The Consulate of Indonesia in Malta has been negotiating for the release of the six Indonesian crew members left stranded on a Maltese-registered vessel that has been detained in Benghazi for over two weeks.

Sources have told The Malta Independent that the Libyan authorities are refusing to comply, insisting that the crew would only be released with the vessel itself. The Libyan Authorities are waiting for the relevant authorities in Malta to confirm that the vessel is in fact registered in the country.

In a one-sentence reply, The Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the newsroom that "at the moment, we are closely monitoring the situation."

The Maltese government's hesitation to cooperate may stem from the ongoing Libyan civil war, which has seen the country split into two controlling factions, the UN and Maltese recognised National Transitional Council of Libya which is based in Tripoli, and the military backed government in Tobruk, which rules over Benghazi.

The Maltese flagged fishing vessel Salvatur VI, owned by Salvatur VI Fishing Company Limited), was stopped by the Libyan Military forces of Benghazi on 28 September after it wandered into disputed international waters with intent to fish 40 miles off the coast of Libya.

Neither the vessel nor the captain had been charged with any offence, and have avoided any sort of fine.

Alberto Satariano, who owns the vessel, had called on the government to intervene and save his livelihood when contacted by the newsroom.

"The boat is my life...I don't know how to continue living without it," he said.

The Captain of the ship, who is of Italian origin, was released after the Italian government confirmed his identity and negotiated his departure. He returned to his country a few days later after initially refusing to abandon the vessel and crew.