Complete Maritime Profile & Reviews of Meratus-Sangatta

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has officially prohibited the vessel "Meratus Sangatta" from entering any Australian port for a period of three months. This decision comes after the ship has faced detention multiple times since November 2012, including two instances since November 2014. Consequently, the ship will remain barred from re-entering Australian waters until April 6, 2015. On January 2, the "Meratus Sangatta" was detained in Port Alma, Queensland, despite prior warnings from AMSA to its operator, PT Meratus Line, regarding the need for performance improvements. This was particularly after the operator's other vessel, the "Territory Trader," was banned in Cairns in November 2014. The recent findings during the inspection revealed critical compliance issues with the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), endangering the well-being of those on board. Significant deficiencies included an inadequate supply of food and potable water for the upcoming journey, improperly functioning refrigeration to store fresh food, and defective facilities for laundry, sanitation, and cooking. Moreover, there were also expired Seafarer Employment Agreements (SEA) highlighted during the inspection. Moving forward, PT Meratus Line will now endure enhanced scrutiny, requiring inspections at every port call. The vessel must address all identified deficiencies to gain release from detention at Port Alma. Notably, this ship marks the third instance of a vessel being banned from Australian ports following the implementation of the revised Navigation Act in July 2013.