Recently, the New Zealand Traffic Accident Investigation Board (TAIC), after investigating the container ship "Shiling" which had to be rescued twice and toasted back to the port in 2023, urged New Zealand to ban substandard vessels from entering its ports in accordance with clear standards.

Naveen Kozhuppakalam, the chief investigator of the TAIC accident, emphasized that substandard vessels pose serious risks to crew members, New Zealanders working in and at ports (such as pilots, handlers and contractors), as well as the coastal environment of the country.

According to the investigation results of the committee, the flawed history of the "Shiling" almost certainly indicates that it is not suitable for safe navigation in New Zealand waters.

The first accident occurred on April 15, 2023, when Shiling was guided out of Wellington. When the ship began to turn into the inbound channel, all power was suddenly lost, causing the main engine to stop working. The ship drifted towards the shallow water area, but the crew prevented it from running aground by lowering two anchors. Subsequently, the port tugboats towed the vessel back to the berth for maintenance. Investigators found that the power outage was caused by the rupture of the cylinder liner of an auxiliary generator on the ship. Despite holding valid certificates from maritime authorities and classification societies, the "Shiling" has several safety-critical systems in poor condition. After maintenance, the ship left Wellington again on May 12, 2023. While taking shelter from the bad weather off the coast of New Zealand, the ship entered the Tasman Sea and encountered engine failure again. This time, water in the bilge contaminated the lubricating oil, causing the main engine to stop running. The captain sent out a distress signal. A towing tugboat set off from New Plymouth, towing the "Shiling" to sheltered waters and then back to Wellington for further repairs. TAIC reported that the rubber diaphragm designed to prevent water from entering the lubricating oil tank has deteriorated over time and may not have been inspected for many years. After the second malfunction, the New Zealand Maritime Authority detained Shiling for repair and inspection. The vessel finally left New Zealand waters for Singapore in July 2023.

TAIC The committee is now urging the Ministry of Transport to consider legislation to grant the New Zealand Maritime Authority the power to prohibit certain vessels from entering the country's ports. At present, the Australian Maritime Safety authority holds this power.

TAIC also pointed out that the towing and salvage resources in New Zealand are limited. In the case of the "Shiling", there happened to be a suitable tugboat in New Plymouth at that time. TAIC said that more work needs to be done to establish a strong maritime incident response system and improve rescue services. TAIC also pointed out how international and local systems regulate the safety of ships with foreign flags. This has raised concerns that shipowners might shift the responsibility for safe operation to other companies without facing appropriate consequences. TAIC has requested the New Zealand Maritime Organization to submit these issues to the International Maritime Organization for revision.