Australia Bans Bulker After Finding Falsified Crew Work Records
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is highlighting a newly issued 90-day ban on a bulker as part of AMSA’s compliance priority on crewing and fatigue. Australia is known for its strict enforcement of safety regulations, as AMSA highlights the potential dangers to the crew, ship, and environment from failing to follow safety regulations.
Inspectors boarded the Marshall Islands-flagged dry bulk carrier Wooyang Venus on October 29 while the vessel was docked in Newcastle. According to the report, they were acting on a Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) complaint. The 87,000 dwt bulker was built in 2005 and is under South Korean management. AMSA did not indicate how many crew are aboard the vessel.
“Operators have a clear obligation under the MLC,” stated Greg Witherall, AMSA Executive Director Maritime Safety and Environmental Compliance. "Evidence has shown poor fatigue management can impair judgement, reduce alertness and slow reaction times, increasing the likelihood of errors during navigation, watchkeeping and other critical tasks.”
AMSA reports that during the Port State inspection, it found evidence that crew work and rest records had been “deliberately falsified to mask excessive hours worked.” They said the records did not reflect the hours actually worked by the crew.
Under the MLC, AMSA highlights that vessel owners and operators must meet minimum standards for seafarers’ living and working conditions, including requirements relating to hours of work and rest. Accurate records, it says, are essential to demonstrate that minimum rest requirements are being met and fatigue is being effectively managed.
AMSA also reports that the same vessel had previously been detained twice, and in those cases falsifying hours of work and rest were also contributing factors. The Wooyang Venus was detained previously in December 2023 and August 2026.
The vessel departed Newcastle on October 31 bound for Korea. AMSA issued a 90-day ban for the ship, preventing it from calling at Australian ports or sailing in Australian waters.
Based on the data on its website, this was the fourth vessel ban AMSA has issued in 2026. In March and April, AMSA cited three vessels for systematic underpayment of wages. AMSA highlights that as part of its National Compliance Plan 2026-27, it is placing a priority on crewing and fatigue as part of its MLC monitoring and vessel inspections.
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