THE AUSTRALIAN Maritime Safety Authority has banned the Antigua and Barbuda-flagged general cargo ship BBC Weser for 90 days for being unsafe, unseaworthy and an “unacceptable risk” to the environment.

AMSA detained the ship in May this year after inspectors found defective ballast air vents.

The authority noted functional ballast air vents are critical safety components that prevent water entering a ship while allowing air to escape. This prevents a dangerous vacuum developing inside a tank.

AMSA said the ship’s operator Briese Heavylift has “a history of poor performance”, with one in five of their ships having been detained in Australia since May 2021 – a rate more than three times the average for ships visiting Australian waters.

“AMSA had twice contacted Briese Heavylift GmbH & Co to warn them of their poor performance and the potential consequences of further detentions, or more serious compliance and enforcement action,” AMSA said in a statement.

“Previous detentions were due to defective emergency generators and unsafe work platforms – negligence which led to a crew member being critically injured while working on one of their ships.”

AMSA executive director of operations Michael Drake said the authority would not tolerate sub-standard ships in Australian waters.

“BBC Weser poses a significant risk to the safety of the seafarers onboard, and Australia’s precious marine and coastal environments,” Mr Drake said.

“The defects on the BBC Weser are especially concerning, as they are detainable deficiencies that would have been obvious to anyone onboard, and that the operator could not have pleaded ignorance to.

“AMSA has a world class reputation for being a tough-but-fair safety regulator, and we are dedicated to meeting international standards for safety in shipping.”

BBC Weser was built in 2006 and has a cargo capacity of 17,290 tonnes DWT. It is 143 metres long (LOA) and 23 metres in width.

BBC Weser is the second ship AMSA has banned from Australian waters this month. The authority banned the Panama-flagged bulker Babuza Wisdom last week.