The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has prosecuted China Earth Shipping Incorporated, the owners of Panama flagged bulk carrier Xin Tai Hai and its master after the ship’s crew tossed bags of garbage overboard near Gladstone in June last year.
The shipowner was fined $20,000 and the ship’s master was fined $6000 in the Townsville Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, November 18.
Both the company and the master entered pleas of guilty.
The conviction stemmed from a report by a local fisherman who saw a number of plastic bags of rubbish on June 13 last year. The AMSA subsequently identified Xin Tai Hai as the potential source of the pollution through the Vessel Traffic Service in Gladstone, which tracks vessels transiting through the area after the report was received by the Gladstone Volunteer Marine Service.
An AMSA surveyor boarded the ship while it was berthed in Gladstone and the investigation found similar items to those found in the ocean.
Ship Safety Division General Manager Allan Schwartz said Australia, in line with international conventions, does not tolerate ships dumping garbage in the ocean.
“Ship owners and their masters need to understand these incidents are investigated and will lead to prosecution, if ships are found to have disposed of garbage illegally,” Mr Schwartz said.
“These regulations exist to ensure sensitive sea areas such as the Great Barrier Reef are protected.”
Join the gCaptain Club for curated content, insider opinions, and vibrant community discussions.
Join the 105,954 members that receive our newsletter.
Have a news tip? Let us know.
ROME (Reuters) – An Italian judge on Friday cleared three migrant sea rescue charities that had been accused of abetting irregular immigration in complicity with human traffickers, throwing out a case opened...
(Bloomberg) — The closure of one of the East Coast’s busiest ports after the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge has so far not led to broad price increases,...
(Bloomberg) — An Iranian ship that’s been linked to Houthi attacks in the Red Sea is returning home, removing a prominent asset in the area as the Islamic Republic braces...
Access exclusive insights, engage in vibrant discussions, and gain perspectives from our CEO.
Sign Up
Maritime and offshore news trusted by our 105,954 members delivered daily straight to your inbox.
Essential news coupled with the finest maritime content sourced from across the globe.
Sign Up
Join The Club
