In the port of Genoa, the Coast Guard has ordered the detention of two merchant ships among the ten inspected since the beginning of the year as part of the control activities safety and security conducted by Port State personnel Control on foreign units in transit in Italian ports. One of the two ships stopped is the ro-ro Salammbo of Tunisian flag which is operated by the Tunisian company Cotunav. The ship, which has a tonnage of about 20,000 tons and is put into service in 1997, has been subjected to inspection - announced the Coast Guard - for its high risk profile. On the Salammbo were found serious deficiencies, including problems with the collective means of transport rescue and sewage treatment plant, in violation of current environmental regulations. At the moment, the ship remains in custody pending the resolution of the critical issues Reported.

The second ship stopped is the Commander, a general cargo flying the flag of Vanuatu with over 30 years of service and a tonnage of about 3,000 tons, which was selected for controls thanks to the targeting system developed by the General Command of the Coast Guard. The system, in line with the objectives of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, analyzes a series of data related to ships, considering elements such as the company's performance, flag and the results of previous inspections. Data analysis, in particular the low performance of the company and the already reported in a previous inspection, made it possible to identify the ship as a priority for control. After three days of the ship was allowed to depart following a a new inspection that verified the resolution of the technical, operational and documentary criticalities, in particular cooperation with the flag state and the classification body.

Admiral Piero Pellizzari, commander of the port of Genoa and maritime director of Liguria, recalled that "last year year, in Genoa, out of 120 foreign ships inspected, ten were stops for violations related to the safety of navigation and environmental protection, including irregularities in the emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), an issue - he underlined - at the our constant attention".