Foreign Sailor Accused of Polluting Odesa Port with 7.2 Tons of Palm Oil

Foreign sailor accused of large-scale pollution of Odesa port
The senior assistant captain of a foreign vessel involved in the pollution of the sea with palm oil in the waters of the Pivdennyi port was served with a notice of suspicion in absentia. His actions caused millions of dollars in damage to Ukraine.

According to the Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office, the foreign sailor is charged with violating special rules for water protection, which caused grave consequences (Part 2 of Article 243 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine).

Photo: Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

According to the investigation, in early May 2024, an accident occurred during the unloading of a ship flying the flag of Barbados - tons of palm oil entered the waters. Another leak occurred while the rest of the cargo was being pumped into tanks. In total, 7.2 tons of the hazardous substance got into the sea.

The environmental disaster was caused by non-compliance with the rules for monitoring the ship's systems, including the lack of control over equipment and inspection of the cargo system. These actions violated the requirements of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships.

Photo: Odesa Regional Prosecutor's Office.

As a result of the pollution, Ukraine suffered more than USD 2 million in damages. The prosecutor's office has already filed a lawsuit against the shipowner for damages with the Odesa Oblast Commercial Court.

According to the State Ecological Inspectorate, palm oil, when it enters the marine environment, forms a film on the water surface that blocks sunlight. As a result, algae and marine plants cannot fully carry out photosynthesis.

As a result, the chemical composition of the water changes and the amount of oxygen decreases, which can lead to massive deaths of fish and other inhabitants of the reservoir, environmentalists say.

Although palm oil is capable of natural decomposition, this process takes a long time. During this process, microorganisms that break down the oil can multiply excessively, creating an imbalance in the ecosystem.

Earlier, the State Ecological Inspectorate established the fact of pollution of Ukraine's inland sea waters, namely the discharge of palm oil from the Stavanger ship flying the Tuvaluan flag.

Ірина Глухова