The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has barred the 1732 TEU Liberian-flagged containership, “MSC KYMEA II,” from entering Australian ports for 90 days due to months of substandard performance and critical maintenance issues from the ship’s operator, MSC Shipmanagement (MSC).
AMSA issued a “Refusal of Access” notice to the vessel after an inspection of the 2006-built MSC KYMEA II revealed 21 deficiencies, including defective fire safety systems, dangerously stored flammable materials, a defective free-fall lifeboat steering system, and multiple corroded or missing railing safety chains used to protect stevedores from falling while lashing cargo.
Another MSC-operated vessel was found with a corroded fuel-oil tank air pipe when inspected by AMSA almost two weeks ago. To make matters worse, an attempt was made to cover up the damage from authorities by wrapping the corroded section in canvas and paint over it.
Over the past two years, AMSA has detained nine ships of MSC, five of which were detained in 2023 alone. They were mostly detained due to repeated substandard maintenance practices. AMSA’s Executive Director of Operations, Michael Drake, stated that the agency has zero tolerance for substandard ships operating in Australian waters and that they will not hesitate to quickly ban vessels that do not meet their basic safety standards.
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