Media release

The national regulator for commercial vessel operations in Australia, including commercial crabbers and bait fishers, is calling for industry feedback on a proposal to provide alternative safety equipment requirements for small fishing vessels operating in warm waters close to shore.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) Operations General Manager Al Schwartz said since 2016, commercial fishing vessels in Australia had been required to gradually adopt more modern safety equipment requirements.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has today banned the Hong Kong-flagged bulk carrier Unison Jasper from Australian ports for six months.

The Unison Jasper has remained alongside in the Port of Newcastle, under detention, since 25 July 2020 for breaches to the Maritime Labour Convention. The breaches related to the operation of several sets of wage accounts and multiple conflicting seafarer employment agreements. 

AMSA also found insufficient quantity and variety of food on board and an ineffective complaints procedure.

Release of the first domestic commercial vessel Annual Incident Report.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has today released the first Domestic Commercial Vessel Annual Incident Report, since taking on responsibility for delivery of National System services and DCV incident reporting.

The report’s findings will help guide AMSA’s future education and compliance activities with a singular goal in mind—safer and cleaner seas.

The report details an analysis of 741 marine incidents during 2019 which were reported to AMSA.

Sydney company, MV Wolf Pty Ltd, has pleaded guilty to operating illegally and fined more than $15,000 in the Sydney Magistrates Court on 4 August 2020.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is the national regulator for commercial vessel safety and one of its compliance partners in New South Wales is Transport for New South Wales (TfNSW).

Gold Coast company, GC Princess Boatshare Pty Ltd, has been found guilty of operating a domestic commercial vessel unlawfully and fined $20,000 in the Southport Magistrates Court on Monday, 3 August 2020.

The company had been hiring out a luxury cruise boat Livin II on the Gold Coast Broadwater without a certificate of operation or certificate of survey as required under the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012.

Overnight the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) banned the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier TW Hamburg from Australian ports for 12 months.

AMSA boarded the ship in Gladstone on Friday 24 July 2020 after receiving correspondence that seafarers onboard had expired employment agreements and requested repatriation. Further information and assistance was provided by the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

Hay Point Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) Operator Warren Bath has been recognised for his coordination of an incident involving a bulk carrier by the inaugural VTS award.

Mr Bath was nominated for the award after coordinating the response action of allied services including tugs, port pilots and helicopter operators when reports came through of a bulk carrier drifting 20 metres off the berth at 1am on 21 April 2019. 

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has today banned the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier Agia Sofia from Australian ports for six months.

AMSA inspected the ship at Hay Point in Mackay on Saturday 25 July 2020 after receiving a complaint via the International Transport Workers’ Federation.

During the inspection AMSA found evidence that some seafarers on board the ship had not been paid their wages in full since August 2019.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is launching a focused inspection campaign targeting cargo securing arrangements on container ships visiting Australian ports.

This inspection campaign is being initiated in response to several serious incidents involving shipping containers lost overboard recently.