Criminalisation of the ship´s master and his crew Kalmar December 2012 Ove Öving Senior Lecturer Kalmar Maritime Academy INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 3 JUSTICE FOR SEAFARERS............................................................................................................... 4 HIGH PROFILE CASES .......................................................................................................................... 5 EXXON VALDEZ (1989) ........................................................................................................................... 5 NISSOS AMORGOS (1997) ........................................................................................................................ 5 ERIKA (1999) ......................................................................................................................................... 6 VIRGO (2001) ......................................................................................................................................... 7 PRESTIGE (2002)..................................................................................................................................... 7 TASMAN SPIRIT (2003) ............................................................................................................................ 7 ZIM MEXICO III (2006)............................................................................................................................ 8 CORAL SEA (2007).................................................................................................................................. 9 COSCO BUSAN (2007) ............................................................................................................................. 9 COSCO BUSAN OWNERS AND OPERATORS TO PAY $44.4 MILLION CIVIL SETTLEMENT ................................. 9 HEBEI SPIRIT (2007) ............................................................................................................................. 11 TOSA (2009) ........................................................................................................................................ 12 INTERNATIONAL LAW CASES .......................................................................................................... 13 MAY 2011 ........................................................................................................................................... 13 APRIL 2011 .......................................................................................................................................... 13 MARCH 2011 ........................................................................................................................................ 14 FEBRUARY 2011 ................................................................................................................................... 15 JANUARY 2011 ..................................................................................................................................... 16 DECEMBER 2010 ................................................................................................................................... 19 NOVEMBER 2010 .................................................................................................................................. 21 OCTOBER 2010 ..................................................................................................................................... 23 SEPTEMBER 2010 .................................................................................................................................. 26 AUGUST 2010 ....................................................................................................................................... 28 JULY 2010 ........................................................................................................................................... 29 JUNE 2010 ........................................................................................................................................... 31 MAY 2010 ........................................................................................................................................... 33 APRIL 2010 .......................................................................................................................................... 34 MARCH 2010 ........................................................................................................................................ 35 FEBRUARY 2010 ................................................................................................................................... 35 JANUARY 2010 ..................................................................................................................................... 36 NOVEMBER 2009 .................................................................................................................................. 36 OCTOBER 2009 ..................................................................................................................................... 37 LIMITATION OF LIABILITY .................................................................................................................. 38 THE END OF MV ERIKA STORY ............................................................................................................... 39 MV PRESTIGE STORY CONTINUE ............................................................................................................. 41 THE PACIFIC ADVENTURER DISASTER ..................................................................................................... 42 MV PACIFIC ADVENTURER OWNERS PLEAD GUILTY ................................................................................. 45 SHIPMASTERS FACED CRIMINAL CHARGES ................................................................................. 47 CHARGES LAID IN RELATION TO MV RENA GROUNDING .......................................................................... 47 MASTER AND SECOND OFFICER SENTENCED ......................................................................................... 47 OWNER CHARGED ................................................................................................................................ 48 THE SHEN NENG 1 RUNNING AGROUND ON THE GREAT BARRIER REEF .................................................. 49 MV SIGNE BULKER .............................................................................................................................. 52 MV CHRISTINE .................................................................................................................................... 53 WHISTLE-BLOWERS ........................................................................................................................... 54 1 THE EPIC OF THE MAERSK DUBAI ......................................................................................................... 54 Ship of Death ................................................................................................................................... 54 THE INNOCENT ARE PUNISHED .............................................................................................................. 55 FURTHER LITIGATION ........................................................................................................................... 55 4 COMPANIES FINED $1 MILLION FOR SHIP POLLUTION ............................................................................ 56 TEXAS WHISTLE-BLOWERS ................................................................................................................... 56 MARINE WHISTLE-BLOWERS HOTLINE AUSTRALIA ................................................................................... 58 WHAT TO REPORT ................................................................................................................................. 59 HOW TO REPORT ................................................................................................................................... 59 REPORTING ACTUAL INCIDENTS .............................................................................................................. 59 MAGIC PIPE ......................................................................................................................................... 60 MV BOTTIGLIERI CHALLENGER ............................................................................................................. 60 MAGIC PIPE GROUP SUES US GOVERNMENT .......................................................................................... 61 ILLEGAL OCEAN DUMPING PERSISTS DESPITE DOJ CRACKDOWN ............................................................ 62 THE LAW, MAGIC PIPES — AND WHISTLEBLOWERS ................................................................................. 63 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................................... 66 SEAFARERS ´ RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL .................................................................................................. 66 WHEN THE SHIP MASTER IS CAST AS A CRIMINAL .................................................................................... 66 WHISTLE-BLOWERS .............................................................................................................................