Since 2006, we have provided an emergency towing vessel in the Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef to protect the marine environment.

If you are a Traditional Inhabitant of the Torres Strait and use your TIB to catch seafood and sell it, your boat is being used as a domestic commercial vessel. This page explains what that means, when you can use the TIB-specific exemption, and the steps you must follow to operate safely and legally.

Electronic visual distress signals are not a substitute for conventional pyrotechnic flares.

Find out if you can get an equivalent certificate for your New Zealand engineering certificate of competency.

The cargo ship Pacific Adventurer lost upwards of 270 tonnes of heavy fuel oil when holed on its port side while en route to Brisbane from Newcastle.

The MNL applies to most commercial vessels operating in Australia. It helps fund the cost of operating and maintaining marine aids to navigation systems.

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

The Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait and Coral Sea are unique, diverse and among the most well-protected waters in the world.

Enhanced fishing gear requirements are being developed in talks at the International Maritime Organization (IMO).

Regulatory requirements for certificates of competency, sometimes referred to as ‘tickets’, apply to thousands of Australians working across the domestic commercial vessel (DCV) industry.

Read about the changes we have made to the NSCV since 2020.

This marine notice highlights the importance of ensuring navigation bridge visibility on all vessels sailing in Australian waters. Vessel operators, masters and navigational officers should take note of its content.

A load line or water line are lines on the side of a ship's hull that show where a ship can be legally loaded to.

Consultation on Marine Order 44 closed on 1 March 2019.

Most services for operators and crew of domestic commercial vessels are now provided by us instead of the Northern Territory Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics.

This marine notice highlights the need for shipowners, operators, masters and crews to ensure safe working arrangements are in place for any work involving height and the risk of falling.

January - March 2026There were 335 reported incidents involving domestic commercial vessels in Quarter 1 of 2026. Of these, 44 were serious and 1 very serious.

During a private charter a passenger fell down a stairwell and sustained serious injuries. The area around the top of the stairwell had a recess that reduced the floor area slightly and could be missed during movements. The stairs themselves were not found to be contributory to this incident. However, the spiral design proved problematic for providing post-incident medical assistance for the passenger. Any area that may present a safety risk to passengers onboard a vessel should be risk assessed, with appropriate control measures put in place to ensure passenger safety.

This information is to draw the attention of ship owners and operators to the ongoing prohibition of asbestos on ships, noting that Australian law requires operators to take all reasonable steps to protect the health and safety of employees and contractors while at work.