Australia has banned its second allegedly unsafe cargo ship in a week.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) barred the 17,500-dwt Briese Schiffahrts-owned multipurpose BBC Weser (built 2006) for 90 days for being in “an unsafe and unseaworthy condition” — and “an unacceptable risk” to the marine and coastal environments.
The ship was detained in May, after inspectors found a significant number of ballast air vents on board were defective.
Ballast air vents are critical safety components that prevent water entering a ship, while allowing air to escape, preventing a dangerous vacuum from developing inside a tank, the authority said.
It added that operator Briese Heavylift has a history of poor performance, with one in five of its ships having been detained in Australia since May 2021 — a rate more than three times the average for vessels visiting the country.
The AMSA had twice contacted Briese Heavylift to warn the company of its poor performance and the potential consequences of further detentions, or more serious compliance and enforcement action.
Previous detentions were due to defective emergency generators and unsafe work platforms, negligence that led to a crew member being critically injured while working on another ship.
AMSA executive director of operations Michael Drake said the banning sent a clear message to the operator and the wider shipping industry that substandard vessels will not be tolerated in Australian waters.
“BBC Weser poses a significant risk to the safety of the seafarers on board, and Australia’s precious marine and coastal environments,” he added.
‘Would have been obvious’
“The defects on the BBC Weser are especially concerning, as they are detainable deficiencies that would have been obvious to anyone on board, and that the operator could not have pleaded ignorance to.”
Briese has been contacted for comment.
On 1 June, AMSA banned a handysize bulker linked to Taiwan shipowner Wisdom Marine for 90 days for a “plethora of detainable deficiencies”.
The Panama-flag 18,969-dwt Babuza Wisdom (built 2009) is operated by Taipei-based Well Shipmanagment & Maritime Consultant Co and appears on the fleet list of Wisdom Marine.
