Malmö, Sweden – October 7, 2025.

Representatives from Nordic marine engineers’ associations have expressed deep concern over the recent incident involving the ferry Galaxy, which sailed with its stern ramp open. The matter was discussed this week at the semi-annual meeting of the Nordic Marine Engineers’ Federation (NMF), held in Malmö, Sweden.

According to the NMF, the event represents a serious breach of maritime safety procedures and should never have occurred.

“There is absolutely no excuse for what happened aboard Galaxy,” said Odd Rune Malterud, outgoing President of NMF and Assistant Director & Technical Manager, Norwegian Union of Marine Engineers

“Port State Control – in this case, the Faroese Maritime Authority – should have been notified immediately, and the vessel should have been detained until full compliance and safety were confirmed.”

Mr. Malterud, who also chairs the Safety Committee of the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF) and has long been active in maritime safety within the International Maritime Organization (IMO), emphasized that strict adherence to safety regulations is fundamental to seafaring operations across all Nordic nations.

The Nordic Marine Engineers’ Federation (NMF) unites Marine Engineers’ unions from across the Nordic countries to promote safety, competence, and collaboration among marine engineers.