What Crew Members Say About Arklow-Wind

In a landmark enforcement action, the chief of police in Svalbard has imposed a fine of one million Norwegian crowns on the Irish shipping firm responsible for the vessel 'Arklow Wind.' The ship docked in Longyearbyen on June 6, 2024, to load coal while allegedly carrying heavy bunker oil in its tanks. Since 2022, a strict ban has been in place prohibiting vessels from arriving in Svalbard with heavy bunker oil due to the region's environmentally sensitive ecosystem and challenging access in the event of an oil spill. This incident marks the first application of section 82a of the Svalbard Environment Act regarding this prohibition. In addition to the penalties imposed on the shipping company, the captain of the 'Arklow Wind' has also received a fine of 300,000 NOK. The Norwegian authorities acted on a tip-off regarding the ship's bunker oil status and conducted an inspection upon its arrival in Longyearbyen. Both the shipping company and the captain are contesting the fines, and the matter is now set to be heard in the Nord-Troms District Court in Tromsø, with proceedings expected to commence in early October.