The Guardian 14 November, 2007
MUA launches shipping campaign
Australian seafarers last week call for a ban on unregulated foreign ships carrying dangerous cargo into and around Australian ports cities.
The Maritime Union of Australia has called for a ban on Flag of Convenience ships transporting cargo such as ammonium nitrate, explosives and Liquefied Natural Gas because of the threat to national security.
"While Australian seafarers are subjected to full ASIO and Federal Police checks, foreign seafarers receive only cursory online security checks by Australian authorities", MUA National Secretary Paddy Crumlin said.
International terrorism experts have identified Flag of Convenience ships, registered in tax havens like Panama, Mongolia and Liberia, as a key target for global terrorism.
Mr Crumlin said there are thousands of security-sensitive ship movements around the Australian coast every year — and these numbers are growing. "For the past 11 years the Howard Government has actively encouraged the spread of Flag of Convenience shipping — today nine out of every ten ships off our coast are FOC."
The MUA will be distributing 100,000 fliers at beaches and in coastal electorates around Australia in the coming weeks to highlight concerns about the dangers of unregulated FOC shipping.
"As the grounding of the Panamanian-flagged Pasha Bulker shows, any Australian coastal community is at the mercy of poorly regulated shipping.
"That’s the message the MUA will be taking to Australia’s beaches over the coming weeks."