RAROTONGA, COOK ISLANDS – Maritime Cook Islands (MCI), the Cook Islands Ships Registry, wishes to clarify inaccuracies in a recent social news-media post concerning the vessel Bertha (IMO 9292163).
The post incorrectly states that the vessel “flies the Cook Islands flag,” attributing this to a New York Times (NYT) article. Maritime Cook Islands confirms that this vessel is not registered with the Cook Islands and has not been for sometime. It was deregistered in 2024. Furthermore, the NYT article in question refers to the vessel only by name and IMO number as part of wider reporting on sanctioned tankers attempting to evade the U.S. naval blockade of Venezuela; it does not identify Bertha as Cook Islands-registered or flagged.
The reference to the Cook Islands appears to have been added by the journalist concerned and is not supported by the NYT source material. Based on this false information, the post goes on to suggest “severe political implications for Cook Islands and New Zealand relations with the US.”
Before this misinformation circulates further and creates false perceptions that must be unwound, MCI provides the following clarification:
Registration Status and Timeline
- Bertha (IMO 9292163) was registered with the Cook Islands on 1 March 2024.
- Her registration was formally cancelled by the Registrar of Ships on 25 November 2024 – over a year ago
- Notably, the cancellation occurred prior to the vessel being sanctioned by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) on 4 December 2024.
AIS Spoofing and Deceptive Practices
It appears that Bertha is continuing to use Cook Islands identifiers (MMSI 518999103 and Call Sign E5U5084) in her Automatic Identification System (AIS) transmissions. This deceptive practice enables the vessel to show falsely as being registered with the Cook Islands on commercial tracking platforms.
As noted in recent reports (including a January 5, 2026, Reuters report regarding tankers sailing without valid safety documents or flags), vessels within the “shadow fleet” frequently use deceptive AIS practices, such as spoofing locations and broadcasting false vessel identities. While Flag States control the assignment of MMSI numbers, they have limited control over how a vessel misuses that data once its registration has been terminated.
Verification of Information
MCI assumes the journalist/social media post relied on public platform information. A review of major maritime databases reveals a clear discrepancy:
- GISIS (IMO) & Equasis: These platforms rely on S&P Global data (S&P Global is the sole authority responsible for issuing and verifying the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Ship Numbers)). Both correctly report the vessel as “Flag Unknown.” MCI updates S&P monthly with a list of current CKI-flagged vessels.
- Marine Traffic: This tracking platform relies on raw AIS transmissions programmed by the vessel. AIS transmitted information (vessels name, flag etc) can be manually programmed on board by the vessel master or radio operator.
It appears the journalist relied on an AIS-based data platform such as Marine Traffic.
MCI takes registry integrity and international compliance seriously. We encourage all media outlets to verify flag status using authoritative sources, such as the Flag Administration (via an official Registry Transcript), IMO GISIS records, or the vessel’s statutory certification body. Commercial AIS-tracking websites are not a reliable source of legal registry status.
For further information, please contact:
Maritime Cook Islands, Media Department