The Australian Maritime
Safety Authority (AMSA) has detained a domestic-flagged ship believed to be “unseaworthy, substandard and a threat to
the marine environment” by the Inspectors.
AMSA inspectors boarded
the MV Tomin in the Port of Yamba, New South Wales, on June 25, 2018.
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.
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