Qld: Sailors face $75,000 fines for illegal reef route

AAP General News (Australia)
04-15-2010
Qld: Sailors face $75,000 fines for illegal reef route

CAIRNS, April 15 AAP - Prosecutors have called for the master and two officers of a
bulk carrier that allegedly sailed into restricted waters of the Great Barrier Reef to
face fines of $75,000 each.

Gang Chun Han, 63, the South Korean master of the Panama-flagged MV Mimosa and two
officers Tran Tan Thanh, 32, and Nguyen Van Sang, 26, both from Vietnam, were charged
last weekend with breaching the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Act.

They have pleaded guilty and will face sentencing in Townsville Magistrates Court on Friday.

The court heard on Thursday the bulk carrier entered the Great Barrier Reef Marine
Park on April 4 via an unidentified shipping route at Flinders Passage, off the north
Queensland coast.

The offence occurred just a day after the Shen Neng 1 crashed into Douglas Shoal off
the central Queensland Coast, damaging the reef and leaking fuel.

Commonwealth prosecutor Aaron Guilfoyle told the court the men took the illegal route
to save time and fuel costs.

He argued a fine of $75,000 should be imposed on each of the men.

However, defence solicitor Gavin Hansen said there was no deliberate intention to flout
the law and the protected green zones were not shown on the ship's navigation charts.

Acting Magistrate Scott Luxton adjourned the matter for sentencing until 11am (AEST) on Friday.

AAP ews/apm

KEYWORD: CARRIER MIMOSA

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