AMSA Video: Welcome to Australia

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has released a new video Welcome to Australia which aims to educate international seafarers and shipping companies about their environmental responsibilities in Australian waters.

Australia has a vast array of marine life including whales, penguins, dugongs and sea turtles, and it is the responsibility of everyone to ensure the continued preservation of this unique marine environment, says AMSA CEO Mick Kinley.

AMSA coordinates a national pollution prevention and response strategy and works with government and industry to respond to pollution incidents under the National Plan for Maritime Environmental Emergencies. AMSA's pollution response capability includes incident response, management of equipment and dispersant stockpiles, fixed wing aerial dispersant capability and training for government and industry response personnel. The organization maintains marine pollution response equipment and dispersant in strategically located stockpiles around the Australian coastline, as does the petroleum industry through the Australian Marine Oil Spill Centre. Each state and the Northern Territory also ensure there are sufficient stocks of equipment available to address risks within their areas of responsibility.

The video is in English, with the option of subtitles in seven languages—Russian, Greek, Ukrainian, Tagalog, Japanese, Chinese and English.