Sealift company acquires more ships as 2
of its vessels remain trapped in Persion Gulf
Desgagnés Transarctik Inc. expects no interruptions to northern deliveries as Iranian blockade of Strait of Hormuz continues
Two Desgagnés sealift ships remain stranded in the Persian Gulf due to the ongoing United States and Israel war with Iran. The Miena Desgagnés, seen here, is the larger of the two trapped vessels. (Photo courtesy of Transport Desgagnés)
An Arctic sealift company has bolstered its fleet to make up for two ships that have been stranded near the Strait of Hormuz since the start of the Iran war in February.
Desgagnés Transarctik Inc. provides annual cargo deliveries of food and other items to northern communities inaccessible by road.
Sealift season has already started for this year, with ships near Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet and Baker Lake and several Nunavik communities as of Thursday, according to the Desgagnés Transarctik Inc. website.
Ships move further north as ice conditions allow. In High Arctic communities, for example, deliveries can only happen within a several-week window in late summer when there is open water.
The Miena Desgagnés and the Rosaire A. Desgagnés are usually part of the sealift fleet but during other parts of the year they make cargo deliveries in other parts of the world. The ships arrived in the Persian Gulf only a few days before Feb. 28, when the United States and Israel attacked Iran.
Iran blockaded the Strait of Hormuz as an immediate response. The strait is a vital waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the world beyond, through which approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas passes.
“Given the uncertainty, we made the decision to secure two additional ships in view of the Arctic sealift season,” said Desgagnés Transarctik Inc. president David Rivest in an interview on Thursday.
The additional vessels, he said, will allow the company to provide sealift deliveries as usual this summer.
A team at Desgagnés headquarters in Montreal continues to provide logistical support to the blockaded ships, including provisions and fuel for the crews, both of which have about 20 members, said Rivest.
“We are in regular communication with the vessels,” he said, adding that the the situation is relatively stable. “The protection of our crews and the ships remain of upper importance.”
The company works to ensure that crew members have access to internet so they can communicate with their families as well as access to quality food and things to do, he said.
For now, as the war continues, the crews, ships and company must wait.
“Our concern is when will [our] ships exit the area,” he said. “What’s the most difficult is the uncertainty.”
As of Thursday, marine traffic data indicates Miena Desgagnés is docked at the port city of Al Jubail, on the eastern coast of Saudi Arabia. The Rosaire A. Desgagnés is just north of the United Arab Emirates port city of Sharjah.
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