This week, the vessel Port Phillip arrived the Tasmanian port of Hobart, with phosphates from Western Sahara.
She arrived Hobart at anchor Thursday 23rd of October, together with a tug boat (below), before probably continuing Risdon to discharge, and is still in Tasmania.
Port Phillip (IMO 9377975) has deadweight tonnes of 32.500, and thus probably contains around 30.000 tonnes of phosphates. She is Hong Kong flagged, and managed/owned by Pacific Basin, a Hong Kong shipping company that is probably one of the biggest shippers of the phosphates, mainly to Australia and New Zealand.
The phosphate is shipped out of Western Sahara in the disregard of the wishes and interests of the Sahrawis. Morocco is earning billions of dollars a year from the phosphate industry in the country that they occupied in 1975. Such trade is in violation of a legal opinion by the UN from 2002.
Morocco occupies the major part of its neighbouring country, Western Sahara. Entering into business deals with Moroccan companies or authorities in the occupied territories gives an impression of political legitimacy to the occupation. It also gives job opportunities to Moroccan settlers and income to the Moroccan government. Western Sahara Resource Watch demands foreign companies leave Western Sahara until a solution to the conflict is found.
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