Controversial Vessel Still in Port

A controversial ship berthed in New Zealand remains stranded. The "Vega Auriga" arrived in Tauranga in August after being banned from Australia for three months due to problems with the treatment of crew. An inspection of the ship on its arrival found 14 issues that have since been fixed. The Mediterranean Shipping Company, which chartered the ship, ended its charter as it was no longer able to fulfil its contract, which included taking cargo to and from Australia. The company has since been unable to find a new chartererer and so the crew have become trapped and had been struggling to buy food.