Greenpeace demands action over alleged illegal cargo onboard stricken Modern Express

Investigations surrounding the stricken Modern Express car carrier are likely to be two-fold; one looking at why the Cido ship listed and the other studying its alleged illegal cargo.

Crew were evacuated from the car carrier in January as it listed 40 degrees in stormy conditions with its cargo of timber and diggers having shifted. The ship then drifted perilously close to the French shoreline before salvors were finally able to attach a tow line and take it to the Spanish port of Bilbao.

However, what is inside the ship looks just as controversial as the accident itself, with Greenpeace leaping into action to demand greater scrutiny of the cargo.

The ship is carrying a controversial cargo of timber apparently destined for the French market. The controversy surrounds its origin and legality. Gabonese authorities are reported to have investigated the case and have called upon Interpol to open an international investigation.

All countries that could potentially be the origin of the timber are part of the Congo Basin, a region where illegal logging is a widespread problem.

“The forestry sector in the region is beset by rampant corruption, a lack of transparency and a lack of proper monitoring and law enforcement on the ground whilst significant amounts of illegal timber are still exported to international markets every year,” Greenpeace noted in a release.

The European Timber Regulation (EUTR) prohibits the placing of illegal timber on the European market and requires that operators exercise due diligence to prevent the contamination of their supply chain. But both France and Spain have been slow in the implementation of this law, and Greenpeace maintains authorities have so far failed to conduct sufficient and effective checks.

“Greenpeace urges both countries to take immediate steps, seize the timber and determine whether the operators involved acted in compliance with their obligations under the EUTR. In the case of non-compliance with the timber regulation, sanctions should be imposed,” the environmental campaigner urged.

The ship’s manifest may well have been filled in incorrectly, stating finished timber rather than logs.