Controversial vessel allowed back in Australian waters

The 12-month Australian port ban on the "Five Stars Fujian" - the ship detained off Gladstone last year - was lifted on Aug 31, 2017. The vessel was banned from entering Australian ports after not paying its crew wages for 12 months and for its dangerously low food supplies. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority warned the vessel could face a permanent ban from Australian ports if it is detained within the next two years. When the ban was imposed on Sep 1, 2016, AMSA told The Observer it wanted to send a warning to shipping companies involved in similar "completely unacceptable” conduct. Now the Five Stars Fujian Shipping Co will face stricter inspections and punishments. A vessel's inspection history is one of the risk factors that determines how frequently a ship is inspected, so a ship with a previous ban is under added AMSA scrutiny.