By KYIV. Nov 18 (Interfax-Ukraine) – According to a court decision, almost UAH 65 million of damage caused by pollution of Ukraine’s internal sea waters was recovered from a foreign company – the shipowner, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) reported.
"Prosecutors proved in court that on April 30, 2020, in the waters of the Pivdenny seaport, while unloading the foreign vessel Stavanger, there was an uncontrolled discharge of 8.5 tonnes of a substance harmful to human life and health – a mixture of palm olein and palm stearin," the Prosecutor General’s Office said in a message on the Telegram channel on Thursday.
The report emphasizes that these actions are a violation of the requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships of 1973, according to which the parties undertake to adhere to the provisions of the Convention and its annexes in order to prevent pollution of the marine environment by harmful substances.
"Currently, in pursuance of the said court decision, UAH 36.5 million has already been recovered from the defendant’s budget [which, at the official NBU rate as of November 15, 2022, is $1 million]. Work continues to recover the rest of the funds," the statement reads.
The Prosecutor General’s Office clarifies that the prosecutor’s claim was satisfied by the Economic Court of Odesa Region, and the decision of the South-Western Economic Court of Appeal was upheld.
