Suez Canal Authority: No action on vessel FENER without formal request

Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority (SCA) has confirmed that it cannot provide technical support or salvage services for the grounded general cargo vessel FENER without a formal request from the ship’s owner or relevant authorities, as the vessel remains outside the canal’s legal jurisdiction.

In a statement issued on Thursday, 29 January 2026, the authority said the vessel is aground along the Port Said coastline, beyond the Suez Canal’s territorial waters in the Mediterranean Sea.

“The vessel is located outside the legal jurisdiction of the canal, and no action can be taken without a formal request from the ship's owner or the relevant authorities,” the statement said.

The SCA said it has not received any official request for technical assistance or salvage services since the vessel ran aground on 14 January. The 132.3-metre-long ship is positioned approximately five nautical miles west of the canal’s northern entrance and was carrying a cargo of salt at the time of the incident.

Despite the lack of a formal request, the authority said it responded to a distress call and successfully rescued all crew members in the early hours of the incident under difficult weather conditions. No injuries were reported.

The SCA added that its marine salvage team has continued to monitor the vessel’s condition and has contacted the ship’s owner through the appointed shipping agent, stressing the owner’s responsibility for any economic or environmental consequences arising from the grounding.

The authority said the incident has had no impact on navigation through the Suez Canal, with vessel movements continuing normally in both directions.

Environmental risks were described as limited. According to the SCA, the approximately 4,700-tonne vessel operates on light diesel fuel rather than heavy fuel oil, and no fuel leaks have been detected. The ship’s relatively small fuel tanks further reduce the risk of environmental damage, the statement said.

Coordination is ongoing with the Port Said Governorate, the Maritime Safety Authority, the Ministry of Environment and the Egyptian Navy to monitor developments. The SCA said it remains ready to provide technical consultations if requested.

Earlier, on 13 January, Admiral Ossama Rabiee, Chairman and Managing Director of the Suez Canal Authority, said navigation through the canal had not been affected by the grounding, which occurred outside the canal’s navigational channel in the western anchorage area north of Port Said.

At that time, the vessel was reported to be 122 metres long, with a draft of 3.5 metres and a tonnage of 4,000 tonnes. Rabiee said the ship had departed East Port Said Port after loading preparations and requested to anchor due to poor weather conditions.

He added that the vessel later reported a breach in one of its holds, allowing water to enter the hull. As a precaution, the ship’s master intentionally grounded the vessel south of the anchorage area to prevent it from sinking before the arrival of the maritime salvage team.

Rabiee said the SCA’s Crisis Management Centre continues to monitor the situation as part of its role in coordinating incidents occurring outside the canal’s navigational channel, reaffirming the authority’s readiness to assist if required.

Following the 2021 blockage of the canal by the container ship Ever Given, the SCA has strengthened its response capabilities by commissioning ten new tugboats, each with a towing capacity of 90 tonnes.

The Suez Canal connects the Red Sea and the Mediterranean and handles around 12% of global trade and four million barrels of oil daily, according to previous remarks by Rabiee.