A seafarer on board a capesize bulker operated by Taiwan’s Formosa Plastics Marine Corp (FPMC) has died in a botched crew change attempt that took place off the Australian coast.
The incident involving the 170,000-dwt bulk carrier Formosabulk Clement (built 2001) occurred in Australian territorial waters, approximately five nautical miles (9 km) off Mooloolaba, according to the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF).
The man reportedly died after falling from a ladder being used to transfer seafarers between the Liberian-flagged bulk carrier and a small vessel.
The Formosabulk Clement was subsequently detained by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) pending further investigation into the death.
“The Formosabulk Clement was reportedly sailing to a New South Wales port, where a crew change could have safely occurred at the berth, but because of that state’s restrictive health orders it appears the vessel operator instead decided to replace the crew while sailing down the Queensland coast,” ITF Australia coordinator Ian Bray said.
Bray said that the lack of a nationally-consistent policy on international seafarer crew changes in Australia, along with restrictive state-based health orders, appeared to be the reason the high-risk offshore transfer was undertaken rather than occurring at port.
“The current situation is seeing risky offshore transfers take place, while some vessels are diverting to Queensland ports because it is the only Australian state with a comprehensive approach to crew changes,” Bray said.
“It is essential that the Australian government learned from this completely preventable death and takes the urgent steps needed to address the crew change crisis that caused it.”
Bray stressed that offshore crew changes would not be necessary if the Australian government addressed the issue by working with state and territory governments to put in place a nationally-consistent, best-practices policy that allowed the safe transfer of seafarers while vessels were in port.
Senior executives at FPMC were not available for comment.
MarineTraffic data on Wednesday showed the Formosabulk Clement to be anchored off Mooloolaba.
FPMC’s website indicated that P&I coverage for the vessel is provided by Britannia P&I Club.
