Three senior officers of a Japanese controlled handymax bulker have been fined a total of AUD 210,000 ($195,000) for navigating their vessel through restricted waters of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
The crewmen from the 54,000-dwt Mimosa (built 2007) part of the fleet of Imabari based, Kitaura Kaiun, today pleaded guilty to offences under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act by taking the shortest most economical route through the reef rather than sticking to designated shipping channels.
Magistrate, Scott Luxton, gave the three officers 14 days to pay and set an alternative penalty of 12 months jail.
The prosecution of the Mimosa officers took place against the background of raised environmental sensitivity as a result of a Great Barrier Reef spill by the 70,000-dwt Chinese bulker Shen Neng 1 (built 1993). The master and a crew member of this ship have been arrested and are to be prosecuted.
The Townsville court was told the Mimosa was 50 miles off the correct course on a voyage to load a cargo at Queensland’s Abbot Point coal terminal.
Prosecutors said the vessel entered the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park via Flinders Passage, east of Cape Bowling Green, which is not an shipping channel.
The Mimosa did not register with the Reef Vessel Tracking System (VTS) and failed to respond to attempts to mke contact with the vessel.
The handymax has protection and indemnity cover from the Standard Club.
