7 September 2005 Immediate Release
Media Release
AMSA Successfully Prosecutes Ship Garbage Polluters
The owners and the master of the Panamanian registered vehicle carrier Magic Wave were fined a total of $24,000 today in the Sydney Magistrates Court for an illegal discharge of garbage in waters off Ulladulla, New South Wales, in June 2003.
They had pleaded guilty to offences under the Commonwealth Protection of the Sea (Prevention of Pollution from Ships) Act 1983 that carried a maximum fine of $110,000 for the ship owner and $22,000 for the ship’s master.
Members of the Ulladulla Volunteer Coastal Patrol found the garbage while undertaking a search for a missing fishing vessel and they reported seeing Magic Wave in the area just prior to the garbage being found.
AMSA’s Chief Executive Officer, Clive Davidson, praised the initiative of the Volunteer Coastal Patrol members for notifying authorities and retrieving some of the garbage, including prohibited plastic items, which assisted in identifying the ship.
"Australia has strict laws against ship-sourced pollution, and the discharge of any plastics into the sea is absolutely prohibited," Mr Davidson said.
"Most garbage pollution found along the coastline cannot be traced to its origin and it was only by the vigilant action of the Volunteer Coast Guard members that items of garbage were retrieved from the sea that could be directly linked to the ship. The community can be confident that instances of this type of pollution are taken seriously by the relevant authorities and by Australian courts."
During the last year two foreign ships have been fined for garbage pollution in Australian waters.
The owners and master of the Hong Kong registered Bow De Jin were fined, on appeal, a total of $22,500 for a plastic waste discharge and the owners of the Panamanian bulk cargo ship Foremost were fined $14,575 for plastic and food waste discharges.
Further Information: Tracey Jiggins: 0418 164 901
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