Turkey Raises the Stakes on Pollution Fines
Turkish authorities implemented a revised Pollution Fine Tariff that will apply to pollution incidents taking place in this calendar year.
In an urgent alert to American P&I Club members, the managers, following advice from their correspondent in Turkey, Vitsan A.S., Istanbul, recommend that shipowners and their masters take all possible steps not to cause any pollution by leakage/spillage of any kind of materials (ie, paint, oil, bilges, clean and dirty ballast, all kinds of residue, garbage, dirty water, sewage, water, laundry water with detergent, lavatory soap water, shower water, dust, rust, etc.) during ship visits to Turkey.
The very stiff fines, calculated on a per gross ton basis, apply to petroleum and its derivatives discharged into the sea by tankers, also the discharge of dirty ballast; petroleum derivatives or dirty ballast discharged by ships or other seagoing vessels; and solid wastes or domestic waste waters discharged by tankers, ships or other seagoing vessels.
Shipowners Claims Bureau Inc., the managers, note that if a fine is paid prior to the vessel’s sailing or within a maximum of 30 days’ notification of the Administrative Sanction Decree, the owner may be granted a 25% reduction of the total fine amount.