21/08/2026
AMSA Marine Incident Annual Report 2025
What can we learn from Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA's) Marine Incident Annual Report?
First and foremost, some important report findings:
* 4,174 marine incidents were reported including 1,229 involving DCVs.
* Passenger vessels continue to show a good reporting culture, accounting for almost half (46%) of all reported DCV incidents though comprising only 9% of the fleet.
* Larger DCVs (12m and over) made up 67% of marine incident reports, despite comprising only 21% of the DCV fleet.
* 4 fatal DCV marine incidents occurred.
* 228 injuries were reported on DCVs with 44 of these serious.
* Most serious crew injuries were linked to navigation (DCVs) or maintenance, operational access and cargo handling (RAVs/foreign-flagged vessels).
* Contact, collisions, groundings and power, propulsion or system failures continue to be the most common marine incident types across all vessel types.
* Common contributing factors include poor lookout and main engine/gearing failures.
The importance of AMSA accredited marine surveyors in the DCV space is critical.
1. Marine surveyors are essential to vessel safety because they provide independent, technical assurance that domestic commercial vessels are fit for purpose, properly maintained and operating within regulatory requirements.
2. Their work helps identify defects, maintenance issues and operational risks before they contribute to incidents such as groundings, collisions, machinery failures or serious crew injuries.
3. By applying professional judgement, regulatory knowledge and practical vessel experience, marine surveyors strengthen compliance, support safer decision-making and help protect lives, assets and the marine environment.
You can access AMSA's full report here: https://www.amsa.gov.au/vessels-operators/incident-reporting/marine-incident-reports/marine-incident-annual-report-2025
