MUA warns of more oil spills

5 APR 2010
Maritime Union warns of further environmental damage - unless steps are taken to revitalise Australian shipping.

The Maritime Union of Australia today declared the grounding of the Chinese coal ship Shen Neng 1 on the Great Barrier Reef a terrible outcome for the environment, but warned unless urgent and positive moves were taken to revitalise Australian shipping other disasters may be in store.

"This calamity unfortunately shouldn't come as a huge surprise. It comes at a time when an increasing proportion of our shipping trade is being handed to overseas flagged vessels. The deregulation of shipping through the Howard Government's years has inevitably weakened our control of our shipping task," said Paddy Crumlin National Secretary of the Maritime Union of Australia.

"Foreign ships have been responsible for all the recent shipping environmental accidents including when the Hong Kong flagged Pacific Adventurer spread oil onto pristine Queensland beaches last year and the Panama flagged Pasha Bulka was stranded on Nobby's beach, Newcastle in 2008.

"The statistics tell the story. Of the 10 major oil spills involving bluewater vessels since the Panamanian registered Kirki spilt 17,280 tonnes of oil off West Australia in 1990, only two have involved Australian registered ships", said Crumlin.

Foreign ships now carry 99 per cent of our international trade and 30 per cent of our domestic coastal trade.

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