AUSMEPA Ship Membership Scheme
A Sign of Quality
To acknowledge quality shipping AUSMEPA operates a Ship Membership Scheme which rewards quality shipping trading to Australia by presenting them with a certificate and AUSMEPA flag to be used in Australian ports to signify the ships partnership with AUSMEPA
It is internationally recognised that the owners and operators of quality ships fully understand the importance of protecting the marine environment. Owners and operators of quality ships often take steps beyond the requirements of the international conventions and codes to ensure maximum environmental protection.
AUSMEPA invites owners and operators of quality ships which trade to Australia to partner with AUSMEPA to recognise the significant efforts being made by shipping in marine environmental protection. Through AUSMEPA membership, quality ships are supporting AUSMEPA and its objectives of a cleaner marine environment and the activities which AUSMEPA undertakes to further those objectives.
To be approved as an AUSMEPA Ship Member by the AUSMEPA Board it will be necessary to demonstrate a good safety and environmental record.
Each AUSMEPA Ship Member will be presented with a certificate and an AUSMEPA flag to fly while in Australian ports. The Flag signifies membership of AUSMEPA and support of the AUSMEPA objectives; to protect the marine environment and promote environmentally sustainable shipping.
Ship owners and operators interested in becoming an AUSMEPA Ship Member are invited to complete the application form and submit it to AUSMEPA together with the annual ship membership fee of Aus $750. Ships which are members of another Marine Environment Protection Association such as HELMEPA are entitled to a 30% discount, thus reducing the fee to Aus $525. Fleet discounts are available on request for 6 or more ships.
Revenue generated from membership is used to further develop AUSMEPA's educational programs.
AUSMEPA Quality Ships
AUSMEPA uses the following guidelines to determine ship quality and assess potential ships for AUSMEPA membership, any one will qualify a ship for consideration:
- Two continuous years free of detention under Australia's port State control regime;
- A US Coast Guard QUALSHIP 21 Certificate;
- A Green Award certificate;
- Any other internationally recognised certificate or record providing evidence of the ships' quality and safety record, e.g. from a ship vetting company
Monitoring ships in the ship membership scheme
AUSMEPA is pleased to be associated with Rightship Pty. Ltd. Australia's premier ship vetting specialists. Rightship maintains an AUSMEPA fleet data base and can notify the AUSMEPA board when a member ship is detained under a Port State Control regime or has been reported as having suffered any serious marine incident. This helps the AUSMEPA Board to review the seriousness of any incidents to reassess ship quality and continued AUSMEPA membership.
AUSMEPA encourages ship owners and operators to become involved in AUSMEPA's school education program, such as class communication with ship's crew or ship visits. Increased participation by port and shipping industries in AUSMEPA's educational programs will assist in greater promotion of sustainable shipping and protection of the marine environment.
