Shipping Company & Master Charged for Svalbard Breach

For the first time, Norwegian authorities have charged a shipping company and the captain of a vessel with violating the Svalbard Environmental Act of 2022 for carrying Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO) in the Svalbard region.

According to the Norwegian National Media Agency, the vessel Arklow Wind, a 16,816-dwt cargo ship registered under the Irish flag, breached the Svalbard Environmental Act of 2022. The ship had departed from Poland with HFO onboard and arrived in Norway to load coal.

On June 6th, an inspection conducted by the Norwegian Maritime Directorate discovered HFO aboard the vessel, which constitutes a violation of Section 82a of the Svalbard Environmental Act of 2022. This Act prohibits ships from using or carrying HFO fuel while navigating the Svalbard region, a measure implemented since January 2022 to protect the environment from potential oil spills.

Following the discovery of HFO on the Arklow Wind, the governor of Svalbard imposed fines of approximately $93,000 on the shipping company and $2,800 on the vessel's captain. A major case hearing is set for October in the Nord-Troms district of Norway.

The shipping company has not yet accepted the fine but provided a financial guarantee for the fine amount to be allowed to sail from Svalbard.

After receiving permission from local authorities, the cargo ship departed from Longyearbyen Anchorage on June 12th. It is scheduled to arrive in Tees, UK, on June 18th.