Townsville: Three Asian seafarers from a Japanese bulker, Mimosa, have been arrested for illegally navigating through waters around the Great Barrier Reef. A 63-year-old South Korean man and two Vietnamese men aged 26 and 32 were arrested by the Australian Federal Police on Saturday, after the 53,556 dwt bulker, Mimosa, allegedly entered the no-go zone last week. The three seafarers are being charged with entering the prohibited area on April 4, just one day after the Chinese owned bulker Shen Neng, grounded on the Great Barrier Reef, unleashing a storm of political protest. Reports following the grounding highlighted the issue of vessels taking shortcuts through the no-go zone. The men will appear in Townsville Magistrates Court on Monday and face a maximum fine of $220,000. The police said it will also be alleged the vessel was not registered with the Reef Vessel Tracking System and failed to provide a pre-entry report and did not respond to attempts by authorities to contact them. [12/04/10]
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