The Panama-flagged Meshka bulk ship, which landed in the northern part of the Sund Strait on 31 May, was pulled from the shallow and towed to Landskrona. Swedish Coast Guard has informed that the operation has been conducted without disruption and has been monitored on an ongoing basis. An investigation is being conducted to explain the reasons for the unit's departure from the designated course.

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Meshka's massage taken from the shallow. A series of incidents raise concern in the shipping industry

Rescue operations began on Saturday, June 7th, at 3.00 a.m. In the first stage The ballast tanks were emptied to relieve the hull load, and the unit was then secured with two tugs located on the bow and stern of the bulk ship. After a few hours Meshka It regained buoyancy and began, with the ace of service, about an eight-hour passage to Landskron. The unit was moving on its own drive, with a naval administration pilot and Coast Guard officers on board.

No environmental contamination – monitoring Services

At the time of entering the shallow, there were about 938,000 litres of fuel and lubricants on board. Due to the risk of pollution of the marine environment, the action area was secured by Coast Guard patrol units and the ports of Landskrona and Malmö maintained the readiness of environmental rescue forces. Finally, there was no leak and the entire operation ended without negative environmental impacts.

Another similar incident in the same area

This was the second major descent of the unit from the water track within the same section of the Sund Strait approach within a week. The previous case involved a bulk ship. Ali Aykin, flying the flag of Saint Vincent and Grenadines, who had strayed from the course in the Klagshamn area on 25 May, south of the Øresund Bridge, and entered the shallows. There were approximately 69,000 liters of fuel on board.

In the course of operations, damage to the ballast tank and suspected breach of shipping safety regulations were revealed. One member crew has been detained on suspicion of driving a ship in an intoxicated state and gross violation of navigation procedures.

In the background worrying trend: fatigue and crew errors

Both events coincided with a dangerous container ship accident NCL Salten in the Norwegian fiord Trondheimsfjorden. On May 24, the unit was stranded at a speed of 16 knots after a second watch officer, serving alone, fell asleep on the bridge. Norwegian administration has accused him of inadvertently violating the rules on maritime safety.

In the last decade, both the North Sea and the Baltic Sea have seen a number of similar events, the common denominator of which was the human factor, above all the inadequate rest of crews, the lack of double cast of the bridge during night hours and negligence in the organisation of watchkeeping work.

Research results: fatigue, stress and lack of support

A Seafarers International Research Centre (Cardiff University) report published on 28 May 2025 shows that more than 35% of seafarers do not receive the required number of hours of rest within two days, and almost 20% do not have access to adequate medical care for health problems occurring while on board. The report's authors indicate fatigue, chronic stress and lack of psychological support as direct factors increasing the risk of major incidents.

Response of the authorities and the insurance sector

In response to a series of recent events, the maritime administrations of Sweden and Norway announced an increase in the inspection of the PSC (Port State Control) and the enforcement of the provisions of the STCW Convention and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), in particular as regards the dual cast of the bridge and formal fatigue management plans crew (Fatigue Management Plans). Classification societies and insurers also signal an increase in rates for units not complying with minimum operational safety standards.

The combination of these three events – Ali Aykin, Meshka and NCL Salten – shows that despite the development of technology and navigation support systems, man remains the weakest link in the maritime safety chain.

Written by Mariusz Dasiewicz