Dumpers slapped on wrist

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has successfully prosecuted the master and owners of the Hong Kong registered container ship ANL Kardinia for illegally dumping garbage in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

However, the fines imposed by the court are tantamount to a slap on the wrist.

One Armania Shipping Ltd and the master of ANL Kardinia were found guilty on July 20 in the Townsville Magistrates Court on one charge each of illegally disposing of garbage under the Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983.

The illegal discharge was detected by an AMSA Inspector during a routine Port State Control inspection in Brisbane.

The AMSA Inspector examined ANL Kardinia’s garbage record book and discovered an entry for a discharge of food waste within the prohibited discharge area of the Great Barrier Reef.

One Armania Shipping Ltd was fined $4000 and the master was fined $300 for the illegal discharge.

The amount of the fines created a furore on the AMSA Facebook page with one commenter showing typical outrage when he said: "$4000 a pop and they will continue to dump waste because its cheaper than legal disposal... What a farce... Now they have to get the $4000. Good luck with that. We have morons for judges in Aus."

AMSA was quick to distance itself from the feeble fines and answered another commenter thus: "Hi Hans, the level of fines imposed in these cases are a matter for the courts and are not determined by AMSA."

To us it seems silly for the master of a big ship to be fined $300 for pollution when a recreational boater in Queensland can be fined more for having a rigged fishing rod in a Green zone, or even for taking pee over the side.

And while we applaud the efforts of AMSA, we hope that the courts take their effort a bit more seriously when a polluter of our one of our greatest natural assets next appears.

Photos: Vesseltracker.com;