The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) announced that it has banned the Papua New Guinea-flagged cargo ship “Kiunga Chief” from entering or using Australian ports for three months, after the ship was detained for a third time in less than 18 months, due to the failure of its operators to safely and effectively manage the operations of the vessel.
AMSA issued an official direction banning to the master, on 5 June, in the Port of Brisbane. The ship has now gone to an anchorage within the port to undergo an inspection by its class society, before it continues its voyage. The three month ban will take effect once the vessel leaves the port.
As AMSA explains, the vessel has been issued a total of 79 deficiencies between 14 August 2015 and 29 May 2017. These deficiencies include, but are not limited to, failure to maintain critical equipment, such as the ship’s engines and fire extinguishing systems, inadequate food provisions, unsanitary
living conditions including defective toilets and water leakage into cabins, inadequate training for crew and evidence of crew exceeding 72 hours of work in seven days and being underpaid.
“These are serious and systemic failures on behalf of the ship’s operator which have placed the safety and wellbeing of the crew and the health of Australia’s marine environment at risk,” AMSA’s Acting General Manager of Operations, Mr Stephen Curry, said.
“Let this be a reminder that sub-standard ships will not be tolerated in Australia”, he concluded.
