MUA safe shipping campaign

Australian seafarers will today call for a ban on unregulated foreign
ships carrying dangerous cargoes into and around Australian ports
cities.

The Maritime Union of Australia has called for a ban on Flag of
Convenience ships transporting cargo such as ammonium nitrate,
explosives and Liquefied Natural Gas because of the threat to national
security.

"While Australian seafarers are subjected to full ASIO and Federal
Police checks, foreign seafarers receive only cursory online security
checks by Australian authorities," MUA national secretary Paddy Crumlin
said today.

"International terrorism experts have identified Flag of Convenience
ships, registered in tax havens like Panama, Mongolia and Liberia, as a
key target for global terrorism.

"There are thousands of security-sensitive ship movements around the
Australian coast every year - and these numbers are growing.

"For the past 11 years the Howard Government has actively encouraged
the spread of Flag of Convenience shipping - today nine out of every
ten ships off our coast are FOC.

"In contrast the ALP has committed to placing stricter controls on the
transportation of these goods - recognising that Australian seafarers
have all been thoroughly screened by our intelligence agencies."

The MUA will be distributing 100,000 fliers at beaches and in coastal
electorates around Australia in the coming weeks to highlight concerns
about the dangers of unregulated FOC shipping.

"As the grounding of the Panamanian-flagged Pasha Bulker shows, any
Australian coastal community is at the mercy of poorly regulated
shipping.

"That's the message the MUA will be taking to Australia's beaches over
the coming weeks."