The master and mate of a bulk carrier have been fined after pleading guilty to steering the ship through a protected area of the Great Barrier Reef.
The incident occurred in March involving the 289-metre MV Sea Coen, registered in the Marshall Islands, and caused no environmental damage. The ship’s captain and first officer admitted to leaving the designated sailing area in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Their guilty plea was entered in Townsville Magistrates Court, Queensland on June 21.
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority CEO Josh Thomas said the result was a good example of compliance enforcement in the marine park and demonstrated strong collaboration between management agencies. In this case, the Reef Authority was made aware of this incident through Reef Vessel Tracking Services operated by Maritime Safety Queensland.
The captain and first officer, both South Korean nationals, were ordered to pay A$40,000 and A$35,000 respectively.
“Having access to technologies such as vessel tracking services allows us to act quickly to prevent serious incidents from damaging the marine park,” Thomas said. “The Reefs Authority places a very high priority on investigating breaches of laws designed to reduce risk to the reef from vessels sailing in this World Heritage area.”
“Major maritime incidents can have catastrophic consequences for the environmental, cultural and economic values of the Great Barrier Reef, and vessel operators who flout the laws will be held accountable,” Thomas added.
Reef Vessel Tracking Services uses a multimillion-dollar system launched in 2019 to monitor shipping in the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait.
In 2010, the coal carrier Shen Neng 1 sadly veered off shipping lanes and ran aground on Douglas Shoal, part of the Great Barrier Reef. The grounding ruptured the ship’s fuel tanks, causing around four tonnes of fuel oil to spill into the surrounding waters and significantly damage the reef. The wreckage was finally towed away after a two-month salvage operation.
The ship’s Chinese owner was ordered to pay nearly $40 million for the accident. Her captain and mate were also found criminally responsible.
