The captain of the vessel SEAFORCE was fined 50,000 Euros (around $55,000) for the discharge of around one million liters of scrubber wash water off Fos-Sur-Mer in France. Despite the captain claiming that the discharge was carried out without his knowledge, the court ultimately fined him anyway, upholding that the captain was responsible for ensuring compliance.
The actual incident dates back to March 2023, when the vessel SEAFORCE discharged a million liters of scrubber waste in the waters of Fos-Sur-Mer, France. Such discharges have been banned in France since 1st January 2022.
Initially, the charges against the captain were not as severe, having a maximum possible penalty of 4000 euros. However, at a hearing in November 2023, the prosecutor’s office reclassified the offense as pollution of the territorial sea, which is a more severe offense and carries a maximum penalty of 100,000 euros. The prosecutor’s office also dismissed the claim of the captain being unaware of the discharge, stating that it was the captain’s responsibility to ensure compliance on board.
The 66-year-old Filipino captain appeared in court in Marseilles, France, on 2nd September, where prosecutors sought a charge of 50,000 euros against him, which was upheld in the final decision pronounced in October.
Ro-Ro passenger ship with 550 passengers onboard runs aground
The passenger Ro-Ro vessel AGIA THEODORA ran aground in shallow waters around four nautical miles away from Port IGOUMENITSA on the night of 28th October. The ferry, which was carrying 550 passengers on board, arrived at port after a two-hour delay.
The AGIA THEODORA was traveling from CORFU Port to IGOUMENITSA Port when the incident occurred. The vessel is reported to have experienced mechanical failure when it ran aground in the shallow waters around four nautical miles northwest of the IGOUMENITSA Port.
The vessel was carrying passengers and 16 crew members at the time of the incident. Fortunately, there was no threat to the safety of anyone onboard, and the weather conditions were calm. A coast guard vessel, along with two other tourist boats, were quickly on the scene. The vessel ended up refloating with the help of its own engines and was accompanied by two tugboats, three Coast Guard vessels, and a passenger ferry to the IGOUMENITSA Port.
Heavy lift vessel “Yu Zhou Qi Hang” disabled off the coast of Taiwan
On 30th October, the heavy lift vessel YU ZHOU QI HANG got disabled off the coast of Cape Yehliu in Taiwan. The vessel lost its ability to navigate after facing the outer rim of the typhoon Kong-Rey. All crew members were successfully evacuated to the KEELUNG Port.
The 12,135-dwt vessel was traveling from Jilo and was heading to Zhangzhou, carrying a cargo of three gantry cranes. Upon facing the gale-force winds and high waves due to the typhoon, the vessel stalled and drifted closer to the coast of Yehliu. The crew aboard the vessel requested assistance, and although authorities promptly dispatched tugboats, wind speeds up to 30 miles per hour, and waves reaching up to 16 feet made the tugs retreat.
The vessel then proceeded to drop both anchors about half a mile off the shore to keep the vessel from drifting further. A vessel from the Taiwanese Coast Guard then managed to reach the YU ZHOU QI HANG despite harsh weather conditions and evacuated the 17 crew members onboard.
Authorities fear significant pollution could occur if the vessel drifts ashore and its fuel tanks are breached.
The YU ZHOU QI HANG was involved in another incident a couple of weeks ago, on 14th October, when the vessel toppled over a shore crane in the Port of KEELUNG, Taiwan.
