I've just finished watching an interview with a NZ TV crew.
As an ex-seafarer I am fully aware that these things do happen, and although I don't wish to sound racist or small minded, it is a fact that the risk of such happenings increases with ships manned with personnel from "cheap" countries.
This is for a number of reasons, poor training and supervision, long hours, high crew turn over, language problems,... any number of things. Although I realise the the skippers of these vessels are ultimately responsible for any accidents involving, the navigation and safe passage of the ships, modern crewing numbers and a combination of the problems mentioned earlier means that we are going to see more of these type of accidents.
Too many companies are relying less on competency and more on modern technology, which is OK until the poo hits the fan. It will make interesting reading when the accident report is released.
In the meantime, the people and wildlife of the Bay of Plenty will suffer,... for many years.
Fifteen years ago I was on a 150,000 ton crude oil tanker where the crew was reduced from the recommended 38 to 17. Only one labor saving device was fitted, a pilot ladder hoist, because it was physically impossible for it to be recovered with the number of persons available at sailing time. The work schedule was not changed, and all of the promised alterations to make the ship safe with such a small crew were never fitted nor were the new maintenance schedules implemented.
What has happened is that shipping companies and their government regulators have compromised vessels safety for increased profits. This is often bought about because countries with higher living standards are having to compete with vessels manned by third world Officers and crew. Only token inspection and regulation of these "Ships of Shame" is allowing this to happen.
It's sad but unavoidable. There will be a hearing and the skipper (company) will get a slap on the wrist fine and nothing will be learned from it.
My last job in the industry was as a Ship's Manager and owner's personal representative on board, I had Russian Officers and a Chinese crew. (That's another story in itself). I was essentially put out of the industry two years earlier than I had planned, due to stress related illness.
That's the type of thing that is causing many of these accidents.
