The Maritime Captaincy of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, part of the Ministry of Transportation and Sustainable Mobility, initiated a total of 197 sanctioning cases in 2024. The majority of these were due to breaches of maritime safety committed by recreational vessels and jet skis.
As per this report, the leading causes of infringement in recreational boating pertained to a lack of civil liability insurance, closely followed by violations of ship dispatch protocols.
Additionally, instances of either lacking the necessary qualifications or exceeding permissible limits, as well as failing to possess nautical certificates on board, were notable infringements.
Specifically within the realm of commercial shipping, there were 10 violations identified, primarily related to non-compliance with dispatch regulations or the failure to provide information, as noted by the organisation.
Overall, the infractions recorded in 2024 mirrored those of 2023, although there has been a noted increase in violations regarding underwater activities, reaching a total of 8.
Moreover, according to this assessment, Maritime Security Inspectors conducted 192 inspections aimed at safety oversight and pollution prevention, with 74 of these concerning foreign vessels.
Inspections on both national and international ships can lead to the initiation of a sanctioning case should any irregularities be found.
Nevertheless, cases against vessels may also arise from other irregularities and breaches of existing regulations reported by other competent bodies, such as the Civil Guard of the Sea. This is particularly relevant in instances of pollution incidents affecting the marine ecosystem.
Inspections of foreign vessels are conducted within the framework of the ‘Paris Memorandum’, ensuring that ships arriving at the coast meet international safety and environmental standards, as well as guaranteeing that crew members enjoy adequate living and working conditions.
Over 670 emergencies
In 2024, the Captaincy managed more than 670 emergencies, with 379 concerning distress calls from vulnerable vessels assisted by maritime rescue operations, aiding approximately 30,000 individuals, while the remainder primarily related to recreational boating incidents.
Among these emergencies was an incident involving the ‘Rhine Maersk’ ship, which experienced a fire in multiple containers carrying vegetable and cotton coal in November, burning for four days.
The Maritime Captaincy assessed the risks, allowed safe entry into port, conducted an imminent emergency response, and performed an inspection.
In addition, the maritime captains are responsible for the registration and dispatch of vessels, the issuance of both professional and recreational certificates, along with the generation of all forms of reports and permissions associated with maritime activities.
In this regard, during 2024, a total of 5,272 degree applications, 2,428 office procedures, and 8,505 registrations and deregistrations were processed.
Furthermore, in the captaincies of Santa Cruz de Tenerife and Las Palmas, the Special Registry of Canarian Ships and Companies (Rebecas) was managed, which, at the end of 2024, included 311 vessels, accounting for a total of 2.2 million gross tonnage (GT).
In 2024, Rebecas noted a 1% decrease in the number of ships and a 6% reduction in gross tonnage.
