{"id":160822,"date":"2025-11-21T09:11:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-21T09:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/?p=160822"},"modified":"2025-11-21T11:28:33","modified_gmt":"2025-11-21T11:28:33","slug":"what-does-cop30-have-to-do-with-sailing-its-more-than-you-think","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/news\/what-does-cop30-have-to-do-with-sailing-its-more-than-you-think-160822","title":{"rendered":"What does COP30 have to do with sailing? More than you think"},"content":"'I read in the newspaper about people drowning in the Central Med, and I asked myself whether I needed to do something,' says Johannes, a one-time Tall Ships Skipper.\r\n\r\nThese days he sails on NADIR, the 18m steel-hull ketch run by RESQSHIP, an NGO which conducts monitoring activities to help refugees in the Central Mediterranean.\r\n\r\nEvery year, its operational vessel NADIR hosts 70 volunteers across 10 rotations. Some, like Johannes and skipper-incumbent Lauren, who\u2019ll set off for her first turn at the helm in September, come directly from the maritime world. Others have no prior sailing experience.\r\n\r\nTogether, Johannes and Lauren share their unique experience of being part of RESQSHIP\u2019s crew. Their close-up view of what happens onboard a search and rescue sailing yacht sheds light on the knots and loopholes in Europe\u2019s immigration systems, and how civilian efforts have been working to untangle them.\r\n

Sailing yachts or search and rescue boats?<\/h2>\r\nIn many ways, NADIR is just like any other sailing yacht.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s classed as a pleasure craft, rigged for cruising, and crewed by civilians. It prepares for a mission like any yacht heading out for a small crossing; repairs, resupplies, routine checks.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160290\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" S\/Y NADIR is an 18m steel-hull k etch conducting monitoring activities in the Central Mediterranean. Photo: Leon Salner \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nYet, 'It\u2019s a different kind of psychological thinking and mental preparation,' Johannes says, when you set off knowing you may have to jump into an emergency situation.\r\n\r\n'Mass casualty we face very often, so we prepare for this.'\r\n\r\nWhile passage planning, NADIR\u2019s skippers aren\u2019t just concerned with keeping their own crew safe. Though this is the top priority, Lauren says they\u2019re also considering 'who might be out there in an overcrowded boat, facing those conditions.'\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160285\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" S\/Y NADIR is an 18m steel-hull k etch conducting monitoring activities in the Central Mediterranean. Photo: Leon Salner \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n

Crewing on a search and rescue boat<\/h2>\r\nWhile roles onboard NADIR are multi-function, every 7-person crew has a qualified Skipper, Co-Skipper, Officer of Watch, RHIB driver, and an onboard paramedic.\r\n\r\nThough many volunteers come without prior sailing knowledge, all of them are trained to a high standard.\r\n\r\n'In the end,' Lauren says, 'The doctors that might not have been sailing before, they might even end up knowing more than other sailors.'\r\n\r\nDuring training, every member of the crew drills skills most sailors might only try a few times. Things like setting out the tender in minimum time; coming alongside; performing man overboard<\/a> recoveries in any conditions, with the target both conscious and unconscious; and throwing lines, even over a crowded deck, all need to be second nature.\r\n\r\nThey establish clear procedures for recovering people from the water and guiding them to the right place to sit. Someone coming from a distress situation, who may be in an altered mental state, may instinctually try and get below deck, which would result in a crowded saloon that leaves no room for operation.\r\n\r\n'There are these very small steps that sound quite obvious when you speak about them, but in a rescue you don't have the time to think about it,' Johannes says. 'All these procedures have to be trained and agreed on within this group of seven before. Especially on a small ship, everyone needs to be prepared and know where the equipment is and how to do it.'\r\n\r\nAhead of each mission, incoming crews also receive a thorough technical and mental preparation, as well as professional legal briefings and psychological support to help manage the emotional toll.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160271\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Every member of crew volunteering on NADIR undergoes extensive preparation ahead of each operation Photo: Leon Salner \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAccording to the International Organization for Migration<\/a>, 2024 was the deadliest year on record for migrants. 8,938 people died on migration routes worldwide.\r\n\r\n2,452 of these lives were lost in the Mediterranean, where the IOM says adequate search and rescue systems and safe and regular migration routes are urgently needed.\r\n\r\nSince its founding in 2019, RESQSHIP alone has assisted more than 13,000 people.\r\n

RESQSHIP\u2019s work at sea<\/h2>\r\nIt can seem, 'A bit crazy, this closeness of the sailing sport and money and us trying to do something,' says Johannes.\r\n\r\nThe races that clip past the Island of Lampedusa<\/a>, NADIR\u2019s closest Port of Safety, \u201cprobably spend millions on the regatta sailing yachts, and 30 miles South there\u2019s a rescue operation.\u201d\r\n\r\nHe\u2019s quick to point out another double standard between leisure cruising and maritime rescue.\r\n\r\n\u201cOne year ago, there was a luxury sailing yacht, Bayesian<\/em><\/a>, sinking close to Sicily, and there was probably assistance there in 20 minutes. That got coverage. Of course it's very sad that people drowned there, but the public media attention it got was so much bigger than the boats with many more refugees sinking.\u201d\r\n\r\nStill, he sees a lot of untapped potential in the cruising<\/a> community.\r\n\r\n'I always walk through ports in the islands, and there are so many sailing boats just sitting there. There\u2019s so much capacity, even if the states don\u2019t act, to have a massive civil action. We speak of a \u201cCivil Fleet,\u201d but it\u2019s just a euphemism.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s still just a couple of boats out there, and not enough of them.'\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160276\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" S\/Y NADIR conducts monitoring activities in the Central Mediterranean. Photo: Friedhold Ulonska \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n

The \u201cCivil Fleet\u201d<\/h2>\r\nBesides NADIR, only two other sailboats (Trotamar III<\/em>, Dakini<\/em>) currently operate in the Central Med alongside search and rescue boats run by larger NGOs like SeaWatch, Mediterranea, and SOSMediterranee.\r\n\r\nThe biggest advantage small sailing boats have over these larger motor vessels is their low cost, both skippers maintain.\r\n\r\nAs a sporty motor-sailer, NADIR can travel significant distances under engine, as well as move by sail. The sails<\/a> offer greater stability and give NADIR the option of heaving-to while patrolling instead of having to zig-zag back and forth, saving time, money, and fuel.\r\n\r\n'We can do a three week rotation with 8,000 euro,' says Johannes. 'For the bigger ships, this doesn\u2019t even cover one day of fuel.'\r\n\r\nHeaving-to also offers extra comfort during sleep rotations, ensuring crews get enough rest to operate safely. Getting enough sleep is crucial to keep crews from making mistakes during operations, he explains. It can even prove to be a limiting factor.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160281\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" S\/Y NADIR conducts monitoring activities in the Central Mediterranean. Photo: Leon Salner.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n'It\u2019s very different mental space you\u2019re in on a search and rescue vessel instead of on a sailing yacht,' Lauren says. On a leisure cruise, 'You wouldn\u2019t expect a Mayday Relay, and it may take you a while to realise what\u2019s actually happening. But when I\u2019m on NADIR, it\u2019s something I\u2019m expecting. You\u2019re in alert mode, in tune the whole time. It\u2019s not a holiday.'\r\n\r\nNADIR also has a surprising capacity to store equipment and take on several passengers.\r\n\r\n'Lots of people probably can't imagine having 100 people on a small vessel,' she laughs. 'But you can take a lot before your own stability becomes a problem.'\r\n\r\nBeing small enough to dock next to the other yachts in Lampedusa and to easily anchor in any one of the island\u2019s sheltered bays, NADIR can also\u00a0 reach the rescue zone more quickly than the bigger NGOs, whose larger search and rescue boats are regularly sent to the mainland under the controversial \u201cDistant Ports\u201d practice, through which Italian authorities have been regularly instructing NGO ships in the Central Med to disembark passengers in far-off ports in Central and Northern Italy.\r\n

What actually happens on a search and rescue boat?<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160279\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" In addition to its monitoring activities, if it encounters vessels at risk of capsizing or carrying medical emergencies S\/Y NADIR also performs rescues. Photo: Leon Salner \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAt sea, RESQSHIP operates within its rights as a civilian vessel to monitor areas with a high concentration of distress cases, documenting and stabilising the situation.\r\n\r\n'This direct accountability is very effective,' Johannes explains. 'It already makes a difference when we are on scene. Sometimes the authorities get alerted about a distress case, but the responsible MRCC does not take over coordination,' or at least not immediately. 'Once a German sailing vessel is on scene with cameras, they feel more obliged to. Then it will not be just a silent drowning in the night.'\r\n\r\n'If there's immediate risk of capsizing, if water enters the boat or there are severe medical cases amongst the survivors, which is very often the case, we do have to perform rescues.'\r\n\r\nMost of their interventions have to do with primary care measures like distributing lifejackets<\/a>, which the Italian Coast Guard does not always provide. Rescued people might have wounds, or just need to go to the toilet. Often they\u2019ve been sitting in their own vomit and pee.\r\n\r\nThe crew gives them dry clothes, or at least emergency blankets, and distributes water and crackers. If urgent medical care is needed, NADIR\u2019s saloon has the equipment of a small emergency room, with bench extensions for a table, monitors, and oxygen.\r\n

Rescue at sea: a case study<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160277\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The refugee vessels encountered by S\/Y NADIR are often carrying children onboard. Photo: Friedhold Ulonska \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nStressing that this is just the most recent example, Johannes describes an operation that took place just days before our interview, in which NADIR answered a Mayday Relay issued by a rescue plane that had spotted a migrant boat.\r\n\r\nThe vessel had been at sea for four to six days without supplies, and had several babies on board.\r\n\r\nNADIR made its way onsite, where crew were told some refugees had jumped into the water when the boat\u2019s engine gave out, hoping to push it forward. Waves had quickly separated them from the boat.\r\n\r\nNADIR was able to find most\u2013 though not all \u2013 of the shipwrecked people on the way back to Lampedusa. No one they picked up had been spotted by the patrolling planes.\r\n

What to do if you encounter a distress situation while sailing<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160280\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" A civilian yacht encountering a distress case at sea is legally obligated to call for assistance. Photo: Leon Salner \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn any comparable situation, or if you should find yourself facing a distress case, after alerting the authorities Johannes recommends keeping a distance and monitoring its progress.\r\n\r\nTo avoid making the situation more unstable, keep a distance of a couple hundred meters so people don\u2019t try to swim to your vessel. In case of a capsize, you will still be close enough to throw out a life-raft and anything else you might have on board that can help people survive until a bigger vessel approaches.\r\n\r\nShould the other boat still have a working engine, it can help to continue on course and show them the way so that support is readily available until the relevant Coast Guard arrives.\r\n\r\nIt\u2019s important to remember that people on the move are often unequipped to call for help, while almost every sailing vessel has a VHF<\/a>. Even if you\u2019re not prepared to help a distress case, you can still activate the process by sending a Mayday Relay.\r\n\r\nUltimately, Lauren says, 'Even if you\u2019re not prepared to really help a certain distress case, it\u2019s still important to just be there. The worst thing a sailor\u2013 or anybody\u2013 can imagine, is that you\u2019re out there and nobody knows. There\u2019s nobody to come for you.'\r\n\r\n'Having a vessel there that is telling you, we don\u2019t want to drown you, we want to help, we\u2019ll stay here and try to call for help, is really important on a mental and physical level for the people in that situation.'\r\n\r\nShe adds, 'People are afraid of people who are in distress, but if you were in that situation you would just be so relieved to see anybody at all on the horizon.'\r\n\r\nFor anyone worried about criminal repercussions for offering assistance, 'It\u2019s really the other way around,' Johannes says firmly. 'The people being criminalised are the people who need rescue.'\r\n\r\nHe advises caution if taking any photos or video of the boat or the people onboard, as identifying visual details can be used by authorities to arbitrarily target specific individuals for arrest on arrival.\r\n

Obstacles to performing rescues at sea<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160272\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" A civilian yacht encountering a distress case at sea is legally obligated to call for assistance. Photo: Margherita Cioppi \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAny civilian yacht that comes across an unseaworthy boat is legally obligated to make a distress case alert on VHF16, at which point it should receive immediate assistance and guidance from authorities.\r\n\r\n'This is really not the case that we are experiencing out there,' says Johannes. He wavers between resignation, exasperated amusement, and latent rage as he explains that when it comes to migrant boats, things suddenly get more complicated.\r\n\r\nInternational law stipulates that once an MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) has been alerted, the communication gets forwarded until one MRCC takes over coordination. This process should be almost immediate.\r\n\r\nInstead, Johannes says, 'We are calling, and they say, \u201cAh, no, we are not responsible. You have to call the other one.\u201d'\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160287\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Search and rescue activities in the central Mediterranean often require careful coordination with between the MRCC, humanitarian vessels, and local authorities. Photo: Paula Gaess.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nAs it frequently operates in overlapping areas of MRCC jurisdiction, NADIR might be required to alert Italy, Malta, Libya, Tunisia. As a registered German vessel, they also always inform German authorities.\r\n\r\nThis spread leaves plenty of room for communicative delays and procedural ambiguity and can result in missed or delayed action, he explains. NADIR may be instructed to wait hours next to an unseaworthy boat, which its skippers say is hard to endure.\r\n\r\nAuthorities aren\u2019t immune to this kind of procedural paralysis, either.\r\n\r\n'They want to assist and help,' Johannes says of the Italian Coast Guard, which he describes as a generally \u201creliable partner\u201d. 'But they get some orders from the MRCC, which falls under the authority of the Ministry of the Interior in Rome, and then their hands are bound.'\r\n\r\nThe Italian Coast Guard and the Italian Ministry of Interior did not respond to a request for comment.\u00a0<\/em>\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160284\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Search and rescue activities in the central Mediterranean often require careful coordination with between the MRCC, humanitarian vessels, and local authorities. Photo: Leon Salner \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nOften, both humanitarian vessels and search and rescue boats are asked to cooperate with authorities that aren\u2019t authorities at all.\r\n\r\n'The other side, the so-called \u201cLibyan Coast Guard,\u201d there are no words for, because they are not a real coast guard. They are not acting in a legal frame,' Johannes says. 'So far we haven\u2019t had huge problems with them, but we sometimes have come too late and witnessed pullbacks, or have been ordered to leave the area.'\r\n\r\nOther humanitarian vessels have been subject to far more worrying encounters.\r\n\r\nOn 24 August, the rescue vessel Ocean Viking<\/em> was shot at by the Libyan Coast Guard while in international waters. There were 87 survivors on board in addition to the humanitarian crew.\r\n\r\nWhile the crew searched the surrounding waters for people in distress, a Libyan patrol vessel approached Ocean Viking<\/em> and demanded the ship leave the area. After Ocean Viking<\/em> informed them they would comply, two men aboard the patrol vessel opened fire for at least 20 minutes of assault gunfire, deliberately targeting crew members on the bridge, states a press release<\/a> from SOS Mediterranee.\r\n\r\nThough no one was physically wounded, the attack caused extensive damage to the ship, its RHIBs, rescue equipment. Ocean Viking<\/em> issued a Mayday and alerted NATO1, seeking protection and assistance. They were referred to the closest NATO asset \u2014 an Italian navy ship, which they said did not answer the phone.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160299\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The Ocean Viking<\/em>, chartered by NGO SOS Mediterranee to conduct search and rescue activities in the central Mediterranean. Photo: James Grady \/ Alamy.[\/caption]\r\n\r\n\u201cPull backs\u201d and incidents like this one are part of what has been called a \u201cshadow immigration system\u201d, through which migrating peoples are captured at sea by Libyan militias operating on EU-gifted motor-vessels and taken to detention centres in Libya.\r\n\r\nSince 2017, the EU has contributed \u20ac42,223,900 in funding to the first phase of the \u201cSupport to Integrated border and migration management in Libya\u201d project, which has the stated aims<\/a> of enhancing Libyan authorities operational capacity in responding to border crossings, both at sea and in the desert.\r\n\r\nThe project, and its effects, have been the subject of extensive investigative reporting, according to which migrant captives are held and often tortured while their relatives are extorted for money.\r\n\r\nTo make a long, bloodcurdling story short, Johannes explains that paying these militias to keep refugees from European waters allows the EU to externalise its handling of migration flow, shifting responsibility for the fleeing people and keeping the matter out of sight.\r\n\r\nHe says, 'The policy of giving money to Tunisia and Libya, so basically to failed states, and paying them to pull back the people,' means that, 'In the public media there are no images of drowning people.'\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160286\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Photo: Paula Gaess \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn response to a request for comment, a Commission Spokesperson for the EU stated:<\/span>\r\n\r\nWhen it comes to migration, the EU adopts a comprehensive approach to migration governance in its relationship with partner countries. Human rights being at the heart of EU intervention. This includes advocating for and promoting the protection of the rights of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees, fostering legal migration, addressing the root causes of irregular migration, combating smuggling of migrants and trafficking of human beings.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\nAt the same time, we also work with partners on reinforcing their border management capacities, and ensuring assisted voluntary, safe and dignified returns, and support to sustainable reintegration in the countries of origin.<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\n\u00a0This has been the core of our work in our comprehensive partnerships and in our bilateral relations with partner countries in the region. In all these cases, the respect for human rights and human dignity of all migrants, refugees and asylum seekers has been central. They are the fundamental principles of migration management, in line with obligations under International Law. The EU expects its partners to fulfil these international obligations, including the right to non-refoulement.<\/span><\/i>\r\n\r\nThe Commission does not have competences on search and rescue, which ultimately falls under EU Member States\u2019 remits. All parties in a Search and Rescue operation need to operate with the required diligence and in full respect of international law and international maritime law. The European Commission encourages all actors, competent authorities as well as private stakeholders, to improve cooperation in search and rescue operations. We remain open and interested in continuing our dialogue with NGOs, including those active at sea.<\/span><\/i>\r\n

What does the law say about what happens at sea?<\/h2>\r\nOn paper, these pull-backs, not to mention the shootings of humanitarian vessels, shouldn\u2019t be happening.\r\n\r\nIn June 2024, Crotone Civil Court in Italy ruled that<\/a>, 'Interceptions at sea conducted by the Libyan Coast Guard cannot legally qualify as rescue operations since the Libyan authorities are systematically armed, fire gunshots to intimidate civil society actors and migrants, and create an overall situation of danger.'\r\n\r\nIn response to the shooting of Ocean Viking<\/em>, the European Center for Constitutional Human Rights (ECCHR) and other humanitarian groups including Amnesty International, M\u00e9decins Sans Fronti\u00e8res, ActionAid International and Refugees in Libya, as well as dozens of other organisations from at least ten countries across Europe and the MENA region, have signed an open letter<\/a> to the EU commission asking it to cut its funding to the Libyan Coast Guard.\r\n\r\nPublished on 23 September, the letter states, 'The Libyan Coast Guard does not comply with the standards required to make it a legitimate search and rescue (SAR) actor, and is involved in violent attacks on people in distress during interceptions,' as found by the Court of Crotone.\r\n\r\nFurthermore, it alleges that, 'Eight years of EU support has not improved this actor\u2019s human rights records, but enabled and legitimised abuses, in violation of Article 29 of the NDICI regulation - which excludes activities that may result in human rights violations from EU funding.'\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160283\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" The shooting of humanitarian vessel Ocean Viking <\/em>resulted led to an open letter to the EU Commission signed by dozens of NGOs and human rights organisations.<\/em> Photo: Leon Salner \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nThe letter called for the European Commission to restore the rule of law at its maritime border; suspend cooperation with Libya; and urged Italy to terminate its 2017 Memorandum of Understanding<\/a> with Libya.\r\n\r\nIt also asked the EC to finance and coordinate a state-led European search and rescue programme in the Central Mediterranean that can 'support states in opening safe routes for refugees and migrants to escape Libya, and reduce their reliance on dangerous routes.'\r\n

The search and rescue catch-22<\/h2>\r\nBut what do the legal intricacies mean for skippers like Lauren and Johannes, or for a civilian yacht that comes across a distress situation?\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160288\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" Photo: Paula Gaess \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn June 2024, the Crotone Civil Court had also ruled that, 'Libya cannot be considered a safe place for disembarkation due to its serious and systematic violations of human rights and the fact that it has never ratified the Geneva Convention.'\r\n\r\nThis means that pull-backs likely fall into something called \u201crefoulment\u201d, the act of returning refugees or asylum seekers to places or countries where they might face persecution, which is overtly prohibited by EU and international law. All those involved are liable.\r\n\r\nYet, the Libyan Coast Guard regularly demands that humanitarian and search and rescue boats surrender rescued migrating people and leave the scene. Other state authorities instruct them to comply, leaving humanitarian crews in a difficult double bind.\r\n\r\n'On the one hand, if you alert an authority and you know that they will bring people back to torture, you are making yourself accountable to criminal law for bringing people back to a country where they aren\u2019t safe,' Johannes explains. 'On the other hand, we have to comply with what the Italian authorities ask of us.'\r\n\r\nHe stresses that the organisation\u2019s very survival, its ability to keep helping refugees, is at stake.\r\n\r\n'We have to be hyper-perfect if we want to stay in operation.'\r\n

Search and rescue boats detained under the Piantedosi Decree<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160273\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" S\/Y NADIR was detained twice this summer, marking the first ever time a sailing yacht was detained in conjunction to search and rescue activities. Photo: Paula Gaess \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn recent months, this emphasis on compliance still hasn\u2019t been enough to keep organisations like RESQSHIP in operation.\r\n\r\nOver the summer, NADIR was detained twice by Italian authorities. Many other boats in the \u201cCivil Fleet,\u201d as well as SeaWatch\u2019s rescue plane SeaBird 1, suffered a similar fate.\r\n\r\nNADIR\u2019s first seizure on 8 June was the first ever time a sailing yacht had been detained in conjunction with search and rescue activities.\r\n\r\nIts crew had just evacuated 112 people from an unseaworthy wooden boat in international waters off the coast of Libya, approximately a 12 hour sail from Lampedusa. Under the Piantedosi Decree, RESQSHIP was accused of (1) not communicating with the Libyan authorities, which Lauren specifies they had, and (2) not following orders regarding its assigned Port of Safety.\r\n\r\nVideo footage<\/a> circulated in the meantime shows NADIR being surrounded by Frontex, Coast Guard and Guardia di Finanza and granted access to the Port of Lampedusa, the last Port of Safety agreed upon in written form with the MRCC, by the local Harbour Master.\r\n\r\nThe Piantedosi Decree introduces additional requirements for NGO search and rescue boats, and legitimises the \u201cDistant Ports\u201d practice. It gives Italian authorities the right to fine and detain rescue ships on various grounds, including alleged failure to abide by instructions from the so-called Libyan Coast Guard.\r\n\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160278\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" S\/Y NADIR conducts monitoring activities in the Central Mediterranean. Photo: Friedhold Ulonska \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nHowever, the Decree itself was under consideration in the Italian Constitutional Court from 21 May 2025 after interventions from Human Rights Watch and the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights. A challenge to its legality had been previously raised<\/a> by NGO SOS Mediterranee following the detainment of its ship Ocean Viking<\/em>, the same vessel affected by the 24 August shoot-out.\r\n\r\nWhile the challenge was dismissed on 8 July 2025, the ICC\u2019s ruling did recognise the Piantedosi Decree\u2019s overtly punitive nature.\r\n\r\nIt also acknowledged its intent to dissuade search and rescue activities, and reiterated the legal requirement that rescue operations end in a port of demonstrable safety; where fundamental human rights of the rescued persons are guaranteed; in the shortest amount of time possible; and without undue burden on the vessel\u2019s captain.\r\n\r\nThese stipulations seem to contrast \u201cDistant Ports\u201d orders, Human Rights Watch has said<\/a>.\r\n\r\nItaly\u2019s Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi maintains that the practice is designed to reduce strain on reception systems in the regions surrounding the Central Mediterranean, Sicily and Calabria, and to more evenly distribute refugee arrivals among various ports.\r\n\r\nYet like the recent detentions, 'The intention behind the practice \u2013 and indeed, the only notable consequence of its introduction \u2013 appears to be to keep NGO rescue vessels far away from the areas where boats carrying refugees and migrants are most often in distress,' writes Amnesty International<\/a>.\r\n\r\nA single detention can rack up thousands of euros in fines and take search and rescue boats out of operation for at least 20 days at a time, impacting two full rotations.\r\n\r\n'All it does is keep us away from the sea,' Johannes says. 'We are just there to help people [...] They want to silence us and not have any public out there.'\r\n\r\nThe ICC also established humanitarian vessels\u2019 right to not comply with unlawful orders (those which contradict the SAR Convention and International Maritime Organisation\u2019s Guidelines), including those which may be issued by the Libyan \u201cCoast Guard\u201d, and to disregard any order which conflicts with the fundamental duty to save a human life.\r\n

What does this mean for humanitarian vessels?<\/h2>\r\n[caption id=\"attachment_160291\" align=\"alignnone\" width=\"630\"]\"\" S\/Y NADIR conducts monitoring activities in the Central Mediterranean. Photo: Paula Gaess \/ RESQSHIP.[\/caption]\r\n\r\nIn order to defend their right to operate, intervene, and disobey illegitimate orders, humanitarian organisations regularly have to play a game of legal and procedural whack-a-mole. Johannes says that currently, between the Italian and the European courts, there are 10 ongoing \u201cDistant Port\" related legal hearings underway.\r\n\r\nWhatever its outcome, by the time a case hits the courtroom it\u2019s already too late. They have lost valuable time, with a likely cost of human lives.\r\n\r\n'Even if they end up losing the legal battle, they won,' Johannes says.\u00a0'We do not want to shift our fight from being out at sea and helping people into legal battles in front of courts.'\r\n\r\n'Our biggest demand is that there's a state actor getting active again, and that responsibility is not shifting.' He maintains the route will only get more dangerous under the current European policy.\r\n\r\n'As long as there are reasons for the people to go on such a journey [...] they will not stop trying.'\r\n\r\nThe danger, he says, lies in 'thinking this is somehow a phenomenon that can be controlled.' \u2726\r\n\r\nThe 2025 operational season is coming to an end. Crewing for next year will be available on the website in October\/November. RESQSHIP also welcomes donations and material contributions, in particular of safe and working medical supplies.<\/em>\r\n\r\n
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‘Oceans must be at the forefront of climate discussions,’ says CEO of COP30 Ana Toni. With ocean issues at its centre, it’s no wonder this week’s UN Climate Conference in Bel\u00e9m, Brazil included members from across the sailing community. From sportsmen to sailing activists to race officials, here’s who sailed to the UN Climate Conference and why. Cop30 sailing news at a glance Greepeace and the People’s Summit Flotilla in the waters of Bel\u00e9m The Ocean Race highlights what climate leadership can learn from the sailing mindset Crews from Voices of and Ocean Institute and the Women Wave Project sail into the conference COP30’s Ocean-first topics that sailors will want to know about, including the Blue Package and the High Seas Treaty The People’s Summit Flotilla takes to the waters around COP30 Ahead of COP30, more than 5,000 people across 200 vessels sailed in the waters of Bel\u00e9m as part of the People’s Summit Flotilla in the hopes of demonstrating that a sustainable future is built not by industry, but by mobilising on a community level. In attendance was Greenpeace’s iconic fishing trawler-turned sail-power ship, the Rainbow Warrior, the second ship to bear this name after its predecessor’s infamous sinking by French secret service agents. Executive Director of Greenpeace Brazil Carolina Pasquali commented: ‘The thousands of people in the flotilla today are showing the strength of a unified global movement \u2014 communities who have been impacted by extreme weather events and by companies profiting from the destruction of our planet, Indigenous Peoples who have been fighting for generations for their rights, their lands and the forest, and civil society demanding real action from world leaders and negotiators at COP.’ Inside COP30: The Ocean Race tackles ocean advocacy Inside the conference, sailor-driven events highlighted the importance of protecting the oceans to address climate change. In a panel titled \u2018Racing for the Ocean: Faster and Smarter\u2019, the Ocean Race brought Brazilian sailing icon, Olympic champion, and winner of the 2008-2009 Ocean Race Torben Grael together with global experts to explore the findings of the Planetary Health Check 2025. Talks between Grael, UN Secretary-General\u2019s Special Envoy for the Ocean Peter Thomson, Ocean Impact Director at The Ocean Race Lucy Hunt, and Race Chairman of The Ocean Race Richard Brisius highlighted the urgent need to protect natural carbon sinks, reinforce ocean science, and revitalise humanity\u2019s connection to the ocean. ‘Ocean health is currently, measurably, in decline,’ commented Thomson. ‘But there is hope. Around the world, ocean science is advancing at a pace we have never seen before.’ What can climate leaders can learn from sailing? As the ‘Racing for the Oceans’ panel’s sailor-in-residence, Grael identified elements from the sailing mindset that can help climate leaders face uncertainty, solve problems under pressure, and persist as they work to protect the oceans. ‘Sailing is a very difficult sport because it involves water and wind, both unpredictable and sometimes dangerous,’ he explained.\u00a0‘We must analyse what went wrong, decide what to correct, and make it better next time,’ …Continue reading »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5337,"featured_media":160834,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[3080,1633],"review_manufacturer":[],"acf":[],"introduction":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160822"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5337"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=160822"}],"version-history":[{"count":22,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160822\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":160858,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160822\/revisions\/160858"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/160834"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=160822"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=160822"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=160822"},{"taxonomy":"review_manufacturer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.yachtingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review_manufacturer?post=160822"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}