Australia, Paris MoU Ban Cargo Ships Following Port State Control Detentions

The Comoros-flagged M/V Streamline. Photo: Paris MoU

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has banned the Philippines-flagged cargo ship Thorco Luna after it was detained by port state control inspectors for the third time this year for consistently failing to meet international standards.

The ship was released from its latest detention at Port Kembla last Friday, 8 June 2018, and will not be permitted to enter an Australian port for a period of three months.

Separately, the Paris MoU on Monday announced it has banned two ships for a period of three months each after they were detained in Russia and the U.K., respectively.

Thorco Luna’s Australian Ban

According to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, AMSA port state control inspectors inspected the M/V Thorco Luna five times between November 2017 and June 2018, resulting in three detentions and 34 issued deficiencies.

The AMSA says the most serious deficiencies stemmed from the fact that officers and crew were unfamiliar with the operation of critical shipboard equipment and procedures for navigation and fire safety in violation of chapter XI-1 of the Safety of Life at Sea Convention.

In one case, the ship’s navigating officers had planned to transit a compulsory pilotage area without a pilot and were unfamiliar with the operation of the electronic navigation systems upon which they relied. AMSA also has concerns with safe systems of work and the operation of critical shipboard equipment for fire-fighting, navigation and alarms.

AMSA’s Acting General Manager of Operations, Stephen Curry, said Thorco Luna’s operator had repeatedly failed to ensure the crew ran the ship safely and in line with international standards.

“This presents an unacceptable risk to the safety of the ship, its crew and the marine environment,” Mr Curry said. “Thorco Luna has been banned from entering an Australian port for a period of three months, which should give the operators time to reassess the management of their operations.”

AMSA has banned six ships in the past two years.

M/V Atlantic, Stream Banned Paris MoU

Separately, the Paris MoU on Monday announced it has been two ships, the St. Kitts and Nevis-flagged M/V Atlantic and the Comoros-flagged Streamline.

The M/V Atlantic was detained in the Russian port of Eysk on 17 May 2018. The Paris MoU on its website listed deficiencies related to the ship’s propulsion and main engine, ISM, and fire pumps. 

The M/V Streamline was detained at the port of Sheerness in the UK on 15 May 2018. Detentions have been related to deficiencies involving crew wages, ballast/fuel tanks, and damage to beams, frames and floors.  

Both the Atlantic and Streamline have each been detained in the Paris MoU three times in the last 36 months. Since it is both ships’ first refusal of access order, the period of the refusal of access will be 3 months.

Related: Paris MOU to Enforce IMO’s Low Sulphur Fuel Rule from “Day One”

In 2018, so far fourteen ships have been refused access to the Paris MoU region. 

The Paris MoU consists of 27 participating maritime Administrations covering European coastal States and the North Atlantic basin from North America to Europe.

Current member States are Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

The Paris MoU bans will be effective immediately after the two cargo ships are authorized to leave their respectives port and anchorage.

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