One In Five Russian Tankers Refuse To Take Pilots In The Denmark Straits
Since partial sanctions on Russian oil shipments came into effect in 2022, Danish maritime authorities have expressed concern about the risks posed by the “dark fleet” tankers that transport crude oil to the market from Russian terminals in the Baltic Sea. The merchant shipping lanes in the Denmark Strait are narrow, and the risk of collision or grounding is real (dark fleet ships may not be insured).
According to local investigative media Danwatch, this risk is increasing because more airlines refuse to equip flights with qualified pilots.
According to Danwatch, traffic records show that the number of airlines refusing pilots on board in the Denmark Straits is increasing. Now, one in five ships with Russian connections refuses the Danish Navy’s proposal to have pilots on board.
Due to the 1857 Copenhagen Convention restrictions, Denmark could not require ships to hire pilots, which the Treaty of Versailles confirmed. The treaty designated the strait as a navigable international waterway and guaranteed unimpeded passage for ships of all countries. Until then, the Danish government had restricted and taxed navigation through the strait, but the Copenhagen Accord lifted these restrictions. Denmark strongly recommends the use of pilots, and the Danish Navy communicates and encourages ships that refuse to use pilots. Still, captains can ultimately choose to refuse requests, saving about $10,000 per voyage.
In the first three months of this year, 10% to 14% of passing tankers refused to assist pilots. That number rose to 27% between May and July and remained high.
Pilots can help commercial ships avoid trouble in confined waters, especially if the ship is undermanned or in poor physical condition. Drone boats in the Denmark Straits sometimes exhibit unsafe and erratic behaviour, and the Danish Navy sometimes issues warnings to ships to avoid particularly irresponsible vessels.
Those concerns were confirmed earlier this year. The Danish Maritime Authority confirmed to Bloomberg that on March 2, the 15-year-old tanker Andromeda Star collided with an unnamed vessel. AIS data provided by Pole Star showed that the tanker slowed and stopped suddenly around 07:00 that morning while sailing around the northern tip of the Jutland Peninsula. Fortunately, the ship was in ballast and heading to a Russian port in the Baltic Sea to load oil.
