Australian court fines Swire Navigation, Bluewind Shipping
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Shipping firms Swire Navigation and Bluewind Shipping were each fined A$600,000 ($619,000) last Friday over Queensland's biggest oil spill involving the containership Pacific Adventurer, Seatrade Asia reported.
The two companies pleaded guilty earlier last week to disposing of oil in waters off Australia's southeast Queensland in March 2009.
The 24,000 dwt Pacific Adventurer, which ran into a cyclone, leaked about 270,000 litres of bunker fuel and lost 31 containers into Australian waters.
The fine is small compared to a A$17.5m paid under a limitation order in the Federal Court and an additional A$7.5m to help cover the A$31m cost of cleaning up the damage.
Charges were dropped against the ship's master Bernardino Santos and the other corporate defendants Swire Shipping Pty Ltd and China Navigation Co Ltd.
The two companies pleaded guilty earlier last week to disposing of oil in waters off Australia's southeast Queensland in March 2009.
The 24,000 dwt Pacific Adventurer, which ran into a cyclone, leaked about 270,000 litres of bunker fuel and lost 31 containers into Australian waters.
The fine is small compared to a A$17.5m paid under a limitation order in the Federal Court and an additional A$7.5m to help cover the A$31m cost of cleaning up the damage.
Charges were dropped against the ship's master Bernardino Santos and the other corporate defendants Swire Shipping Pty Ltd and China Navigation Co Ltd.