Australia Bans Bulk Carrier For 90 Days Over Falsified Crew Work Records
Australia has detained and banned a bulk carrier for 90 days after finding that the crew’s work-hour records had been doctored.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) inspected the dry bulk carrier, Wooyang Venus, on October 29, 2026. The Marshall Islands-flagged vessel was docked in Newcastle when the inspectors went aboard after receiving a complaint under the Maritime Labour Convention 2006. The inspectors found falsified records to mask extreme hours, where the records did not document the actual hours worked.
AMSA says that records need to be accurate to show that minimum rest requirements are met and fatigue is being managed. With the obligation of rest requirements, the AMSA Executive Director said in the Press Release dated November 3, 2026, that fatigue is detrimental to judgement and alertness. It can prove dangerous during critical tasks like navigation and watchkeeping.
Deliberately tampering with records that safeguard seafarers is a significant risk to the crew members’ safety, the AMSA director Greg Witherall said. AMSA lists crewing and fatigue as a priority in its National Compliance Plan 2026-27.
According to AMSA’s press release, AMSA has detained the bulk carrier Wooyang Venus twice before due to falsification of work and rest hours as the contributing factor. It faced a complaint in December 2023 from the International Transport Workers’ Federation, which unveiled further welfare problems.
The 90-day ban bars the carrier ship from accessing Australian ports and sailing in the country. The ship left Newcastle on October 31.
The ban was issued under section 246 of the 2012 Navigation Act. According to AMSA’s official website data, it previously issued three bans in 2026, all for wage underpayment.
Australia has used long bans before. In an earlier case, a bulker was banned for a year after AMSA found attempts to cover up underpayment. In 2023, another bulker, MSXT Emily, was banned for one year over wage theft and mistreatment of seafarers.
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