AMSA bans Indonesian container ship from Australian ports

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has banned Indonesian-flagged container ship Red Rover from entering or using any port in Australia for a period of 12 months.

Red Rover was issued with a direction after AMSA detained for the third time since September 2014, for failures in the vessel’s safety management system.

According to AMSA, the failures include a lack of effective passage planning, appropriate charts and publications.

The lastest detention the vessel received was on 28 January in Fremantle, Western Australia.

AMSA CEO Mick Kinley said: "The unsafe operation of vessels poses an unacceptable risk to seafarers and the environment, and AMSA treats any breaches of international shipping standards with the greatest of seriousness.

"A lack of effective passage planning is extremely unsafe, particularly in areas like the Western Australia coastline. Like the Great Barrier Reef, this coastline has environmentally sensitive areas such as Ningaloo Reef and Houtman Abrolhos Islands, with Ningaloo Reef containing International Maritime Organization endorsed ‘area to be avoided’ ship routing measures."

Red Rover is the third vessel operated by PT Meratus Line that AMSA has temporarily banned from accessing Australian ports.

Earlier this month, MV Meratus Sangatta vessel was banned by AMSA, while the Territory Trader was prohibited in November of last year.

Red Rover is the fourth vessel to be banned from Australian ports under the revised Navigation Act, which came into effect in July 2013, AMSA stated.