- Government alleges bulk carrier discharged heavy fuel oil into the sea off Santa Cruz Island.
- Initial assessment of the spill indicated that around 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil had been dumped.
A bulk carrier ship has deliberately dumped about 1,000 tonnes of oil into the sea off the coast of the Solomon Islands, reports the Guardian citing government allegations.
Deliberate fuel dumping
The 1991-built, Panama-flagged Quebec stands accused of deliberately dumping fuel into the sea.
The 28,451 dwt handysize ship, which European database Equasis says is managed by Singapore’s Feng Sea Shipping, was carrying out a logging shipment for a Chinese company when it dumped heavy fuel oil into Graciosa Bay in Temotu province in late January, the Solomons government claims.
Owners to face legal action
The director of the Solomon Island Maritime Authority, Thierry Nervale, told state media an initial assessment of the Quebec spill indicated about 1,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil had been discharged, and that the government would pursue legal action against the vessel’s owners.
“For us, it is clear that this is deliberate pollution of our seas. It’s not accidental,” Nervale said.
High profile dry bulk casualty
The Hong Kong-flagged Solomon Trader ran aground on February 4 in 2019 in Kangava Bay off Rennell Island near the world’s largest raised coral atoll, a UNESCO world heritage site, becoming that year’s most high profile dry bulk casualty.
It was loading bauxite in inclement conditions when the accident happened, which led to hundreds of tonnes of bunker fuel spilling and the ship being declared a total constructive loss.
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Source: The Guardian
