The 'Yangtze Harmony' was stopped from leaving Fremantle after it failed an inspection
The 'Yangtze Harmony' was stopped from leaving Fremantle after it failed an inspection. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority had conducted a pre-loading inspection of the cattle carrier on Aug 12, 2018, and found evidence the vessel’s ventilation fans were not working. The vessel would not be permitted to load livestock until repairs were carried out and the ship met required mechanical standards. The vessel was ucontracted to the Perth-based live exporter Harmony Agriculture and Food Company. The Company director Steve Meerwald was unable to say how long it would take for the vessel to be repaired. The AMSA also confirmed it had ordered modifications to be made to the sister ship 'Yangtze Fortune' as he vessel was not suited to voyages of more than 10 days. The 'Yangtze Fortune' is already at the centre of a investigation by the Federal Agriculture Department after 33 cattle died on a voyage from Victoria to China in July. She arrived in Darwin on Aug 10 and was inspected. The AMSA found drainage holes on livestock decks were not big enough and prevented water draining quickly away from the deck. The ship has been permitted to carry 5000 cattle on a short, one-off voyage from Darwin to Jakarta.
