“If conditions allow, we want to recover the ship”, declares Anderson Pomini about the Professor Besnard vessel

The ship Professor Besnard, one of the most emblematic vessels of Brazilian oceanographic research, capsized at the Parque Valongo pier, in the Port of Santos, on Friday night (13). The ship, which does not belong to the Port of Santos and is owned by the Instituto do Mar, was attended to by the Operations Directorate (Diop) of the Santos Port Authority (APS), which found that the vessel does not pose a risk to navigation in the port channel.

The CEO of APS, Anderson Pomini, stated that the federal public company has been closely monitoring the ship’s situation. He recognizes that the vessel has great historical importance for national research, having carried out more than 150 marine research expeditions. However, he stated that the ship is currently inactive due to damage to the hull, which allowed water to enter and caused the vessel to list.

Pomini reiterated that the situation was quickly controlled by the Port Authority, with full support from the Port Authority. But, for safety, in the next few days, the ship will be stabilized by a specialized company and taken to a shipyard.

The ship belongs to the Instituto do Mar, a non-profit civil association, which does not have the resources for its recovery. Pomini reinforces that, if conditions permit, the Port of Santos is interested in recovering the ship with the support of its partner companies, but if this does not happen, part of the vessel will be preserved in Parque Valongo. “The Port of Santos, as a public company, cannot pay this cost directly, but it can mobilize partners, companies and the maritime community, and we are already doing so. We understand that preserving our history means taking care of the future.”