AMSA Bans Bulk Carrier Wooyang Venus for 90 Days Over Falsified Records
Cubierto por 3 fuentesPublicado
- marinetraffic_maritimenewsBulk Carrier Barred from Australian Ports After Inspectors Find Falsified Crew Work and Rest Records
- Baird MaritimeAustralian authorities ban vessel over repeatedly falsifying records
- safety 4seaAMSA bans bulk carrier over repeated falsification of seafarer work and rest records
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) detained the Marshall Islands-flagged bulk carrier Wooyang Venus and imposed a 90-day ban on it entering Australian ports after inspectors found that the crew's work and rest hour records had been deliberately falsified to conceal excessive working hours.
The inspection
The finding came on October 29, during a Port State Control inspection carried out in Newcastle following a complaint lodged under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) 2006. The review found that the work and rest hour records had been tampered with and did not reflect the hours actually worked by the crew on board.
History of detentions
According to marinetraffic_maritimenews, this is the vessel's third detention in Australia for similar reasons. The ship, built in 2005, had previously been detained in August 2026, when it was found that work and rest hours were not being properly recorded or monitored, and in December 2023, when evidence of incorrect work and rest hour records was discovered.
AMSA's statements
Marinetraffic_maritimenews attributed the statements to AMSA's Chief Executive, who noted that intentionally falsifying seafarers' work and rest records is unacceptable and poses serious risks to crew safety and the marine environment. Baird Maritime and Safety4Sea, however, quoted Greg Witherall, AMSA's Executive Director of Maritime Safety and Environment Compliance, who stated that the deliberate falsification of records intended to protect seafarers is unacceptable and poses a significant risk to crew safety and the protection of Australia's marine environment. Witherall added that poor fatigue management can impair judgment, reduce alertness and slow reaction times, increasing the likelihood of errors during navigation and other critical tasks, which can lead to collisions, groundings and serious injuries.
Legal basis for the sanction
AMSA imposed the 90-day ban on the 229-metre vessel under section 246 of the Navigation Act 2012, citing the deliberate falsification of records, the recurrence of materially similar deficiencies, and doubts over the effectiveness of the safety management arrangements of the vessel's owner and operator.
