Ships using Great Barrier Reef as ‘rat run’
Kevin Rudd, the Australian prime minister, has promised to review shipping rules after a Chinese coal ship ran aground as a result of taking an “outrageous” short cut through the environmentally sensitive Great Barrier Reef. 
By Bonnie Malkin in Sydney
Published: 12:33PM BST 06 Apr 2010 Mr Rudd, who on Tuesday flew over Douglas Shoals where the Shen Neng 1 is stranded, said that those responsible would be held to account and that the owners of the ship could face a fine of up to $5.5m (£3.3m). His comments came amid reports that large ships were routinely using passages through the fragile reef as “rat runs” to save time and fuel costs. Salvage teams have managed to stabilise the Shen Neng 1, which is stuck on the coral 40 miles off Great Keppel Island, and stem the flow of oil onto the reef. However, it is feared that the ship, which is carrying 975 tonnes of fuel oil and 60,000 tonnes of coal, could still break up if the weather worsens. Queensland Maritime Authorities were on Tuesday questioning the ships eight crew members over how they came to be more than seven miles outside their designated shipping lane. Mr Rudd said that the situation remained “serious”. “From where I see it, it is outrageous that any vessel could find itself 12 kilometres off course, it seems, in the Great Barrier Reef,” he said. “The law must be fully and absolutely applied in these circumstances. Australians take the Great Barrier Reef very, very seriously,” he said. Patrick Quirk, of Maritime Safety Queensland, said that he had heard reports from fishermen of ships taking the shorter route through the area. … The conservation group WWF said that the lack of safeguards was akin to “playing Russian roulette” with one of the world’s most treasured natural assets. …
