Recently, information related to the case of a tourism company proposing to sink the Sheng Li shipwreck currently anchored in Con Dao special zone has especially attracted public attention.
The Sheng Li ship drifted freely, was towed back by authorities, and anchored at the port of Squadron R33 (Command of Coast Guard Region 3, stationed in Con Dao special zone) awaiting processing.
In early August, Amadive Travel Services Co., Ltd. sent a document to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism proposing a project to sink the Sheng Li shipwreck to create a high-class diving spot in Con Dao.
Recently, in the response document of the Department of Agriculture and Environment to the unit, the content stated that this form of handling is not regulated in current law.
This agency cited the provisions of the 2015 Vietnam Maritime Code and Decree 05/2017/ND-CP on handling sunken assets. Thus, there are only two options for handling the Sheng Li cargo ship: destruction or auction, there is no form of sinking to create a tourist diving spot.
Previously, on May 9, the Chairman of the People's Committee of Ba Ria - Vung Tau province (now Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee) issued a decision approving the starting price for the auction of the Sheng Li ship.
In which, the content mentioned the approval of the starting price to organize the auction of the Sheng Li ship with 2 auction rounds. The starting price was 1.7 billion VND.
According to regulations, organizations and individuals who win the auction of the Sheng Li ship assets can only use them for scrap recovery, not for conversion or other purposes. Currently, the Department of Finance is completing the procedures to organize the auction of the Sheng Li ship according to regulations.
Speaking with Dan Tri reporter, Mr. Ngo Tuan Tu, Director of Amadive Tourism Services Company Limited, said he had received a response from the Department.
"Our original intention was to transform the abandoned ship into a tourist destination, but in the end it was not approved by the Department. We accept this decision," said Mr. Tu.
Previously, the unit had conducted a survey of the current condition of the ship.
Specifically, inside the ship there are many cleaning areas that need to be removed such as the ceiling panels that cause pollution, the steering system, and the oil tank that needs to be cleaned. There is still a lot of garbage inside the ship, and a thick layer of grease.
The ship has 6 interconnected cargo holds, a main engine, 2 auxiliary engines, a generator and a propeller. All are saltwater contaminated, rusted and no longer functional.
According to initial observations of the unit, due to lack of maintenance for a long time, the ship's hull has seriously degraded and is heavily damaged.
The project objective from the tourism company is to create a new sea tourism product, attracting tourists who love diving. Currently, Vietnam does not officially have a diving tour to see shipwrecks.
However, there are also many conflicting opinions on this issue. Some experts have commented that sinking the ship could pose a challenge to the environment.
The Sheng Li ship is 52m long, 8.5m wide, has a capacity of about 12,000 tons, was built in 2002 and has been abandoned for the past 4 years.
The ship drifted freely, was towed back by authorities, and anchored at the port of Squadron R33 (Command of Coast Guard Region 3, stationed in Con Dao special zone) awaiting processing.
Source: https://dantri.com.vn/du-lich/tphcm-khong-chap-nhan-de-xuat-danh-chim-tau-lam-diem-lan-du-lich-o-con-dao-20250924090822981.htm
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