The remaining crew members of a cattle carrier ship that was abandoned off the coast of Australia last year have been compensated by the new owner and sent back home.
AMSA (Australian Maritime Safety Authority) had detained the international livestock carrier ship, the Yangtze Fortune, after its owner failed to pay its crew or meet its obligations under international maritime law. When it was anchored near Portland last October, the Liberian-flagged ship was on a trading route between Australia and China. Shortly after it was abandoned by its Hong Kong owners.
A group of approximately 20 crew members were permitted to depart Portland in January, but Australian law required 16 crew members to remain on board to respond to any emergencies. According to ITF (International Transport Workers’ Federation), the remaining original crew will return to Portland before traveling to Melbourne and boarding a flight to Manila. They have now been relieved by a replacement crew provided by the ship’s new owner.
