Merchant Marine presents to the IMO its management of the hantavirus outbreak on the MV Hondius

The maritime captain of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Antonio Conde, described to the delegations of the 40 States that make up the IMO Council, and to more than one hundred international observers, the actions carried out by the Spanish Maritime Administration in managing the hantavirus crisis that affected the Netherlands-flagged cruise ship.

The maritime captain of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, José Antonio Conde, explained yesterday, Wednesday, July 8th, at the Council of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), how the maritime safety crisis affecting the cruise ship MV Hondius was managed, highlighting coordination, cooperation and commitment as the key elements in the success of the operation, which was later recognised by the World Health Organization itself as a “management model”.

Speaking before an audience made up of the delegations of the 40 Member States of the IMO Council, and accompanied by the Director General of the Merchant Marine, Ana Núñez, the maritime captain explained step by step how this health crisis was managed from a maritime safety perspective. He stated that it “would not have been possible without the coordination of the health authority, the maritime authority, the port authority and civil protection”.

Regarding the response to the maritime emergency, he said that “the resolution issued by the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine, designating the port of Granadilla as the destination point, had many advantages, because it is an industrial port, it is not close to populated areas, there is space to handle crowds, and the international airport is only six kilometres away and very well connected by road”.

The Maritime Captaincy monitored the ship from the moment the health situation on board became known, escorted it from its entry into the Canary Islands PSSA area using Salvamento Marítimo resources, and established a one-mile restricted navigation zone around the vessel. It also authorised the port call and closed the port to all operations before the ship’s arrival.

The transfer of passengers from the cruise ship to the auxiliary boats, the disembarkation of passengers at the quay and the remaining operations were also carried out successfully, always under the supervision of the health authorities, who were in charge of the emergency.

The resolution of the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine, endorsing the entry of the MV Hondius into the port of Granadilla and supporting the decision under national regulations, Article 299 of the Consolidated Text of the Law on State Ports and the Merchant Marine, also provided rigour and the necessary stability for the maritime safety and public health operations to be carried out successfully.

Following the maritime captain’s presentation to the IMO Council, the Director General of the Merchant Marine highlighted the professionalism of maritime captains, describing them as “the true eyes of the Maritime Administration in coastal areas”. She also thanked José Antonio Conde for the work he carried out in the operation designed to respond to the health crisis caused by the hantavirus outbreak on board the MV Hondius.

The presentation, in which the delegation of the Netherlands also took part, highlighted both internal and international cooperation as key to the success of the operation.