A full cargo ship stranded in the Chesapeake Bay when leaving Baltimore nearly two weeks ago is still stuck, and people working in the Maryland seafood industry are worried about its impact on marine life. ..
The stranded ship, called Everforward, is owned by Evergreen Marine Corporation, the same company that blocked the Suez Canal with a ship moored last year.
Everforward hasn’t moved since March 13, according to the United States Coast Guard. She headed to Norfolk, Virginia, where she stranded in water at a depth of 24 feet. The salvage company will start dredging (digging around the ship) on March 20th and will continue until next week.
“At this time, the grounded vessels are stable, there is no threat of pollution and they are not affecting the operation of the Baltimore port. The Coast Guard has secured the safety of responders and the potential associated with rescue operations. We continue to implement safe zones to protect the marine environment from dangerous dangers, “coast guard noncommissioned officer Emily Beres told the Baltimore Times.
Evergreen says two dredging teams are working to remove the mud around the ship in order to increase the buoyancy of the ship. The company provided the following statement to the Epoch Times: “Evergreen closely monitors the progress of this excavation and, with rescuer Don John Smit, to evaluate additional measures taken to further support the levitation once the current goals of this dredging work have been achieved. We are working together. Achieved. The progress gained will also lead to the deployment of tugboats that will be used in the next phase of rescue operations. “
Sailors catching, fishing and harvesting oysters in the Chesapeake Bay say ships and dredging are destroying marine habitat.
“This ship is 1,096 feet long and 145 feet wide. It draws 47 feet of water, which means it needs 47 feet to float. Currently in 24 feet of water. Yes, that means 23 feet are in the mud, “Dermaba Fisheries Association Captain Robert Newbury told the Epoch Times.
But it’s not just mud. According to Newbury, Everforward is about 100 yards from the oyster bar, which means the ship is stuck in the “bottom of the oysters.” Newberry describes the oyster bottom as a sticky pudding consistency. The blue club is one of the best places to hibernate.
When the bottom is dredged, the water becomes muddy. Disordered silt granules, sediment sand, and vegetation swirl and eventually settle into a layer 2 inches to 3 feet thick.
“For example, when there are mollusks like oysters and mussels, when they are covered with silt, it’s like someone choking your life. They can’t breathe or eat. , Die, “said Newbury. The same is true for crabs. “When the plume of all this sediment settles, when it exceeds 3 inches, everything under the mud will suffocate. The effect is that the crabs are one mile on each side of the tide where this ship is. It could be killing. “
“They will have to pay. Many damage will occur and many people working in the area will not be able to work back due to the destruction of the bottom. It is crab fishing, Fishing will affect oyster veneers. “
Evergreen Marine Corp. is based in Taipei City, Taiwan. We own more than 150 container vessels.
EverForward, which currently has 4,964 containers, has a home port in Hong Kong.
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Beth Brelje is a research journalist who reports on the most interesting and sometimes hidden news in Pennsylvania’s politics, courts, and federals. Send her an idea for your story: [email protected]