Australia bans Wooyang Venus from ports for 90 days

Australia’s Maritime Safety Authority has banned the bulk carrier Wooyang Venus from Australian ports for 90 days, citing deliberate falsification of crew records, repeated deficiencies and concerns about the effectiveness of its owner’s and operator’s safety management systems.

The ban under Section 246 of the Navigation Act 2012 follows the Marshall Islands-flagged ship’s third detention in Australian waters in less than three years. An October 29 inspection in Newcastle followed a complaint under the Maritime Labour Convention, an agreement setting standards for seafarers' working and living conditions. Inspectors found work and rest records had been deliberately falsified to conceal excessive working hours, gCaptain said.

Earlier inspections found similar problems

The authority said the ship was detained in August 2026 because crew work and rest hours were not properly recorded or monitored. It was also detained in December 2023 over incorrect records.

The earlier inspection followed a complaint from the International Transport Workers' Federation. The authority’s annual report said inspectors found poor-quality food, falsified working-hour records and evidence that the ship’s master had physically assaulted a seafarer. The operator subsequently submitted a plan covering arrangements to return crew members home, better food and additional training on work and rest rules.

Why rest records matter

The Maritime Labour Convention requires shipowners and operators to meet minimum working and living standards, including mandatory rest periods. Accurate records help demonstrate compliance and prevent fatigue-related incidents.

National rules provide for either a maximum of 14 working hours in any 24-hour period and 72 in seven days, or at least 10 hours of rest in any 24-hour period and 77 in seven days. Daily rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of at least six consecutive hours.

Greg Witherall, the authority’s executive director of Maritime Safety and Environmental Compliance, said poor fatigue management can impair judgment, reduce alertness and slow reactions. He warned that fatigue raises the risk of collisions, groundings and serious injuries, particularly during navigation and other safety-critical work.

The ban prevents Wooyang Venus from entering Australian ports for 90 days.