Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited Evalend Shipping to respond to allegations published by the World Maritime News that crew aboard Liberian-flagged ship Villa Deste owned by the Greek company, Evalend Shipping Company S.A., were neglected, with limited food, as well as being underpaid whilst berthed at a BHP terminal in Queensland, Australia. 

The company responded:

"Thank you...for the opportunity to  respond  to  these  false  allegations. The position  is that  the information published by the ITF is totally inaccurate. 

As soon as this matter was brought to our attention, we contacted the Master of the vessel to request clarification and to  enquire as to whether any relevant complaints have been made by any of the crew members. The  Master’s  response  was  that no such complaint has  been  made by  any crew  member for any  other reason whatsoever. To the contrary, the crew are happy with the conditions on board the vessel, which as you may know is brand new- as she is less than 6 months old. We  were further  advised than neither of  the crew  members  had in fact contacted  the ITF and/or  made any  such statements. In fact, the crew  members were quite surprised to  hear that  such  an  issue  exists  and  have confirmed that they  are all  happy and  satisfied  with the  provisions  on board. 

The crew were certainly never ‘starving’ and neither have they not been paid. Both statements are completely inaccurate and therefore nothing short of libelous.  The vessel has been supplied regularly with supplies/provisions of good quality and of course there are no outstanding wages to the crew.

Please also kindly note that the Master has been in direct contact with AMSA who made an  enquiry following the ITF’s defamatory statements. No issue exists.

Further to the above  and  for the  avoidance of  any  doubt, with  regards to  the further allegations on ITF’s  site about another  managed  vessel - the M/V Penelope,  the  position is that no  complaints  have  ever  been  received  by  this office  from the crew of that  vessel  either.

As you  may  be  aware,   if any  crew  member has  any  complaints  then  there is an  applicable  procedure under the  Maritime Labour Convention  in which  they can  present their  complaints. No such complaint has ever been presented either to the Master and/or  this  office and/or the  Vessel’s  Flag administration and/or  any  relevant  Port  State  Control on any  of the  vessels managed by  this office. This alone speaks volumes.

Finally, we wish  to  make it clear that these defamatory/ libelous  statements will  not  remain  unanswered.  It is simply  not up  to  the  ITF  or  anyone  else for that matter to  make  such  defamatory statements harming this  company’s  very  good  name and  reputation.  Legal action will therefore  be taken and in this respect we  are already  in touch  with our lawyers accordingly.

We  hope that the above clarifies the  position."