No. P 005/07
For release November 30, 2007
VANCOUVER, B.C. — The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that the federal government has successfully prosecuted the Motor Vessel Andre, a Hong Kong-registered bulk carrier for spilling over 7,500 litres of oil into Vancouver Harbour. The pollution incident occurred on July 4, 2006 while the vessel was bunkering fuel oil at anchorage in the Port of Vancouver.
After a thorough investigation by Transport Canada and Environment Canada the M.V. Andre was charged with unlawfully discharging a pollutant into Canadian waters, a violation of the Canada Shipping Act. The vessel is owned by the FFS HK Ltd. of Hong Kong.
The British Columbia Provincial Court assessed the vessel a $80,000 financial penalty. The vessel was fined $5,000 and ordered to pay $75,000 toward research, conservation and protection of migratory bird habitat in the Georgia Basin. Made up of Puget Sound, the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca, the Georgia Basin provides vital habitat for the millions of birds that migrate each year along the Pacific Flyway. Under the polluter pays provisions of the Canada Shipping Act, the owner is also responsible for cleanup costs.
"These types of pollution prosecutions demonstrate to the international marine community that the costs of polluting Canadian waters are significant and we are serious about making our oceans and waterways cleaner," said Minister Cannon. "This court decision sends a message to polluters that they have to clean up their act."
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 works in close cooperation with other federal agencies, such as Environment Canada, Fisheries and Oceans, the Department of National Defence, Justice Canada and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, as well as with other national and international partners in order to reduce the occurrence of ship source marine pollution in Canadian waters.
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Contacts:
Karine White
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport,
Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa
613-991-0700
Rod Nelson
Communications
Vancouver
(604) 666-1675
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