The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has prohibited a bulk carrier flagged in the Marshall Islands, named Wooyang Venus, from entering Australian ports for 90 days. This action follows an inspection that revealed the crew's work and rest records had been intentionally altered to hide excessive working hours.
The ban comes after a State control inspection in Newcastle on October 29. This inspection was triggered by a complaint regarding the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). During the inspection, officials found discrepancies in the vessel's records concerning the crew's actual working hours.
This is the third time the Wooyang Venus has been detained in Australian waters in under three years, with past inspections revealing similar issues.
According to AMSA, the vessel was previously detained in August 2026 after inspectors noted that crew work and rest hours were inaccurately recorded. The ship faced another detention in December 2023 for similar record-keeping problems.
The earlier instance raised more severe concerns about the welfare of the crew. AMSA’s 2023 annual report on the Maritime Labour Convention mentioned that inspectors, responding to a complaint from the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), discovered poor food quality, falsified working hours, and evidence of physical assault on a crew member by the ship’s master.
The ship's operator later submitted a corrective action plan addressing crew repatriation, enhancing food provisions, and providing additional training on complying with work and rest hours.
Despite these efforts, similar issues have continued to arise.
Greg Witherall, AMSA’s Executive Director of Maritime Safety and Environmental Compliance, emphasized the serious risks associated with falsifying records that are meant to protect seafarers.
“Evidence shows that poor management of fatigue can impair judgment, decrease alertness, and slow reaction times,” Witherall stated.
He also mentioned that fatigue heightens the chances of collisions, groundings, and serious injuries, especially during critical operations like navigation and watchkeeping.
Under the MLC, shipowners and operators must follow minimum standards for seafarers’ working and living conditions, which include mandatory rest periods. Keeping accurate records is crucial for compliance and for preventing fatigue-related incidents.
AMSA imposed the 90-day ban based on Section 246 of Australia’s Navigation Act 2012, citing intentional record falsification, repeated violations, and doubts about the effectiveness of the vessel owner's and operator's safety management systems.
The agency has identified managing crew fatigue as a key focus in its 2026–27 National Compliance Plan.
“When we detect serious or repeated failures to meet these obligations, AMSA will take decisive action,” Witherall added.