A bulker managed by Anglo-Eastern has been barred from Australian waters for 180 days because of “serious defects” to its main engine and machinery.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said the operator of the 27,200-dwt Darya Shaan (built 2009) had taken “repeated risks with the safety of the crew” by not reporting the defects.
Inspectors boarded the Indian-flagged ship at the Port of Melbourne on 26 April 2024 and found “multiple maintenance issues”, including defective main engine control and monitoring systems; a faulty engine room alarm monitoring system; defective starting arrangements for two generators; and a failure to maintain the ship after survey.
AMSA said the safety management system failed to ensure that the ship was maintained and that defects were reported appropriately.
It said it was aware that the operator, Anglo-Eastern Ship Management (India), had been notified of “serious safety concerns” prior to arrival in Australia.
“When ship operators play fast and loose with engine maintenance, the consequences can be dire,” said AMSA executive director of operations Michael Drake.
“These defects could cause the ship to lose power during critical navigation, such as in a narrow channel, resulting in a grounding, or collision with another ship or structure.
“The fact that this operator knew about these defects and did not report them to AMSA is appalling and deserving of a 180-day ban.”
Drake said this was a “clear attempt” to conceal serious defects from Australian authorities and demonstrated a “disregard for the safety of the ship, its crew and the marine environment”.
The maritime regulator said there has been an increase in main engine defects in recent years and it has been taking action on substandard vessels to ensure that operators “know their responsibilities”.
“If Anglo-Eastern had complied with its obligations and reported the defects, AMSA would not have detained the vessel under port state control procedures,” said Drake.
“We would have worked with the operator constructively and pragmatically to ensure the ship was safe and met convention requirements.”
Anglo-Eastern told TradeWinds that it was in contact with AMSA regarding the findings and said it took the noted shortcomings "extremely seriously".
"We have initiated an internal audit to ensure all requirements are met and that we adhere to the best practices in the maritime industry," a spokesperson said.
"We will leave no stone unturned in making sure that the learnings from this investigation are incorporated into our safety management system to avoid a recurrence."
The spokesperson added that Anglo-Eastern remains "fully committed" to ensuring the highest standards of safety, crew welfare and environmental protection in all its operations.
"We will continue to work closely with regulatory authorities and AMSA to address any concerns and uphold the highest standards of maritime safety and compliance," the spokesperson added.
Australia takes a tough stance against substandard vessels. Twenty-two ships have been issued with bans ranging from three months to three years since July 2020.
