Labor wants to increase to $10 million the maximum fine for shipping companies caught polluting in sensitive Australian marine environments, such as the Great Barrier Reef.
The current penalty for vessels caught discharging oil into the sea is $275,000.
The fine for individuals also would be increased from $55,000 to $2 million, under a re-elected Labor government.
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A new offence - negligent navigation - would carry fines of up to $5.5 million and 10 years' imprisonment.
Increased penalties would be applied on ships that failed to report their passage through areas of the Great Barrier Reef and the Torres Strait.
The announcement follows two recent incidents off the coast of Queensland, including the Pacific Adventurer oil spill off in 2009 and the grounding of the Shen Neng 1 on the Douglas Shoal earlier in 2010.
