No. A005/04 For release May 13, 2004 ST. JOHN'S, NL - A Newfoundland and Labrador provincial court judge has ordered the Fishing Vessel (FV) Olga to pay a $170,000 fine for violations of the Canada Shipping Act associated with the unlawful discharge of an oily substance into Canadian waters. This is the highest penalty ever assessed in Canada against a vessel for a marine pollution offence under the Canada Shipping Act. On February 26, 2002, a Canadian Coast Guard surveillance flight spotted an oil slick approximately 134 kilometres southeast of Cape Race, Newfoundland. A subsequent investigation by Transport Canada determined that the slick, containing about 20 litres of oil, originated from the FV Olga. As a result, the vessel was charged and subsequently found guilty of two offences under the Canada Shipping Act: illegally discharging an oily substance in Canadian waters and failure to report the discharge. This precedent-setting fine marks the second time this year the courts have ordered the FV Olga to pay a significant fine for polluting Canadian waters. On April 6, 2004, the Olga was ordered to pay $113,000 after being convicted on pollution-related charges under the Canada Shipping Act for a marine pollution incident dating back to April 2001. Transport Canada is committed to ensuring environmentally responsible commercial marine operations and to prosecute 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. Contact: Maurice Landry Transport Canada, Communications (506) 851-7562 Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada. This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with visual disabilities.
