21 migrants on tuna pen in Libyan waters

Twenty-one migrants were yesterday said to be hanging onto a tuna pen being towed by a tugboat in Libyan search and rescue waters.

The Armed Forces of Malta said it had been informed that the tugboat, the Eyborg, was located 109 miles south of Malta and 70 miles from the nearest Libyan shore.

Eighteen men and three women were occupying the tuna pen's walkway. According to Eyborg crew there was a female corpse among the migrants and another seven to 10 persons could be missing at sea. 

The AFM said it had made numerous telephone calls and sent faxes to ask Libya to take responsibility for co-ordinating the rescue operation. 

The Maltese Embassy in Tripoli was advised about the incident and promptly intervened with the Libyan authorities.   

The AFM advised the Eyborg captain of his obligations to take the migrants on board his vessel and to ferry them to the nearest port.

The captain informed the AFM that he had been contacted by the Misurata port authorities in Libya telling him that he could convey the migrants to Misurata.

The army said it might dispatch a patrol boat to pick up the migrants and take them to Misurata if Libya accepted such an arrangement.

Contacted late last night an army spokesman said the situation had not developed any further.