No. A010/06
For release July 31, 2006

$25,000 FINE FOR MARINE POLLUTER

ST. JOHN’S, NL – A Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court judge has ordered the Canadian Fishing Vessel (FV) Appak to pay a $25,000 penalty for violations of the Canada Shipping Act for illegally discharging a pollutant into Canadian waters.

On September 18, 2004, the vessel was involved in a diesel fuel spill while refuelling in the Port of St. John’s. The exact amount of discharge was undetermined, but considered minimal. The Transport Canada Marine Safety investigation resulted in two charges being laid under the Canada Shipping Act.

In provincial court in St. John’s on June 23, 2006, the vessel pleaded guilty to the charges, including the illegal discharge of fuel into Canadian waters, as well as failure to have a contract with an oil spill response organization. The vessel was subsequently fined $25,000, with forty percent, or $10,000, being directed to the Environmental Damages Fund.

Transport Canada is committed to ensuring environmentally responsible commercial marine operations and to prosecuting marine polluters whenever there is sufficient evidence. Penalties imposed by the courts act as a general deterrent for any would-be polluter.

The department continues to work in close cooperation with other federal agencies, such as Fisheries and Oceans, Environment Canada, the Department of National Defence and Justice Canada, as well as with other national and international partners in order to eliminate ship source marine pollution in Canadian waters.

More information on the Government of Canada’s efforts to eliminate ship source marine pollution can be found at www.marinepollution.gc.ca.

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