rescued 64 people before being tasked to assist a second boat in difficulty in the same sector. Once on scene in th earlye morning, several people, including women and young children, asked for assistance. The tug rescued 25 people, but other people still on board again refused to be rescued by French means. In connection with the CROSS Gris Nez, surveillance was maintained on the boat by on-site resources. At the start of the afternoon, the 89 people rescued by the the 'Abeille Normandie' were disembarked at the port of Boulogne-sur-Mer and taken care of by rescue services and the border police. A little earlier in the day, the patrol ship 'Jeanne Barret' was deployed by the CROSS to rescue a sick person on board a migrant boat. The latter, whose state of health was stable, was taken care of on board the 'Jeanne Barret' and then dropped off at the port of Calais.
TAI AN
The 'Tai An', reported for fishing for toothfish illegally, arrived at the port of Ushuaia on March 20 with a cargo of 163 tons. The value can reach 4 million dollars. But, according to three competing companies, it was obtained by the firm PRODESUR S.A. without the corresponding permits. Antonio Cazorla, Undersecretary of Fisheries of the Nation, questioned about the case, had previously asked the Military Naval Prefecture to accompany the shoü to port and tale it in custody until records are taken of the fishing reports and the reliable volume. The case caused the resignation of two officials, one from the fishing area and another from the Foreign Ministry. It is suspected that there was influence peddling and specific requests so that the ship was not sanctioned and could market its cargo. This caused the resignation, first of all, of Julián Suárez who had been serving as national director of Fisheries Coordination and Inspection since 2020. He had to analyze the case and raise the request for sanctions for the company. But according to him, he received pressure from the Foreign Ministry not to do so. They had also asked him simultaneously to make a list of 50 layoffs. Suárez resigned and pointed out the pressure on a Foreign Ministry official named Pablo Ferrara. In the night of March 19, Ferrara presented his resignation to the Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino, who is in Vietnam following the case remotely. From the Foreign Ministry they clarified to Clarín that Ferreyra does not have any family relationship with Mondino, as initially stated.
ESP NAVY SHIP
The 'Centinela-P 72' has monitored a convoy formed by the Russian frigate 'Admiral Grigorovich' and the cargo ships 'Sparta IV' and 'Ursa Mayor' and the oil tanker 'Yaz' on their way from Algeria through the Alboran Sea to the Strait of Gibraltar from March 10 to 16, 2024. The Russian warship was closely followed by the Navy patrol vessel off the coast of Almería. The Russian warship was intercepted on the northern border between Algerian and Spanish waters and was uninterrupted monitored until the frigate left the waters in the direction of the Atlantic. As soon as it became aware of the Russian presence on the border with Algeria, the patrol vessel, as part of its maritime surveillance and security mission, repositioned itself heading towards the Strait to permanently track and monitor the Russian frigate and merchant ships.
VILLA.NORES
At the end of January, the 'Villa Nores' arrived at the port of Vigo after it had spent three months fishing in NAFO (North Atlantic Fisheries Organization) waters. The scientific observer it had on board, as soon as he got off the ship, informed the fishing authorities of signs of severed shark fins on board. Community regulations prohibit cutting them off on board. This alert led to a very exhaustive inspection of the fishing vessel, as reported on March 20, 2024 by the Government Subdelegation in Pontevedra.Both personnel from that institution and officials sent from Madrid by the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries participated from Jan 29 to 31, regarding the possible presence of a quenlla fin linked to sailors of Indonesian nationality, who would have cut off the shark's limbs for self-consumption. An administrative procedure has been opened against which the shipowner can still present allegations. During the inspection of the 'Villa Nores', 65 tons of frozen halibut that the fishing vessel had caught in excess of its quota in Newfoundland waters were also seized. This led to a sanction report for serious infringemen of the Sustainable Fishing Law. The surplus catches have been delivered to the Vigo Food Bank, which has industrial freezers to store the product correctly. In the coming days it will be distributed to other institutions, such as soup kitchens and charities, both in Pontevedra and the rest of Galicia, given that it is a large quantity of fish of 65,000 kilos. The 'Villa Nores' left Vigo again on March 6.