Lifeline is a small rescue boat, formerly an inshore fisheriesresearch vessel of the Fisheries Research Services currently seized by Maltese authorities due to disputed ownership, ship classification, home port documentation and flag registration.
The captain, Claus-Peter Reisch [de] appeared in a Maltese court charged with commanding an improperly registered ship and was released on a 10,000-euro bail.[2][3]
History
Clupea was commissioned in 1968. Measuring 32 m (100 ft) and drawing 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in), she is a good size for conducting research inside the constricted space of a sea loch. For research in offshore areas and the North Sea, the larger, more modern, FRV Scotia was used.
As Clupea she was equipped with winches, reel drums and an A-frame, allowing her to tow a range of fishing gear. Deck cranes allow the deployment of water sampling equipment and benthic grabs.
As a small vessel requiring space for equipment and laboratories, Clupea had only accommodation for four officers, six crew and six scientists.
As Sea-Watch 2
The rebuilt Sea-Watch 2 leaving Hamburg in March 2016
In 2015 Clupea was sold to the German NGO Sea-Watch, who started a civil sea rescue service for refugees and migrants in the Mediterranean. The vessel was renamed Sea-Watch 2 in March 2016 and has been used for search and rescue (SAR) missions.[5]
Netherlands Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen declared in late June 2018, that the Lifeline does not operate under the Netherlands flag. According to the statement, the existing registration of the vessel with the Koninklijk Nederlands Watersport Verbond was only a proof of ownership, which did not make the Netherlands the flag state for the Lifeline.[9] The Lifeline was impounded by the Maltese authorities in summer 2018.[10] In January 2020, captain Claus-Peter Reisch had his conviction for entering Maltese waters 'without the necessary registration or licence' quashed and a €10,000 fine revoked.[11]
References
^"Clupea". Aberdeen Built Ships. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
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