Marine order 504

On the morning of 24 April 2022, a fishing vessel ran aground on a reef between Bundaberg and Torres Strait. The master and two deck hands had been underway for six days prior to the grounding. The master was fatigued, having had little sleep given the watchkeeping schedule and the competency levels of the two deckhands.

The purpose of this marine notice is to inform cruise vessel masters and operators of AMSA’s policy on limiting sulphur emissions from cruise vessels[1] when at berth in the Port of Sydney Harbour.

Shipping containers lost from ships are a cause of pollution in the marine environment.

A crew member’s arm was crushed between the vessel and a pylon while tending to mooring lines.

A lone cray fisher was heading for shelter during poor weather. He had been working for 17 hours without rest. While nearing the planned anchor point, the master fell asleep at the helm and the vessel continued on, running aground on the rocky shoreline.

In Australia, domestic commercial vessels are regulated under the Marine Safety (Domestic Commercial Vessel) National Law Act 2012 (national law act). The National Law Act underpins the National System for Domestic Commercial Vessel Safety (national system).

A contractor working on a vessel fell into the water whilst disembarking due to the gap between the wharf and the vessel.  A safe means of access to the vessel was not provided.

The 274th meeting of the Board was held on Wednesday, 13 August 2025, in Fremantle, Western Australia.

In rough weather, early in the morning of 24 May, about 50 containers were lost overboard from the Singapore-flagged container ship APL England. Read our regular updates.

This marine notice highlights shipowners, operators, masters and crews obligation to ensure safe working arrangements are in place for any work involving a ship’s elevator.

We have approved these courses if you want to qualify for a certificate under international training conventions.

Using an advanced under keel clearance management (UKCM) system will reduce your chances of running aground.

The information you provide in your incident report plays an important part in guiding the way we improve maritime safety for everybody on the water. By reporting marine incidents to us, you are also meeting your reporting obligations under Australian laws.

We work with a range of stakeholders on education and safety in the Torres Strait.

On the evening of 29 May 2022, a commercial fishing vessel was on a voyage from Mackay to Cairns when the master noticed an auxiliary engine alarm. Upon lifting the engine room hatch, the master saw smoke and an orange glow and the engine room subsequently caught fire. The master quickly made the decision that they would not be able to fight the fire without jeopardising their safety and abandoned ship. An SMS risk assessment on appropriate crewing on a voyage greater than 12 hours duration should be undertaken in these situations.

On 14 July 1975 the Marine Operations Centre in Canberra was alerted that the oil tanker Princess Anne Marie had sustained a large crack in its hull approximately 300 miles off Western Australian.

Our regulatory program is prepared annually and contains details of planned and completed changes to our regulatory instruments