BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – The Barbados government Monday said it had appointed a task force to address the circumstances that led to the vessel MV Christina Debora. This abandoned vessel had been adrift in the South Atlantic since its crew was rescued in June last year, running aground off Sam Lord’s Castle, a luxury all-inclusive resort overlooking the Caribbean Sea, last Wednesday.
The MV Christina Debora reportedly left Ascension Island last year before encountering engine problems. Authorities are also reviewing applicable international maritime laws to determine the next steps regarding the vessel, which entered Barbados’ waters unmanned.
A statement from the Ministry of Environment and National Beautification, Green and Blue Economy, said that on January 28, the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) received reports from local fishermen that the vessel was sighted off Sam Lord’s Castle.
It said additional information was received nearly five hours later, indicating that the vessel appeared to be discharging an oil-like substance.
The BDF deployed assets from its Drone Unit and the Barbados Coast Guard (BCG) to investigate. A national response team was activated, which included officials from the Department of Emergency Management (DEM), Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Barbados National Energy Company Limited (BNECL), Coastal Zone Management Unit (CZMU), the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Barbados Government Information Service (BGIS), and The Barbados Police Service (TBPS).
Last Thursday, January 29, a joint assessment team conducted an initial assessment of the vessel and the surrounding area, and “from the assessment, it was determined that there was no evidence of hydrocarbons present around the vessel, and as such, no oil spill was evident.”
The statement said that to minimise reef damage, the BCG and the CZMU also made attempts to free the vessel, “but were unsuccessful, and inclement weather hampered any efforts on Friday”.
The statement said that the national agencies are currently engaged in “ongoing robust efforts to determine next steps and how to remove the MV Christina Debora from Cobblers Reef.
“In the interim, the public is asked to maintain a distance of 500 meters as further assessments are being conducted by the inter-agency team, and under no circumstances is any member of the public to venture into the surrounding area or board the vessel,” the ministry added.
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