Jakarta: Meratus Lines has suffered the ignominy of seeing one its ships banned from calling at Australian ports for three months.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has hit the multipurpose Meratus Sangatta with the ban following four detentions in the past 26 months. Another Meratus ship, Territory Trader, was banned last year too.
“The recent detention found numerous failings in compliance with the MLC, which place the welfare of seafarers at risk,” AMSA ceo Mick Kinley said of the latest detention of the Meratus Sangatta.
“The more serious of these deficiencies included not having enough food and potable water for the next voyage, defective and insufficient refrigerated storage to safely store fresh food, defective laundry, sanitary and cooking facilities, as well as expired Seafarer Employment Agreements (SEA).
“AMSA, in line with its international obligations, treats any breaches of the MLC with the greatest of seriousness to ensure seafarer welfare and safety, and to protect Australia’s marine environment.”
Any Meratus ship calling at any Australian port will now be subject to inspections. [12/01/15]
