Crew Reviews, Ratings & Info for Seaforce

In a notable ruling, a 66-year-old Filipino captain of the vessel 'Seaforce' has been fined €50,000 by a court in Marseille due to the unlawful discharge of approximately one million liters of scrubber wash water near Fos-Sur-Mer. The incident occurred in March 2023, and while the captain argued that he was unaware of the discharge, the court affirmed that he bears the ultimate responsibility for adhering to maritime compliance regulations. Originally facing a maximum fine of €4,000 for the charges, the case took a pivotal turn at a hearing in November 2023, when the prosecutor's office escalated the charges to pollution of territorial waters, which carries a maximum penalty of €100,000. Furthermore, the prosecutor firmly rejected the captain's defense regarding his lack of knowledge about the discharge, emphasizing that maintaining compliance onboard is a fundamental duty of any ship's captain.

In a significant legal development, prosecutors in Marseille have called for a €50,000 penalty against the Philippine captain of the bulk carrier 'Seaforce' for not utilizing scrubbers as mandated. This request came during an appearance in court on September 2, 2024. The case, which gained attention following the captain's referral in November 2023, was adjudicated in his absence at the Marseille Criminal Court. The captain, representing the Greek shipping firm Thenamaris, faced charges under the serious classification of "pollution of the territorial sea." Authorities allege that over one million liters of wastewater were improperly discharged into the Fos harbor, located less than three miles from the coast. This incident raises critical concerns regarding maritime environmental standards and the enforcement of regulations aimed at protecting marine ecosystems.

In a significant maritime legal case, the trial against the captain of the bulk carrier 'Seaforce' has been temporarily dismissed following allegations of pollution at the port of Fos. The Filipino captain reportedly released over one million liters of wash water from the vessel's open-loop scrubber while operating less than three miles from the coast. The Marseille criminal court has rescheduled the trial to take place on September 2, 2024, after the initial hearing on November 6, 2023, marked a historic first for such an offense. During recent court proceedings, the prosecution successfully redefined the charges to reflect 'pollution of the territorial sea,' a classification that raises the potential penalty from 4,000 Euros to a staggering 100,000 Euros. The prosecution dismissed the possibility of unintentional discharge, asserting that a captain is fully accountable for all activities onboard. Deputy prosecutor Michel Sastre proposed a hefty fine of 80,000 Euros before the captain's legal team gained a dismissal based on the new reclassification. The 'Seaforce,' which was on route from Australia to Fos-sur-Mer with a cargo of coal, came under scrutiny following an inspection by the PACA-Corsica ship safety center. It's noteworthy that discharging wash water within the three-nautical-mile zone has been strictly prohibited along the French coast since January 1, 2022.