Australia Detains Ship, Arrests Its Owners

Abiodun Oba ~

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has detained a domestic-flagged ship believed to be unseaworthy.

AMSA inspectors boarded the MV Tomin in the Port of Yamba, New South Wales, on June 25, 2018.

The inspectors subsequently detained the vessel because AMSA suspected the vessel to be “unseaworthy, substandard and a threat to the marine environment.”

With support from New South Wales Police, the owners of the vessel were arrested on board and have been charged with offenses under the Navigation Act, which carries a maximum penalty of ten years imprisonment or a fine of AUD 126,000 or both.

AMSA said it considered the grounds for suspicion to be reasonable. Those grounds included information suggesting the vessel undertook a voyage to Australia from the Solomon Islands without required certification.

“Vessels of the size of MV Tomin can carry large amounts of engine oil and fuel, which can damage the environment if not properly managed. AMSA inspectors found what appeared to be structural leaks and oily waste inside the vessel,” the authority further said.