The chief officer and owner of a bulk carrier were convicted and fined in Australia for dumping trash overboard. While the fines were small dollar amounts, Australian authorities said it was the principle of dumping trash into protected waters and that it would send a broader message of the shipping industry.
“Australians and tourists alike visit Lady Elliot Island to swim with mantra rays and turtles – not blended food waste from merchant ships,” said Allan Schwartz, General Manager Operations for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. “We take a zero-tolerance approach to pollution from shipping and that is why, after detecting this breach during a routine inspection, we detained the ship and later filed charges.”
Read the full story at The Maritime Executive.
