Hey china! stay off my reef
A Chinese coal carrier ran aground on Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef over the weekend, spilling enough Texas tea to stretch for three kilometres.
The main problem here – apart from the difficulty/cost of cleaning up the mess and the ongoing damage to the Reef, is that the the ship was 13 nautical miles/30km off course in a restricted area (i.e. where the fish live). State premier, Anna Bligh, told The Age (in true Aussie fashion):
This ship has acted illegally going into these restricted areas (of the marine park). The commonwealth government is now investigating how this happened, and I hope, frankly, they throw the book at them.
That’ll learn ‘em. If not, the shipping company, Shenzhen Energy, may be fined AU$1 million for breaking shipping laws (with the captain charged an additional AU$250,000).
The last major oil spill off the Eastern seaboard cost AU$27 million to clean up, which the government hoped to claim from the shipping company responsible. Swire Shipping responded by saying their insurance would pay AU$20 million, in accordance with international conventions. Any more would cause freight insurance to skyrocket.
Australia’s Greens party are now calling for mandatory ship pilots on all vessels navigating the Reef. This means people who actually know the waters would come aboard and steer the ship through a safe passage, at a cost of about AU$8,000. However, Bligh’s government has apparently bowed to pressure from coal and oil companies, and refused to make these valuable marine pilots compulsory.
Compare this to Panama, where pilots who navigate the Canal must undergo eight years of training before they start earning their US$90K annual salary (not including tips). They’re some of the most respected men (and women) in the country, in one of the most sought-after careers. These pilots have an extremely difficult and dangerous job, steering through the Canal anything from private yachts to massive cargo ships carrying radioactive waste. Their navigation skills are essential, as the Canal is narrows to just 33 metres at the locks. (Perhaps I’m easily impressed…but then, I’m not known for my driving skills).
It’s sad that in Panama, the ship captains are so grateful to the pilots that they often tip them thousands of dollars in cash, while the Australian government is too scared to upset the shipping companies by charging them half as much, and all at the risk of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Even worse, Bligh’s government is now in talks to increase shipping through the Reef, making the need for pilots all the more pertinent.
**UPDATE 7 APRIL 2010**
I have been informed by an anonymous source:
It’s not gratitude, it’s bribery.
Well, that ruins my entire argument now, doesn’t it? People in Panama may be crooked but Australia is stupid to exploit the Reef for capital gain.
