The Diplomat
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted the relatives of the Spanish sailors affected by the shipwreck of the fishing vessel Villa de Pitanxo in Canadian waters to express their condolences and to speed up the repatriation procedures of the survivors and the deceased.
The fishing vessel, based in the port of Marín (Pontevedra), sank in the early hours of Tuesday morning in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization fishing grounds, 450 kilometers off Newfoundland (Canada). Both the three survivors (two Spaniards and one Ghanaian) and the nine bodies recovered so far were on their way yesterday to the port of Saint John’s, Newfoundland, aboard a Spanish and a Portuguese vessel that were fishing in that fishing ground and went to the place of the accident to collaborate in the tracing work.
As reported yesterday by the Foreign Ministry, the Consul General of Spain in Montreal, Luis Calvo, has contacted the relatives of the Spanish sailors by telephone to show his deep consternation and condolences for the tragic event and to convey to them “the total disposition of the Ministry” to speed up the administrative procedures related to the repatriation of the survivors and the bodies of the deceased.
Likewise, Calvo has informed them that the Canadian authorities have decided to put an end to the search operations for the twelve sailors who are still missing due to the unfavorable weather conditions, with waves of up to ten meters, strong winds, low temperatures close to zero degrees and very reduced visibility.
The Spanish Consul General in Montreal travelled to Saint John’s Newfoundland immediately after hearing the news of the sinking. The Foreign Affairs operation also includes the “permanent contact” of the Ambassador to Canada, Alfredo Martinez, with the heads of the Global Affairs department (equivalent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs) and with the rest of the Canadian authorities involved in the operation, such as Maritime Rescue or Civil Aviation, among others. The Honorary Consul in Newfoundland, Jean Pierre Andrieux, is also in Saint John’s to expedite the logistical and administrative steps related to the rescue and repatriation.
All this operation, according to Foreign Affairs, is being coordinated from Madrid under the personal supervision of Minister José Manuel Albares, who is in permanent communication with the Government Delegate in Galicia, José Manuel Miñones, and the Directorate General of Spaniards Abroad and Consular Affairs, responsible for this type of matters.
Yesterday afternoon, Albares spoke by telephone with his Canadian counterpart, Melanie Joly, whom he thanked for her help in the search for the Villa de Pitanxo and asked that, when conditions permit, they continue to collaborate in the rescue of the missing sailors.
