There are substantial problems with communication during emergencies at sea, according to the outcome of an investigation by the Dutch Safety Board into the 2023 Fremantle Highway cargo ship disaster.

The ship was stricken by a fire off the coast of Ameland. The Panamanian-flagged vessel was traveling from Egypt to Singapore, transporting almost 4,000 cars.

According to the findings, several ministries are responsible for coordination for off-shore disasters and this hampers communication.

‘The safety board has regularly pointed out in recent years that the coastguard centre is insufficiently capable of taking control when it has to collaborate with other parties,” Erica Bakkum said in a statement.

“It does not help that several ministries share the administrative responsibility for the coastguard. This arrangement is at the expense of the speed of action,”

It took more than two hours from the initial distress call for a rescue operation to be launched and another hour and a half for emergency helicopters to arrive.

Seven of the crew jumped into the sea and were picked up by nearby ships. One did not survive. The remaining crew members were rescued by helicopter.

The 23 crew members on board attempted to put out the fire themselves, but the blaze spread too fast. Specialised firefighters were brought in from Rotterdam but the situation had already become too dangerous by the time they arrived.

The Dutch Safety Board has issued previous warnings about safety off the coast. It has called for an increase in funding for the coastguard and better oversight.