Sheng Neng 1 Crew Members Arrested

The master and chief officer-on-watch of the SHENG NENG 1, which ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef, have been arrested.

Investigators said the ship failed to turn at a way point required by the intended course of the ship. According to officials the damage caused by from the ship to the reef is 1.9 miles long and 820 feet wide.

The ship’s master has been charged with liability for a vessel that caused damage to the marine park, an offense carrying a maximum $69,138 fine. The chief-officer-on-watch has been charged with the more serious breach of being in charge of the vessel at the time the accident occurred. If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of three years in prison and a fine of up to $205,000.

Gladstone magistrate Damien Carroll granted bail to the Captain Jichang Wang, 47, on condition he return to Australia to face charges. He faces a maximum fine of $550,000 for the offense, but Xuegang Wang, 44, who is the first officer, faces a possible jail term of three years and a fine of $220,000 for being in charge of the vessel at the time it hit Douglas Shoal.