A Singapore owned livestock carrier detained by Indonesian authorities for allegedly anchoring illegally in its waters has been released.
Singapore-listed shipowner Beng Kuang Marine said its 2,968-dwt Diamantina (built 1997) was released from detention on 15 November 2021.
The Singapore-flagged vessel was originally detained in the first week of October, according to a regulatory filing by its owner.
Beng Kuang Marine recently confirmed that the ship's detention and an accident involving its second livestock carrier had slashed revenue at its shipping arm by almost 80%.
The company's second livestock carrier, the 3,300-dwt Barkly Pearl (built 1993), hit the headlines late last year when it sustained damage to its hull off the coast of Australia.
Australian authorities later slapped a two-year ban on the vessel from entering its waters over the poor state of its seaworthiness.
The Barkly Pearl was later loaded onto OHT's semi-submersible heavylift ship Falcon for transport to Indonesia for repairs to be carried out.
Beng Kuang Marine recently confirmed that the Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was docked on its Batam waterfront yard for repairs.
However, due to Covid-19 restrictions there were delays in coordinating onsite insurance and class inspections.
Bareboat charter
Beng Kuang Marine confirmed that following the release of the Diamantina it is exploring the potential to enter the vessel into a bareboat charter to "enhance stability in revenue streams and limit operational risks".
Several P&I clubs have warned owners about incidents involving vessels illegally anchoring or drifting within Indonesian territorial waters.
In early October, West P&I club said many vessels had been fined and detained off Bintan Island and around the Riau Archipelago since the start of the Indonesian Navy's focused campaign in 2019.
There are no international waters in or around the Singapore Strait, according to a note issued by Standard Club in January 2020.
Therefore, when a ship waits outside Singapore port limits, it may still be in territorial waters of either Malaysia or Indonesia.
It has recently been reported that a dozen shipowners have made unofficial payments of about $300,000 a piece to release vessels detained by Indonesia's navy.
But Indonesian navy chief Yudo Margono has defended the enforcement action against foreign ships saying they continue to anchor illegally in his country's waters as they wait to enter Singapore.
However, he has urged anyone making such claims over such payments to provide proof of these allegations.
"Every time we step up law enforcement, such baseless claims from overseas parties arise. Still, we will also do our evaluation and check if there is any truth to such claims," he told local media
