The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has published the Marine Incident Annual Report 2025, analysing marine incidents involving Australian commercial vessels, regulated Australian vessels, and foreign-flagged ships operating in Australian waters.

‍

Proper Lookout Remains the Biggest Challenge

More than half of all reported incidents were related to operational shortcomings. Nearly three-quarters of these involved vessel control and navigation.

A total of 152 incidents were attributed to failures in maintaining a proper navigational watch, making this the largest category of operational incidents.

The next most common operational issues were:

• Berthing and unberthing – 85 incidents
• Loss of vessel control – 84 incidents
• Towing operations – 54 incidents
• Voyage planning – 36 incidents

Despite today's officers having access to ECDIS, AIS, ARPA radar, GPS, and other modern navigation systems, technology has not eliminated one of the oldest challenges at sea—maintaining a proper lookout.

Proper lookout remains one of the fundamental requirements of the COLREGs (Rule 5), while the human factor continues to play a decisive role.

Possible contributing factors include:

• Fatigue after long watches;
• Overreliance on electronic navigation systems;
• Distractions on the bridge;
• Inadequate Bridge Resource Management (BRM);
• Loss of concentration during routine operations.

Main Engine Failures Remain the Leading Technical Issue

Among technical failures, nearly half of all reported cases were related to the propulsion system, with 77 incidents involving the main engine.

The second most common technical issue was steering gear failures (29 incidents).

For marine engineers, these figures once again highlight the importance of:

• Preventive maintenance;
• Timely defect reporting;
• Continuous equipment condition monitoring;
• Thorough pre-departure inspections.

Man Overboard Incidents Continue to Increase

One of the most concerning trends was the increase in Man Overboard (MOB) incidents.

A total of 92 incidents were reported during the year, representing a 19% increase compared to the previous year.

Among crew members:

• 54 crew members went overboard;
• 23 were wearing lifejackets;
• 19 were not wearing lifejackets;
• In 12 cases, the lifejacket status was unknown.

Fishing Vessels Remain One of the Highest-Risk Sectors

Between 2021 and 2025, 6 out of 14 operational fatalities occurred on fishing vessels, including vessels that capsized while crossing coastal bars.

Reporting Culture Matters

One interesting finding from the report:

Passenger vessels represent only 9% of Australia's commercial fleet, yet they account for 46% of all reported marine incidents.

Modern ships continue to become more technologically advanced. However, maritime safety still depends primarily on the professionalism of the crew and the decisions they make on board.

Train • Sail • Grow

‍