The United States has taken civil action against the Hawaiian-based owners of a fishing vessel found to have discharged oily waste at sea. Two managers from Azure Fishery LLC have agreed to pay USD475,000 in civil penalties, and to take compliance measures to cover their fleet of 25 vessels.
The company has been accused of wilful discharges of oil, including oily bilge water, from its longline fishing vessel Jaxon T (now the St Joseph) into the waters off Hawaii, as well as related violations of pollution control regulations. The two managers were further alleged to have fraudulently transferred the ownership of the vessel after the coastguard discovered the violations in 2017.
The local coastguard said that this was the fourth such case it had brought this year involving illegal oil discharge practices. The District Attorney commented that: “Violators who fail to act on this message will face similar, or more severe, consequences.”
Post new comment