The West Australian News

Malaysia has paused the import of all live cattle and buffalo from Australia citing concern about lumpy skin disease (LSD).The move follows a decision last month by Indonesia to halt live cattle imports from four locations in Australia after 13 cattle were found to have the disease.Australia’s Chief Veterinary Officer Mark Schipp has released a statement saying that Australia is urgently engaging with its Malaysian counterparts to advise that LSD is not present in Australia.“I have made representations to my Malaysian counterpart…

An Australian man and woman have been arrested for their alleged roles in attempting to import 850kg (1,874 pounds) of cocaine into Australia hidden on a bulk cargo carrier.Police allege a Dianella man, 37, and a Doubleview woman, 32, were a part of the Australian-based syndicate responsible for collecting the drugs and facilitating the logistics of the importation.Police have seized about A$90,000 cash allegedly hidden in the bathroom cupboard of the man’s home and five mobile…

A Maersk containership has been refloated after running aground in the Savannah River near Fort Jackson on Tuesday.The U.S. Coast Guard said it was notified at 6:09 p.m. via the vessel agent of Maersk Surabaya that the vessel had run aground.The 1,091-foot box ship was repositioned to the center of the shipping channel with the help of seven tugs. AIS ship tracking data shows the vessel was aground for about 2 hours. The Danish-flagged vessel is now safely moored, and no injuries…

Hervey Bay boat builder BtB Marine has recently delivered a pair of 8-meter jet boats destined for workboat duties in the Western Australia ports.Designed by Naval Architects Australia, the 800LBs are powered by turbo charged Yanmar diesel engines coupled to Hamilton jet propulsion units, BtB Marine General Manager Chris Hough said. “The Yanmar and jet combination has delivered a 30 knot top speed fully loaded, (33knots lightship), and they easily do a cruising speed of 21knots at around 2…

The master of a containership has been charged in Australia after his vessel allegedly dragged anchor through a protected zone and damaged a subsea communications cable off the West Australian coast. The Ukrainian national is facing up to three years imprisonment.A section of the Australia Singapore Cable in the Perth Submarine Cable Protection Zone, approximately 10 kilometers offshore from City Beach, was disabled early on August 1, 2021, and allegations that a passing vessel had damaged the cable were reported to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on August 3.According to the AFP, the Maersk Surabaya had been anchored approximately 500 meters from the protection zone…

Australian officials were evacuating workers from a Kuwaiti-flagged livestock ship docked off the country’s west coast on Tuesday after at least half the 52 crew tested positive for COVID-19.The cluster of cases is the fourth outbreak detected onboard a ship arriving at a Western Australia port over the last month, in a state that has otherwise been free of the coronavirus for weeks.“It is becoming clear that ships arriving with COVID-19 on board is one of the weakest links and the biggest risk to our way of life in Western Australia,” state Premier Mark McGowan told reporters in Perth.The workers, from various countries, were taken from the Al Messilah ship directly into hotel quarantine…

Austal has revealed its latest development in high-speed trimaran technology with an 83 meter trimaran ferry.The ferry is under construction for JR Kyushu Jet Ferry of Japan, at the company’s Henderson South shipyard in Western Australia.Austal Hull 396, to be known as Queen Beetle, was designed and constructed by Austal Australia and is due for launch in mid-March 2020. The vessel will be handed over to JR Kyushu Jet Ferry in June 2020 and will commence services between Busan…

Australia's largest live cattle exporter Wellard Wellard Limited says it is moving closer to selling the M/V Ocean Swagman after agreeing to a new $37.1 million purchase proposal for the vessel from a Panama based subsidiary of the Italian bulk shipping company Nova Marine Holdings SA.The mid-sized vessel used by West Australian-based live exporter Wellard said that the offer is US$3.2 million higher than the previously announced proposed sale of the M/V Ocean Swagman to Heytesbury Holding Company Pty Ltd for $32.4 million."The Nova transaction remains subject to approval of the Nova board, however, Wellard considers that (if approved) it is likely to lead to a superior outcome than the Heytesbury transaction…

Japanese shipping major Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) and the shipbuilding and repairing company Namura Shipbuilding have jointly received an Approval in Principle (AIP) for the concept design of an LNG-fueled ore carrier from DNV GL."Work on this joint project for the development of an LNG-fueled ore carrier has complied with both environmental and actual operation requirements as follows, based on the second generation WOZMAX of Namura Shipyard," said a press release from the provider of container, breakbulk and roll-on, roll-off shipping.WOZMAX (registered brand of Namura Shipyard) is an optimum size of vessel that can call main West Australian iron ore loading ports…

Royal Dutch Shell on Monday said it had shipped the first condensate cargo from its Prelude floating liquefied natural gas (FLNG) project off northwestern Australia over the weekend."We can confirm that the first shipment of condensate has sailed from the Shell-operated Prelude FLNG facility.

One of the world’s leading shipbuilders, Luerssen, has teamed with Australian engineering and construction firm Civmec to create a new force in naval shipbuilding and exports. The joint venture, Australian Maritime Shipbuilding & Export Group (AMSEG), will partner Luerssen Australia, the prime contractor and designer for the Australian Government’s Offshore Patrol Vessel program, with West Australian-based Civmec, soon to list on the Australian Stock Exchange. It is intended that AMSEG will play a significant role in the build of ten OPVs in Henderson, Western Australia and in driving an export shipbuilding business that will target opportunities around the region.

The body of the missing crew member was located by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) Dauphin helicopter at 12.30 pm AWST yesterday, and recovered by Fremantle Water Police. AMSA detected a distress beacon at 11.45 pm AWST last night (23 February 2018) which was registered to the 15 metre yacht Finistere with six people on board. The yacht’s crew were participating in the Bunbury and Return Ocean Race. Attempts to contact the yacht directly via radio were unsuccessful and the yacht’s tracker failed to update at 12 am AWST. AMSA advised the Fremantle Water Police of the incident and tasked the DFES RAC Rescue helicopter 652. The helicopter arrived on scene at 12.30 am AWST and sighted an overturned yacht in the water.

Australian offshore support vessel owner-operator Go Marine Group Pty Ltd has filed for administration after suffering a $50 million financial collapse, The West Australian reported. A notice filed with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission showed that Go Marine and its subsidiary Go Offshore Pty Ltd filed for administration on October 20. The board of Australia's only integrated marine oil and gas logistics provider appointed administrators from KordaMentha last Friday to the company, which is owned by Singapore’s Otto Marine. Administrator Richard Tucker said it had secured debt and mezzanine finance $50 million (A$65 million). It was unclear at this stage what unsecured creditors were owed.

Royal Australian Navy will commission the first of three new destroyers today (On 23 September). In continuing our reflective stories of previous ships that have carried the name HMAS Hobart, this is the story of Hobart (II). The second ship to bear the name Hobart was one of three Perth class guided missile destroyers built in the United States for the Royal Australian Navy. She was commissioned at the Boston Navy Yard on 18 December 1965 under the command of Captain Guy Griffiths. Following sea trials and exercises in the United States and Canadian waters, Hobart arrived in her namesake city on 1 September 1966. She berthed in her home-port of Sydney for the first time on 7 September 1966.

The Baltic Exchange's main sea freight index, tracking rates for ships carrying dry bulk commodities, touched a fresh near three-year high on Thursday, supported by firmer rates across vessel segments. The overall index — which factors in rates for capesize, panamax, supramax and handysize shipping vessels — rose 24 points, or 1.8 percent, to 1,361 points, a peak since November 2014. The capesize index gained 14 points, or 0.53 percent, to 2,642 points. The main capesize activity this week has been from the west Australian market…

The people of Cairns will have a rare opportunity to tour HMAS Parramatta comes alongside Trinity Wharf and opens its gangway to the public on Monday, 17 April, says a press release of Royal Australian Navy. One of the sailors who will be on board to show people around is former Cairns local, Able Seaman Boatswains Mate Thomas Ketchell. “I am extremely proud to be a member of ship’s company in HMAS Parramatta and I have been given some fantastic opportunities to see not only Australiabut the world,” he said. Able Seaman Ketchell’s role includes seamanship, gunnery, weapons handling, boats and navigation. Parramatta is one of the most potent warships in the world, capable of conducting air, surface and undersea warfare simultaneously.

Australian Navy's HMAS Anzac commenced her recent transit to Fleet Base West alone, meeting with sister frigate HMAS Parramatta in Jervis Bay. For some such as Lieutenant James Keagan, Reserve Entry Officers’ Course member, it was their first real exposure to ship life. Having never set foot on a ship before, he was both nervous and excited to be exposed to a workup and naval life in general. He found that damage control ashore during initial training was vastly different to the reality at sea. “Damage control at sea is so much more complex than it was at HMAS Creswell,” he said. While in Jervis Bay, Anzac and Parramatta conducted a tow, a first for many of the crew where the two ships passed gear and connected up.

Review of U.S. The West Australian reported that Austal halted its shares from trading, and reportedly is in the process of reviewing its U.S. operation, Austal USA. Austal USA is best known for it construction of vessels for the U.S. Navy, and late last year the parent company’s price took a hit amidst reports of difficulties with the Littoral Combat Ship program. As recently as two days ago (June 28, 2016), a ceremony was hosted at the U.S. facility in Mobile, Alabama to celebrate the keel authentication of the U.S.

The Western Australian Government has unveiled a master plan for a multi-user, multi-commodity deepwater port in the Pilbara, which has the potential to be the biggest port in Australia, reports Inchcape Shipping Services (ISS) in its latest Australasia newsletter. The State Government has proposed Anketell Port be built on greenfields land about 30 kilometres east of Karratha, and said the project would boast an eventual export capacity of more than 350 million tonnes a year. If realised, it would be more than double the total exports through the nearby Dampier Port and 20 per cent larger than shipments at Port Hedland, which is Australia's biggest export facility.

HMAS Waller, one of the Royal Australian Navy’s submarines, experienced a fire whilst on the surface off the West Australian coast. Emergency response actions were taken to extinguish the fire. There were no causalities. As a precaution four members of the ship’s crew who were involved in the response to the fire have been landed for observation. HMAS Waller had recently completed a scheduled maintenance period and was at sea as part of her return to operations. A full investigation into the incident will be held.

This afternoon HMAS Waller, one of the Royal Australian Navy’s submarines, experienced a fire whilst on the surface off the West Australian coast. Emergency response actions were taken to extinguish the fire.   There were no causalities. As a precaution four members of the ship’s crew who were involved in the response to the fire have been landed for observation.   HMAS Waller had recently completed a scheduled maintenance period and was at sea as part of her return to operations. A full investigation into the incident will be held.  At this stage no further details are available.

Singapore's Otto Marine says it has secured a long-term US$11.3-Million charter contract for its Anchor Handling Tug 'Go Emerald'. The owners inform that Go Emerald will be deployed for work on long term charter in West Australian waters for a renowned oil and gas player. Built in 2009, the vessel is a 2,800 bhp Anchor Handling Tug vessel of 423.6 dwt and with a 36.5 tons bollard pull. "The global offshore oil and gas industry is thriving, and we are pleased to see that Otto Marine is partaking in this positivity with a good charter contract momentum from around the world.

Capesize iron ore freight rates in the Pacific and Atlantic fell further Tuesday, driven by lower-priced fixtures out of South Africa in the absence of Brazilian and West Australian charterers, reports Platts. Platts say they assessed the Capesize iron ore freight rate at $15.50/wmt on the Saldanha Bay to Qingdao route Tuesday, down $1.50/wmt from the previous day. A Japanese shipowner estimated there were presently about 30 Capesize vessels chasing cargoes in the Pacific. Brazilian miner Vale confirmed it was lifting the [West Australian ports] force majeure on its iron ore shipments…