An Australian court has fined the master and owner of the Hong Kong-flagged ANL Kardinia for dumping garbage on the Great Barrier Reef.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) announced on 22 July that it had successfully prosecuted shipowner One Armania Shipping Ltd and its master on 20 July in the Townsville Magistrates Court.
The discharge in breach of Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983 took place on February 2014. An AMSA inspector detected the breach during a routine port state control inspection in Brisbane on 16 February.
One Armania Shipping Ltd was fined AUD4,000 (USD2,965), with the master fined AUD300.
AMSA CEO Mick Kinley warned shipowners that illegal discharge of water would not be tolerated in Australian waters.
“These prosecutions are a reminder to the shipping community if they flout the regulations they can be caught and prosecuted,” he said in a statement.
Meanwhile, authorities are investigating an oil spill on the Great Barrier Reef detected last week off Townsville.
Fishermen reported the 20 km-long slick some 33 km out to sea to the North East. A Maritime Safety Queensland aircraft has been searching the area and an alert was put out to all shipping.
In a statement provided to IHS Maritime, AMSA said it was running a joint investigation into the incident with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
“AMSA has commenced inspecting ships calling at Australian ports that passed through the area,” a spokesperson said.
Overseas maritime administrations will be investigating vessels arriving in overseas ports that have transited the Reef as well.
This post was sourced from IHS Maritime 360: View the original article here.
