National President of the New Zealand Seafarers Union today warned that another incident like the beaching of the Jody F Millennium could happen at any time.

Dave Morgan called for a formal enquiry into the beaching.

“The Jody F Millennium, registered in Panama, is a flag of convenience vessel,” he said.

“At any given time there are up to six foreign ships actually trading around the coast of similar registration but of lower standard to the Jody F Millennium,” he said.

Dave Morgan said that foreign tankers were involved in coastal distribution of petroleum products on a regular basis.

“They are not new ships, as the Jody F Millennium is, and the potential for a similar incident involving a tanker is 1,000 times more horrendous than the fuel tank of a flag ship, is great.”

Dave Morgan said there had been an enquiry into the beaching of the Pacific Charger outside Wellington some years ago.

“An in-house Maritime Safety Authority investigation will not do in this case,” he said.

“The public are entitled to know what happened and how and why. Only a formal enquiry assisted by the time-honored system of cross-examination will bring out the truth.”

Dave Morgan said the Pacific Charger was re-floated.

“We may not be so fortunate with the Jody F Millennium,” he said.

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