Fishermen hit by San Francisco oil spill get USD 6 mln

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Monday, January 10, 2011, 00:20 (GMT + 9)

Fishermen will receive a total of USD 6 million in damages through a class action lawsuit resulting from the Cosco Busan oil spill in the San Francisco Bay and beyond that occurred in 2007.

Around 58,000 gallons of heavy bunker fuel were spilled into the bay on 7 November 2007 by a container ship, after it hit a fender around one of the Bay Bridge’s towers and cut a gash in the ship’s hull measuring 212 ft.

Maritime pilot John Cota had been "impaired" due to the consumption of prescription pharmaceuticals while on duty navigating the boat. He was therefore sentenced to 10 months in jail, SFist reports.

Local fishers then filed various class action suits against the container ship’s owners and operators in both federal court in San Francisco and in San Francisco’s Superior Court. The lawsuits were brought against Fleet Management as well as Hong Kong-based Regal Stone Ltd, the ship’s owner, reports The Examiner.

Both of the lawsuits claimed that, as a result of the catastrophe, fishers had to endure “profound” economic losses and requested certification as class actions on behalf of all commercial fish harvesting operations within and in close proximity to San Francisco Bay.

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As a result of the disaster, wildlife suffered severely. The oil’s reach ranged from shores as far north as Stinson Beach in Marin County and as far south as Pacifica in San Mateo County.

The oil contaminated beaches and caused the deaths of more than 2,000 birds. A lawsuit filed by the fishers claimed the spill caused injury to the herring, halibut, surf perch and live bait fisheries in regional waters, San Francisco Chronicle reports.

Recently, a settlement was reached to give commercial herring, halibut and other finfish fishers in the Bay Area USD 3.65 million for their long-term damages claims, in addition to capital previously recovered, informed an attorney for the fishers.

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Some 120 commercial finfish fishers will dive the settlement among themselves. Preliminary approval of the USD 3.65 million-settlement is planned to take place on 25 January.

“If you come into the Bay and spill oil, the chief stewards of the Bay - local commercial fishermen - will do everything in their power to hold you accountable for it,” told Stuart Gross, an attorney representing the fishers.

By Natalia Real
editorial@fis.com
www.fis.com