Ship Owner Pays $50,000 Over Bunker Spill, Could Still Face Criminal Charges

by Ship & Bunker News Team
Wednesday May 21, 2014

The owner of a cargo ship that sank of the coast of the Philippines in January has paid almost P2.2 million ($50,000) to compensate for damages caused by bunker fuel that leaked from the vessel, Philippine newspaper the Manila Bulletin reports.

Seen Sam Shipping Inc. (Seen Sam), owner of the M/V Sportivo paid P1.8 million ($41,000) to 729 fishermen affected by the fuel leak, while the remainder of the money went to local and provincial governments to repay expenses for the response to the spill and to compensate for damage.

In response to the payments, the provincial government has dropped a planned civil suit against Seen Sam, but it will still pursue criminal charges over the company's slow response to the spill, said Raymund Moderes, executive assistant of Guimaras Governor Samuel Gumarin.

The Sportivo sank off the coast of Guimaras on January 19 after being dragged from anchor in rough seas and colliding with another moored cargo vessel.