Master Fined for Breaching Great Barrier Reef Navigation Rules

A Taiwanese ship captain has been fined over USD$6,000 for navigating his vessel by means of an space of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park with out a pilot.

The captain was in court docket in Newcastle on Monday going through fees of “Being the master of a ship that navigates without a pilot in the compulsory pilot area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, contrary to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act 1975 (Cth)”, in line with the Australian Federal Police.

While in court docket, it was alleged that on January 1, 2015 the grasp of the 154,000 DWT coal service MV China Steel Developer, 66-year-old Chih-Ming Lu, tried to depart Australian waters by means of Hydrographers Passage, a obligatory pilotage space of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, with out a pilot on board.

On Saturday February 14, 2015, Australian Federal Police officers and investigators from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) met the vessel quickly after it docked within the Port of Newcastle, arresting Lu and charging him with breaching Great Barrier Reef navigation guidelines.

The captain initially confronted a most high-quality of AUD$85,000 (about US$66,000) for the offense, though the high-quality was lowered to only AUD$8,000 after a decide returned the responsible verdict on Tuesday.

GBRMPA General Manager Andrew Skeat stated the case ought to function instance to all delivery firms to heed the foundations on the usage of obligatory pilots.

“For certain sections of the Great Barrier Reef and for particular types of vessels, the use of pilots is mandatory because they greatly enhance protection of animals, habitats and sensitive areas of the Marine Park, including coral reefs,” Skeat stated.

“The Marine Park is one of the most regulated shipping areas in the world, with compulsory pilots forming one aspect of a comprehensive system that also includes the use of designated shipping areas, vessel traffic monitoring, and mandatory vessel reporting,” added Skeat.

At the time of the offense, the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait Vessel Traffic (REEFVTS) in Townsville detected the ship within the obligatory pilotage space and took motion to cease the ship from leaving Australian waters. An announcement of details discovered that the ship travelled 4.88 kilometers into the restricted space with out a pilot.

REEFVTS is a joint service operated by Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) and the Maritime Safety Queensland.

“This shows the vital role of the REEFVTS in detecting the ship and ensuring it did not navigate through this compulsory pilotage area without a pilot onboard, as required,” AMSA Chief Executive Officer Mick Kinley stated.