Update: Australia Fines Captain for Navigating GBR Without Pilot

zoom The Newcastle local court issued AUD 8,500 (USD 6,600) fine to the captain of the bulk carrier China Steel Developer for navigating the Great Barrier Reef without a pilot. The 66-year-old Taiwanese ship’s master Lu Chih-Ming attempted to depart Australian waters through Hydrographers Passage, a compulsory pilotage area of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, without a pilot on board. On February 14, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) officers and investigators from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) met the 154,191 dwt China Steel Developer soon after it docked in the Port of Newcastle. For certain sections of the Great Barrier Reef and for particular types of vessels, the use of pilots is mandatory because they greatly enhance protection of animals, habitats and sensitive areas of the Marine Park, including coral reefs, GBRMPA General Manager Andrew Skeat said. The maximum penalty for this offence is a fine of AUD 85,000 (USD 66,000). Image: Wallace Cray/Shipspotting