Anumber of scuba diving liveaboards in the Egyptian Red Sea have been prevented from leaving port this week, apparently due to authorities clamping down on regulations concerning qualifications held by members of the crew.
A report in
German dive magazine Taucher.net suggests that a sudden rule change governing crew qualifications has prevented many liveaboards from being granted permission to set sail.
The rules governing crew qualifications are not new. All liveaboards operating in the Red Sea must have two captains – one of whom must hold a Master Mariner’s license – and two marine mechanics as part of the crew.
According to Taucher.net, however, the rule change means that one of the mechanics must hold a more advanced mechanical engineering license, a course which takes at least 20 days to complete and a total of six weeks for the certification to be issued.
There are, currently, only a handful of mechanics in Marsa Alam with the appropriate license, who are now demanding higher wages for their services. One liveaboard operator has also claimed that authorities have refused to issue licenses to crew members who have recently completed the advanced training.
DIVE understands that some boats have since been allowed to depart, presumably after authorities tracked down the appropriate paperwork, however, divers were forced to wait on board for several days while moored in Port Ghalib.
The clampdown has been made in the wake of the
Sea Story disaster, in which four people lost their lives and another seven – including two Brits – remain missing, although there is little hope they might still be alive.
It also appears that another sinking was prevented on Sunday 15 December, when 28 passengers and crew were rescued after their boat suffered damage and began taking on water in strong winds and high seas. The vessel limped back into port in Marsa Alam on Monday.
Some divers have posted on social media stating that their trips have been cancelled, with one operator apparently citing ‘adverse weather conditions’, but there is no indication yet as to the longer-term effects on pre-existing bookings.
More regulations are apparently due to come into force in January, but what happens over the next few weeks is far from clear.
DIVE has reached out to several different tour operators but, at the time of publishing, has not yet received a reply. Divers planning to head out on a Red Sea liveaboard in the next few weeks might want to check in with their operator to check the status of their trip.
We will keep you updated with new information as and when we receive it.
divemagazine.com
