Boat accused of entering GBR

11 Apr 2010, 3:08 pm   -   Source: AAP
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The Sheng Neng 1 has heightened attention surrounding incursions in the Great Barrier Reef excluded zone. (Getty)

The Sheng Neng 1 has heightened attention surrounding incursions in the Great Barrier Reef excluded zone. (Getty)

The AFP have arrested three men in connection with a bulk carrier that entered a restricted area of the Great Barrier Reef, a week after a Chinese tanker struck a coral reef.

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Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says he's pleased charges have been laid against personnel from a foreign vessel accused of entering a restricted area of the Great Barrier Reef.

Australian Federal Police (AFP) have arrested three men from the MV Mimosa vessel, which allegedly entered a restricted passage in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) without permission last week.

Mr Rudd told Brisbane reporters on Sunday it was important to prosecute vessels that threatened the health of the reef.

"If we have any foreign vessel or any vessel violating the proper protection of the Great Barrier Reef, they should have the book thrown at them," Mr Rudd said.

"(The arrest) is an appropriate course of action, and I would expect appropriate legal processes will ensue.

"The Great Barrier Reef is a critical asset to all Australians."

Panama-flagged vessel targeted after tip off

Federal agents on Saturday executed a search warrant on the Panama-flagged vessel at Bowen, in north Queensland, after receiving information from the GBRMP Authority and Australian Maritime Safety Authority investigators.

Navigational equipment and charts were seized, and three men were arrested.

A 63-year-old South Korean man and two Vietnamese men aged 26 and 32 were charged with entering a prohibited zone of the reef without permission on April 4.

The men will appear in Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday and face a maximum fine of $220,000.

The AFP says it will also be alleged the vessel was not registered with the Reef Vessel Tracking System, failed to provide a pre-entry report and did not respond to authorities' attempts to make contact.

The alleged incursion comes after the Chinese coal carrier Sheng Neng 1 ran aground on Douglas Shoal off Rockhampton last Saturday, spilling oil and threatening an environmental disaster for the Great Barrier Reef.

Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said it would be mid to late next week before all the oil is pumped off the carrier and its seaworthiness can be checked.

"I don't expect to see attempts to refloat the ship for another three or four days," Ms Bligh told reporters on Saturday.

The Sheng Neng 1's owner, Shenzhen Energy Transport Co Ltd, broke its silence on Friday, apologising for the accident and promising to co-operate with authorities to minimise any environmental damage.

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