The Aita-Mari was the first to receive the request, but the Generalitat’s action ended up affecting eight other ships. In total, around 450,000 euros in claims in port fees for nine maritime rescue ships that, between 2021 and 2024, docked in the autonomous ports of the Generalitat for supplies, repairs or rest of the personnel, as confirmed by sources from the Aurora Group and the Ministry of the Environment. These are the ships Open Arms, Sea Punks, Louise Michel, Sea Watch, Sea Humanity, Mission Lifeline, Resq People, SOS Humanity and Humanitarian Maritime Rescue, which have saved thousands of people from drowning in the Mediterranean.
The Department of the Environment has begun a negotiation process with humanitarian entities to refine the request, although according to Valencian legislation they would be exempt. In fact, during the Botànic years, these ships did not pay port taxes when they were in the ports of Vinaròs, Benicarló or Burriana. The President of the Generalitat himself, Carlos Mazón, insisted yesterday, during the general policy debate, that these ships, “when they dock and do not carry out humanitarian missions, like all fishermen, pay for electricity and water”. Furthermore, Mazón took advantage of the debate in the Corts Valencianes to announce that “fishermen and shipowners will stop paying all the taxes that they had to pay each year to the Generalitat”.
The Aita Mari and other migrant rescue ships, accompanied by their legal teams, met several weeks ago with the Director General of Ports, Marc García Manzana, to discuss the situation. Sources from the Generalitat explained that they would give “more time” to the entities to argue and they were “explained” how to justify the resources in order to reduce the total amount of the claims, “provided that it is justified that humanitarian work was being carried out.” The same sources defended the legality of the action and criticized the management of the previous government of the Pacte del Botànic.
From ‘Aita Mari’ they assured that during the meeting they were offered to expand the call presented and to incorporate new elements explaining the reasons why they would be exempted. “This extension would not be necessary if there had not been a change in the interpretation of the article. We still do not agree that the fees have been paid since 2021 when the administration itself did not ask us for them. If they now change their criteria, they will have to notify this change of criteria”, added the same sources from the maritime rescue ship. They were also assured, according to the same sources, that the Generalitat “was not aware of the work we were doing”. An assessment that has caught their attention since the years they have been docking in the ports of the Generalitat.
