The cargo vessel Serafina, flying the flag of Palau—a small island nation in the Pacific Ocean—was detained by Israeli authorities after an ITF inspection. The ship, currently docked at Haifa, is reportedly owned by Dalyan Shipping and operated by Mert Marine Corp, both based in Turkey. The use of the Palau flag, often referred to as a "flag of convenience," is seen as a means to circumvent basic health and safety obligations.
Crew members from Turkey, Egypt, and Azerbaijan faced dire conditions aboard the 31-year-old ship, including the absence of employment contracts, food storage freezers operating above 0°C, the stench of rotten meat, flea infestations, non-functional toilets, flooded showers, and broken, filthy sanitary facilities. During the inspection, 29 anomalies were identified, 18 of which were classified as severe violations that alone could justify the detention. "It is an absolute disgrace that seafarers are forced to work under such inhumane conditions," said Assaf Hader, the ITF inspector who examined the 113-meter vessel. "In four years of inspecting ships for the ITF in Israel, I have never seen anything this bad." Hader also assured that showers and toilets have been provided for the crew at the Haifa pier and that authorities are working to repatriate the seafarers to their home countries.
The inspection report was made available to the media, with the Turkish news outlet Sozcu noting that at the time of detention, food supplies were exhausted, and all refrigerators were out of order. Sozcu also reported that the Serafina had departed from Sri Lanka and began taking on water after crossing into Israeli waters, necessitating a call for help from local authorities.
The inspection of the Serafina is part of an ongoing campaign by the ITF to monitor the quality of vessels operating in the Mediterranean Sea. Ships flying the flags of Palau, Sierra Leone, Togo, and the Cook Islands are considered among the most problematic and thus are closely scrutinized by authorities. "Substandard shipping in the Mediterranean is driving down wages and working conditions for seafarers, endangering crews' lives and the environment," said Steve Trowsdale, ITF Inspectorate Coordinator. He added that "these flags take money from shipowners to register vessels that would not be accepted elsewhere. Many are old and poorly maintained, making them dangerous and unfit for service. Seafarers deserve decent working conditions, and the ITF and its inspectors will always stand by them in demanding their rights be respected."
The campaign, named Sea of Convenience, was launched in 2023 following a three-year period in which the four flagged nations under scrutiny recorded 33 cases of crew abandonment, affecting over a hundred seafarers left without pay, food, water, or a means to return home. Unpaid wages are estimated to exceed $5.5 million, with 203 reports filed by monitoring agencies from various European states. The Serafina incident highlights the working conditions in the transportation sector and serves as a warning for seafarers, often victims of exploitation in an industry crucial to the global economy.
Marco Martinelli
