From 1 March to 31 August 2021, AMSA will undertake a focused inspection campaign (FIC) on livestock ships departing Australian ports.
The purpose of the focused inspection campaign is to ascertain the level of compliance with the maintenance and repair requirements of International Conventions. It will also check the familiarity of the Master and officers to assess the stability of their ship in differing conditions.
AMSA has implemented this FIC as a result of recent incidents involving livestock ships in Australia.
On the 7th of January 2021, AMSA banned the Barkly Pearl from entering Australian ports for a period of 24 months due to substantiated concerns relating to the structural integrity of the ship, the potential threat of pollution to the marine environment and the immediate risk to the seafarer's safety.
This banning illustrates that AMSA has a zero-tolerance approach to ships that are poorly maintained, and that the Australian community expects that any ship operating or travelling throughout our waters is seaworthy.
Source: AMSA