The Maritime Captaincy of Ceuta, under the General Directorate of the Merchant Navy of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, last year issued a total of 53 sanctioning files, most of them the result of infractions committed by recreational boats (23) and nautical motorcycles (25), which means that there has been a decrease in infractions compared to 2022, year in which 62 in total were registered. However, the number of sanctioning files open to users of nautical motorcycles is increasing, from 16 to 25, but the number of files open to recreational boats is almost halving, from 45 to 23 in a single year.
The main reasons for the infringement are related to the lack of qualifications, lack of compulsory insurance, navigation beyond the permitted distance and lack of compulsory rescue and fire equipment, among others.
In 2023 the Fare Rescue Coordination Center, dependent on the State Society of Rescue and Maritime Safety, SASEMAR, intervened in a total of 39 emergencies. In most cases they correspond to rescue actions for precarious or overloaded boats and drifting ships. In this chapter, the performances have also been reduced by more than 50%, since in 2022 a total of 82 were produced.
In addition, the Captaincy’s maritime safety inspectors conducted more than a hundred inspections of foreign and domestic ships for safety control and the prevention of maritime pollution.
These data are derived from the balance sheet of the year 2023 presented by the Maritime Captaincy of Ceuta, directed by the maritime captain Francisco L. Sierra Ureta, which works as a team with the rest of the public workers assigned to guarantee the rescue of human lives at sea, maritime safety, the prevention and fight against pollution and the control of maritime traffic in its maritime area, among other competences.
In addition, the Maritime Capitanías carry out the registration and dispatch of ships, the issuance of professional and recreational certificates and certificates and the issuance of all kinds of reports and authorizations related to maritime activity. In this regard, it should be noted that a total of 1,826 authorizations for the transport of dangerous goods were issued in the Captaincy.
Special Plan OPE 2023
In the case of Ceuta, the maritime captain is integrated in the Advisory Committee of the Provincial Plan Operation Ceuta Strait Passage and monitors the operation of the Fleet Plan, in coordination with the General Directorate of the merchant navy within the framework of the Special Plan OPE. In this regard, it should be noted that between June 15 and September 15, a total of 550,239 passengers and 124,062 vehicles transited the Ceuta-Algeciras-Ceuta line, figures significantly lower than those of 2022.