The master and owner of the Hong Kong registered bulk carrier ANL Kardinia have been found guilty for illegally dumping garbage in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park by a magistrate court in Townsville, Australia.
The court fined One Armania Shipping Ltd and the master of ANL Kardinia on July 20 on one charge each of illegally disposing of garbage under the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983.
The illegal discharge took place on 13 February 2015 and was detected by an inspector of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) during a routine inspection in Brisbane on 16 February 2015.
The AMSA inspector examined ANL Kardinia’s Garbage Record Book and found an entry for a discharge of food waste within the prohibited discharge area of the Great Barrier Reef.
AMSA Chief Executive Officer Mick Kinley said masters and owners of vessels should be warned that the illegal discharge of ship waste would not be tolerated in Australia.
“Australia has a robust Port State Control regime, designed to ensure ship owners and their masters are following the rules and regulations to prevent marine areas from being polluted,” said Kinley.””These prosecutions are a reminder to the shipping community if they flout the regulations they can be caught and prosecuted.
The penalty comes amid ongoing investigation into an oil spill spotted by local fishermen on Friday in the vicinity of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.
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