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Navigational Warning ⚠️ An emergency and drone flight restriction zone covering 1 nautical mile is still in effect around the MSC Baltic III site to ensure the protection and safety of responders and the public. Only activities related to salvage operations are permitted within the restriction zone. For more information: https://nis.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/public/rest/messages/en/message/NW-N-0235-25

On April 19, 2025, at around noon, the 'MSC Talia F', loaded with containers, some of them containing dangerous goods, suffered engine damage and was disabled approximately eight nautical miles east-northeast of Punta Melenara (Lat. 28.2159 Lng. -15.1904), en route from Valencia to Nouakchott. The ship was drifting south at approximately two knots speed amid north-northeastern winds of 25 to 30 knots speed and a swell of approximately two meters height. Salvamento Marítimo depolyed the emergency tug 'Heroinas de Sálvora' (IMO: (IMO 9960112) to the scene, which arrived at 9:50 p.m. LT and secured a tow line just before midnight. The vessel was safely towed to the port of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where it was safely berthed on April 20 at around 4 a.m. UTC. tThe likely cause of the failure was a fuel pump malfunction. On April 21 at 4.30 a.m. the ship left the port again after repairs and finally arrived at the port of destination on April 24. Report with photos: https://safety4sea.com/container-ship-suffers-mechanical-failure-off-gran-canaria/

On April 2s, 2025, at 1:52 a.m., the Spellen and Friedrichsfeld fire fighters and the Voerde Fire Department's command vehicle were alerted to a fire, thad broken out in the lounge area of ​​athe 'Lena', which was moored in front of the Friedrichsfeld lock on the Rhine en route from Münter. The captain and a deckhand had already made initial attempts to extinguish the fire. The deckhand was handed over to the emergency services with suspected smoke inhalation. The fire department inspected the affected area and discovered several embers behind the wall paneling. Crews wearing breathing apparatus removed the paneling and insulation, and further extinguishing measures were carried out. During the response, the operations manager requested the multi-purpose boat, which was manned by the Löhnen unit. This boat provided support, particularly in transporting personnel and materials, as access to the vessel was difficult. The vessel was anchored about ten meters below the pier and could only be accessed via a ladder. The fire department was able to conclude the operation at around 4:30 a.m. The ship then proceeded to Duisburg. Report with photos: https://www.lokalkompass.de/voerde/c-blaulicht/schiffsbrand-auf-dem-wesel-datteln-kanal_a2046858#gallery=null

A 47 year old, female assistant of the 'AF Claudia' lost her life on the night to April 24, 2025. She was killed by a truck driver who was backing up his vehicle on the ferry's ramp in the port of Patras without noticing her. The truck driver, a 44-year-old Greek man, was hospitalised. The Patras port authorities started investigating the accident. A preliminary information collected by the Greek Coast Guard suggested that she was disembarking on foot when she got caught under the wheels of the truck’s coach. The victim was a low-ranking crew member of Greek nationaity.. The ferry is currently chartered by the Attica Group. A local labour union called for a 24-hour strike at the port over the incident and a protest rally was scheduled to take place in the afternoon of April 25

The "Guardians", now sailing as 'Stellar', had purged its tanks in 2021 off the coast of Normandy. Until now, no prosecution had been initiated without visual cross-checking. On the morning of Jan 13, 2021, the tanker, loaded with nearly 5,000 tons of rapeseed oil, left the port of Rouen en route to Rotterdam. CleanSeaNet, a satellite monitoring system for pollution at sea managed by the European Maritime Safety Agency, spotted an oily surface approximately 10 nautical mile off the Normandy coast, near Le Havre. According to initial findings, the chemical tanker had illegally discharged approximately 36 cubic meters of wastewater containing vegetable oil residues at a distance of 10.01 nautical miles (approximately 18 km) from the French coast, although regulations require a discharge at least 12 nautical miles. Satellite images, combined with the vessel's trajectory, strongly correlated the passage of the 'Guardians' with the presence of the slick. Based on this information, the prosecutor of Le Havre initiated proceedings against the captain and the ship's owner for illegal discharge of polluting substances. The authorities, however, were unable to fly over the area until the next day, when the ship and the polluting slick, approximately 15 kilometers long and 500 meters wide, were no longer visible. investigations conducted by the maritime police failed to gather any direct evidence on site: no water samples, partly due to highly unstable weather.The prosecutor, who initially immobilized the ship, nevertheless initiateds legal proceedings. In the first instance, in March 2022, the Le Havre District Court acquitted the captain and owner of the 'Guardians', finding that the evidence provided was insufficient. This decision was contested by environmental associations Surfrider Foundation and France Nature Environnement, civil parties, who have appealed. The case has since taken an unprecedented legal turn, with environmental groups hoping for a conviction based on satellite images. Three years after the events, the Rouen Court of Appeal delivered its decision on April 25, 2025. In a ruling, overturning the first instance decision, the Rouen Court of Appeal found the Cypriot company Valsa Holding Ltd, as owner and operator of the tanker,, guilty of the unlawful discharge of polluting substances, along with the ship's captain. A total fine of €80,000, of which €60,000 will be paid by the shipowner, was set. In addition, France Nature Environnement and Surfrider, as civil parties, will receive €10,000 in damages and €1,000 under Article 475-1 of the French Code of Criminal Procedure for costs incurred. In France, this was the first time that prosecutions have been initiated based on satellite images, without visual findings, and followed by a conviction. This could lead to more legal proceedings in the future.