Japanese cargo ship oil spill compensation is the highest or not more than 450 million yuan
The Mauritian media reported on August 26 that according to the relevant report of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Japanese cargo ship "Wakachao" that hit a rock in the southeast waters of Mauritius caused an oil spill if it caused environmental pollution. Governed by the Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage from Cargo Ships. This convention provides a lower financial limit for liability, and the specific compensation depends on the size or gross tonnage of the ship. Therefore, the maximum compensation of "Ruochao" for economic losses and environmental restoration in Mauritius will not exceed US$65.17 million (approximately 2.6 billion Mauritian rupees, 450 million yuan). However, if the "Ruochao" is an oil tanker, it can provide Mauritius, one of the member states of the convention, with compensation of up to US$286 million (approximately Mauritian rupees 11.4 billion, RMB 1.97 billion) in accordance with the 1992 International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund Convention.
And if in accordance with the provisions of the 2003 Supplementary Fund Protocol added to the 1992 International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund Convention, the maximum amount of compensation for each shipping accident can reach 1.05 billion US dollars (about 41.7 billion Mauritian rupees, 7.24 billion yuan) yuan). However, according to information from the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, Mauritius has not ratified the protocol before.
The oil spill of the Japanese cargo ship "Wakachao" is considered to be the most serious in the history of Mauritius, affecting the coral reefs, marine life and mangrove ecosystems in the southeast waters, and causing a certain impact on the country's fisheries and tourism. The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development stated that in view of the potentially high cost of ship oil spill pollution and its extensive environmental and economic impact, it is necessary for all countries to ratify or accede to the latest international legal instruments and agreements. (Headquarters reporter Gu Xuejia)