Reviews & Ratings for the Capibara

On August 20, 2016, a maritime collision occurred off the coast of Nieuwpoort and De Panne, involving the tanker 'King Emerald' and the cargo vessel 'SE Pacifica.' The incident transpired approximately 10 kilometers offshore in the Westhinder anchorage area during gusty winds that caused one of the vessels to go adrift. In response to the emergency, the tugboat 'Zeehond' (IMO: 8843549) was dispatched to provide assistance. The 'SE Pacifica' sustained significant damage on its starboard side, particularly towards the stern and the superstructure, necessitating its towing to Flushing for repairs. Meanwhile, the 'King Emerald' experienced minor damage to its starboard foreship and proceeded to Antwerp for repairs, successfully berthing at Antwerp Shiprepair on August 22 at 10:30 a.m. For further details, including a video report, visit the Belgian news outlet: http://nieuws.vtm.be/binnenland/203884-olietanker-botst-op-vrachtschip.

In a significant environmental enforcement action, two European shipping companies were sentenced on Tuesday to pay a hefty fine of $10.4 million (approximately 6.7 million pounds) and are under probation for a period of four years. The penalties were imposed for illegal practices that included the dumping of oil-contaminated bilge water alongside falsification of crucial records. The implicated firms, Columbia Shipmanagement GmbH from Germany and Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd from Cyprus, confessed to engaging in illicit activities aboard three oil tankers and a container vessel, notably bypassing necessary pollution control equipment. Both companies are subsidiaries of Schoeller Holdings Ltd, a privately-owned shipping and hospitality enterprise based in Limassol, Cyprus. Earlier this year, in March, they entered guilty pleas for offenses including obstruction of justice, providing misleading information, and neglecting to maintain accurate oil record books, which are vital documents reviewed by the U.S. Coast Guard. This ruling underlines the stringent measures being adopted to uphold maritime environmental standards.

In a significant ruling on Thursday in Newark, New Jersey, two international shipping firms, Columbia Shipmanagement (Deutschland) GmbH based in Germany and Columbia Shipmanagement Ltd. from Cyprus, have been levied with fines totaling $10.4 million after pleading guilty to illegal oil dumping practices. The companies' offenses included both discharging oil into the ocean unlawfully and falsifying documentation to conceal these illegal actions. Washington attorney Thomas L. Mills represented both entities during the proceedings, although no executives from the companies were present before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton. This case stems from disturbing incidents in May 2012, when crew members aboard the M/T King Emerald, a 25,507-gross-ton oil tanker, revealed cellphone images of the unlawful dumping to Coast Guard personnel during a routine inspection in Carteret. Additionally, in October 2012, crew members from the M/T Nordic Passat, an 84,586-gross-ton oil carrier, provided the Coast Guard with a thumb drive containing photos and videos that depicted illegal dumping activities recorded during their journey to the Delaware Bay Big Stone Anchorage. The fines serve as a reminder of the serious repercussions of violating environmental regulations in maritime operations.