Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Several ships sailing under the Gambian flag have recently been detained at ports in China due to serious safety and environmental deficiencies. As of March 2025, four Gambia-flagged tankers have been detained during Port State Control (PSC) inspections. The vessels, including gas carriers, oil tankers, and special activity ships, were held for multiple violations before being cleared for release after corrective actions.

The Gambia went from having no tankers flying its flag in 2023 to 35 oil and gas tankers by mid-March 2025 in a growth fueled by an injection of tankers and gas carriers involved in sanctioned commodity trades. International maritime experts believe that nearly 99% of these tankers by dwt are under US, UK, or EU sanctions or are involved in sanctioned oil and gas trades.

Clearly, the Gambia Maritime Administration, which oversees maritime activities, including PSC inspections, to ensure compliance with international safety and environmental standards, is either inefficient or turning a blind eye.

As well as concerns about the detained vessels overall seaworthiness, the presence of pollution-related infractions in multiple detentions raised concerns about environmental compliance among Gambian-flagged vessels.

Gambia-flagged Gas Leader (IMO 9114581) Detained in Humen

The GAS LEADER, a gas carrier built in 1994 and operated by Sea Ship Management LLC, was detained in Humen, China, on February 13, 2025. The vessel, classified under the Imperial Classification Society, was flagged for critical deficiencies in life-saving appliances, pollution prevention, and cargo deck fire protection systems.

Specific issues included malfunctioning lifeboats, ballast water management system failures (pollution prevention), and dangerous goods fire protection inadequacies. These violations, while not attributed to the classification society, raised concerns about the vessel’s overall seaworthiness. The vessel was released the following day after necessary rectifications.

Gambia-flagged Oil Tanker Anita (IMO 9203253) Held in Rizhao

The ANITA, a 157,831-ton oil tanker managed by Oilpier Shipping Ltd, was detained in Rizhao, China, on February 20, 2025. The vessel, also under Imperial Classification Society, was found to have compromised watertight integrity, malfunctioning pilot transfer arrangements, and structural fire safety violations.

Inspectors flagged multiple failures, including ventilator and hatchway cover defects (Weathertight Conditions) and life-saving appliances, fire prevention structural integrity concerns (Fire Safety), and lack of proper maintenance under the International Safety Management (ISM) Code. The ship was held for four days before being cleared for release on February 24, 2025.

Despite the absence of direct responsibility from the Imperial Classification Society, the repeated nature of these issues suggested systemic maintenance failures.

In January, the Gambia Maritime Administration told The Standard newspaper that it granted vessel Anita provisional registration on November 7, 2024, allowing it to be temporarily flagged by the country for three months. This allows authorities to conduct due diligence on the vessel’s activities before permanent registration, ensuring compliance with International Maritime Organization standards.

“The vessel de-flagged immediately upon adverse findings during the due diligence process,” the Gambia Maritime Administration added. Yet, a month after being detained in Rizhao, China, for these serious violations, Anita continues sailing with the Gambia flag.

At 10.3 knots, the ship was headed to Marine Gasoil Bunker Dongjiakou (CNDGK) in China, where it arrived at 7:00 on Tuesday, March 30th.

Gambia-flagged Katsuya (IMO 9178068) Kept in Detention in Dongjiakou

Another oil tanker, KATSUYA, owned by Ozarka Shipping – FZCO, was detained in Dongjiakou, China, on February 22, 2025. Built in 1998 and classified under the Med Lloyd Classification Society, the 28,546-ton tanker faced regulatory scrutiny for certificate-related violations, structural fire prevention failures, and environmental non-compliance under MARPOL Annex VI.

The vessel was released on February 24, 2025, after corrective measures were undertaken.

Gambia-flagged Salakh 22 (IMO 1108122) Held for Nearly Two Weeks

The Salakh 22, a 993-ton special activities vessel, was detained in Taizhou, Zhejiang, on February 24, 2025, and held for nearly two weeks before being released on March 7, 2025. Unlike the others, the ship had no classification society, being managed by Alpha Blue Shipping and Clearing LLC.

The vessel had severe navigation safety violations, including a malfunctioning rudder angle indicator and the absence of a valid tonnage certificate. The extended period of detention suggested significant administrative hurdles in resolving these deficiencies.

Gambian-Flagged Ships Under International Scrutiny

The Gambia’s fleet has increased to nearly 3.6 million dwt as of March 19, 2025, from 26,665 dwt at the end of 2023, thanks to the gambit. However, more than half of that capacity is currently designated under US, UK, or EU sanctions, or a combination of them.

According to Lloyd’s List Intelligence statistics, the registry ended 2024 at slightly over 800,000 dwt, with almost 2.8 million of the new tonnage acquired since the year started. The Gambia has absorbed tons from underperforming registers like Cameroon and Palau, who are both on the lowest-tier blacklist of the regional bodies in charge of port state regulation in Paris and Tokyo, as a result of the enormous growth spike.

The repeated detention of Gambian-flagged ships for identical safety and pollution violations signals a potential oversight issue within the Gambia’s flag administration. While classification societies were often cleared of responsibility, the failures in vessel maintenance, safety protocols, and pollution prevention indicate systemic regulatory challenges for both shipowners and Gambian maritime authorities.

These detentions highlight growing concerns over the safety and environmental standards of vessels operating under the Gambian flag already suffering a history of credibility. On 1 October 2021, Gambia flagged M/V “NS THUNDER” with IMO number 8422010 was detained in Greece. The vessel’s ban of access to Paris MoU ports has only been cancelled on 6 April 2022.

As scrutiny intensifies, Gambia-flagged vessels will certainly continue to lack repute and face stricter port state control inspections, urging greater accountability in maintenance and regulatory adherence by The Gambia to uphold maritime safety standards.