Brazil police probe Rio de Janeiro Chevron oil spill

BBC News, 17November 2011

RelatedStories 

• Brazil changes oil drilling rules
• Brazil finds massive oil field
• Petrobras in $70bn fund-raising

Chevron says 17 ships have been working to
clear up the oil sheen

Brazilianpolice are investigating an oil spill in an offshore field operated by the UScompany Chevron.

Ships areworking to disperse the slick 120km (75 miles) off the coast of Rio de Janeirostate, and Chevron says it has plugged the oil well.

Brazil'sEnergy Minister Edison Lobao has said the company will be "severelypunished" if it is found to have failed in its environmentalresponsibilities.

In recentyears Brazil has discovered huge oil reserves in the Atlantic.

The oil isleaking from a well in the Frade oil project, 370km (230 miles) off theBrazilian coast.

Chevroninitially estimated that 400-650 barrels of oil had formed a sheen on the waterafter seeping from the seabed near the well.

But theinternational environmental group Skytruth said satellite images suggested thespill was many times bigger.

Brazilianenergy minister Edison Lobao said the spill "was not as serious as hadbeen announced" and was not moving towards the Brazilian coast.

But he saidBrazil's oil agency ANP was monitoring the situation closely and would applythe full force of the law.

"IfChevron is not fulfilling its responsibilities, it will be more severelypunished," he said.

ANP saidunderwater images showed Chevron's effort to permanently seal the well withcement appeared to have been successful, although there appeared to be aresidual flow of oil from the seabed.

"Theslick is continuing to move away from the coast and dispersing, as isdesired," it added.

'Bad faith'

Policeenvironment experts have been sent on navy helicopters to assess the scale ofthe spill.

Green Partymembers of the Brazilian parliament have called for a debate on the matter.

MP SarneyFilho said Chevron appeared to have underplayed the scale of the accident.

"Whathas alarmed us is the lack of transparency on the part of the company and theattempt to minimise the size of the disaster," he told the official newsagency Agencia Brasil.

"Thisis a clear demonstration of bad faith," he added.

Chevronsaid on Thursday the flow of oil from the ocean floor has been reduced to"infrequent droplets" and the remaining oil sheen on the surface wasestimated at less than 65 barrels.

"Chevroncontinues to fully inform and work with Brazilian government agencies andindustry partners on all aspects of this matter," the company said in astatement.

In recentyears Brazil has discovered billions of barrels of oil in deep water that couldmake it one of the world's top five producers.

So farthere has been little public debate about the environmental dangers of offshoredrilling.

Politicaldiscussion has instead focused on how future oil revenues should be dividedbetween different states.

Related Article:

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Chevron takes full responsibility for Brazil oil spill

Fishermen Sue ConocoPhillips Over China Oil Spill

U.S. donates patrol boats to RI national police

Antara News, Fri, June 3 2011

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The U.S. Departments of Justice and State recently delivered two boats to the Indonesian National Police as part of the Indonesia Maritime Security Project (MARSEC), The U.S. Embassy here said in its official website on Friday.

The two boats increase to 19 the total number of boats provided to Indonesia as part of the MARSEC program. The patrol boats are deployed throughout the archipelago to assist Indonesia in securing vital maritime borders, sea lanes, natural resources, and ports.

In the first year of operation, the U.S.-provided boats seized over $10 million USD in contraband and continue to be an integral and effective component of Indonesia`s maritime security efforts.

Currently, the patrol boats are deployed in Batam-Riau, Sumatra; Bangka Island Straits, Balikpapan; Tarakan, Kalimantan; Bitung, North Sulawesi; Sorong, Papua; and Ternate-Sofia, North Maluku.

The United States Department of Justice International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program`s (ICITAP) mission in Indonesia is to support the development of the operational and organizational capacity and competencies of the Government of Indonesia`s law enforcement agencies.

ICITAP is funded by the U. S. Department of State`s Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL) and provides organizational development interventions, technical assistance, training, and equipment donations to augment Indonesia`s law enforcement efforts.

ICITAP support helps the Indonesian National Police continue its transition to a professional democratic law enforcement organization utilizing internationally accepted law enforcement standards and practices.

Editor: Jafar M Sidik

Piracy: IMO (UN) endorses use of armed guards on ships

BBC News, 21 May 2011

PIRACY CRISIS

• Marine violence
• Losing battle
• Q&A: Prosecuting pirates
• Somali piracy: Global map

The UN's International Maritime Organization (IMO) has endorsed the use of private armed guards to protect ships from piracy.

Anti-piracy patrols off the coast of Somalia
have had limited success

After a meeting in London, the IMO issued guidelines for the use of guards on board ships in areas of high risk, including in the Indian Ocean.

About one in 10 ships off the Somali coast already carry armed guards.

But observers say this number is likely to rise now that the UN has endorsed the practice.

The IMO says there were 489 reports of piracy and armed robbery against ships in 2010 - up more then 20% on 2009.

The areas worst affected were the Indian Ocean, East Africa and the Far East including the South China Sea, South America and the Caribbean.

So far this year more than 200 cases have been reported.

Correspondents say piracy in the Indian Ocean is getting more lucrative and more violent, despite an anti-piracy EU naval force patrolling the area.

Torture

The IMO's new recommendations are backed by the independent trade body for security companies operating at sea, the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (Sami), launched last year.

Peter Cook, co-founder of Sami, told the BBC: "The pirates have been killing - they have been torturing and doing fake executions and the level of violence is increasing.

"It is clear that something has got to be done in order for free trade to be able to continue and it is for that reason that the IMO have decided to go down this very unusual route."

The IMO insists that the guidelines are not intended to institutionalise the use of armed, privately contracted security staff on ships and that they do not address all the legal issues that could be linked to their use.

The IMO describes the guidance as "interim recommendations" and says it will review them in September.

Related Article:

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Malaysian navy detains 41 fishermen from Indonesia: media

English.news.cn   2011-01-27

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan. 27 (Xinhua) -- The Malaysian navy has held 41 fishermen, who were on board the fishing boat that was said to have encroached into the Malaysian waters Tuesday night, local newspaper Sin Chew Daily reported on Thursday.

An officer from the Malaysian maritime enforcement unit said the boat, originated from the Sumatera island in Western Indonesia, was detained about 25 nautical miles northwest of the island, according to the newspaper.

The daily quoted the officer as saying that the Malaysian navy had interrogated the fishermen on the boat, finding them entering the Malaysian waters without permission.

The officer added that the fishermen, including the skipper, had also failed to produce any identification documents when being inspected.

Under the Malaysian law, the skipper faces a maximum fine of 1 million ringgit (327,869 U.S. dollars), while the rest a fine not exceeding 100,000 ringgit (327,869 U.S. dollars).

Editor: Xiong Tong

Illegal trade

The Jakarta Post, Nyoman Budhiana, Antara, Bali | Mon, 01/10/2011

Police and Bali Natural Resources and Conservation Center officers measure green sea turtles at the Bali water police patrol office in Denpasar, Bali, on Monday. The team foiled an illegal attempt to trade the 38 sea turtles from Madura to Bali.

Navy arrests boat selling illegal diesel oil

Antara News, Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - Tanjungpinang navy patrol in Riau Islands intercepted and arrested an illegal diesel oil boat and its crew of four when selling its cargo in Anak Lobam waters, Bintan regency.

"We also seized the boat and 40 tons of illegal diesel oil which was about to be sold at sea," commander of Tanjungpinang naval patrol Major Hariyo Poernomo said here on Monday.

Hariyo said the nameless vessel with four crewmen, namely Rusli, Nur Khatib, Lahode and M Nur, was arrested by the navy patrol boat in Anak Lobam waters on Tuesday (Dec 21) at 2 am when sailing from Buluh Island in Batam.

"They were about to sell the illegal diesel oil to tug boats passing the area," Hariyo said.

It appeared that the diesel came from boats selling the illegal oil and received by Alimin who told the four suspects to resell it.

Hariyo said a thorough investigation showed that the diesel oil as well as the boat did not have any papers.

"They have violated the law on navigation and the law on oil and gas," he added.

He added that the sale of illegal diesel oil at sea had frequently happened and the capacity of the boat is normally 100 tons.

The skipper of the boat carrying the illegal diesel oil, M Nur (58), said Alimin simply told them to bring the oil to the Tekulai waters from Buluh Batam island.

"We have no idea where the oil came from and we were told to only take the boat to Tekulai before to other boats came," he said. Nur said Alimin paid him for bringing the boat with 40 tons of diesel oil on board, but refused to say how much exactly was the payment.

The boat with the four frewmen is now held at the naval patrol basis in Tanjung Unggat, Tanjungpinang.

Police caught Indonesian-Flagged Vietnamese fishing boats

Antara News, Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Pontianak, West Kalimantan (ANTARA News) - National marine police have caught eight Indonesian-flagged Vietnamese boats while illegally fishing in the exclusive economic zone in Natuna.

The boats were caught during police operations from December 9 to 16, the director of intelligence and crimes of the West Kalimantan Regional Police Command, Senior Commissioner Bambang Priambada, said here on Wednesday.

The boats had raised Indonesian flags and names to cover up so that Indonesian police would think they are local boats, he said.

All the skippers and crew of the boats are Vietnamese, he said. "We have so far named eight suspects namely their skippers while 101 crew members of the boats are still under detention waiting for their deportation," he said.

The eight boats along with their catch reaching 27 tons of fish are now being entrusted to the West Kalimantan regional police command pending their legal process.

"According to the temporary results of investigation they have conducted fish poaching around a month. But we are predicting they had operated for more than a year. They sold their catch to a collector ship in the high seas," he said.

He said after investigation the legal process of the eight skippers would be referred to the Pontianak Fishery and Marine Resource Supervision for a further process and later a court trial.

One of skippers, Pong Hai, said he and his fellows braved fishing illegally in the Indonesian waters because no fish had now been found in their country`s waters.

"Fish in the Indonesian waters is still abundant and therefore we are poaching here," he said.

He said he spent US$10 to an Indonesian citizen to change the name of his boat with a name in the Indonesian language.

West Kalimantan waters are included in Zone III along with Natuna, Karimata and South China Sea with fish potentials reaching one million ton a year.

The West Kalimantan waters strecthes up to 26,000 kilometers up to South China Sea covering 2,004,000 hectares of public waters, 26,700 hectares of pond culture waters ad 15,500 hectares of sea.

The fish species found in the waters include tuna, mackerel and squid.

Rescue endangered marine turtles

English.news.cn, Editor: Wang Guanqun, 2010-11-18

Tourists and local volunteers release a rescued green turtle at Kuta beach during a ceremony on the resort island of Bali on November 18, 2010.

Indonesian maritime police intercepted a boat loaded with 87 green turtles and arrested the boat crew during an operation in nearby Kubu sea as part of a campaign to protect the endangered marine turtles. (Xinhua/AFP)

Related Article:

Endangered Sea Turtles Saved in Bali

Two Vietnamese-flagged boats seized for allegedly poaching in Natuna

Antara News, Monday, October 18, 2010 22:31 WIB

Surabaya, East Java (ANTARA News) - A navy patrol has seized two Vietnamese-flagged boats for allegedly poaching in Natuna island waters.

The two boats had been seized because they were in the Indonesian Exclusive Economic Zone in the South China Sea without permits from the Indonesian government, Navy Eastern Fleet Command spokesman Lt Col Yayan Sugiana said here on Monday.

The BV-99678 boat weighing 130 gross tons led by skipper Hun and 22 crew members are now secured at the Ranai naval base in Riau Islands along with the other boat KG-15381 weighing 90 gross tons led by skipper Yui, he said.

Another navy patrol ship, KRI Sangkulirang-542 involved in the Eastern Regional Sea Security Operations meanwhile have seized two boats found conducting illegal transactions in the Makassar Strait.

The LCT Muara Samudera Pacific and MT Cahaya Ujung-03 are now being held at Kotabara naval base in South Kalimantan. "The two boats are believed to have conducted fuel oil trading illegally at sea," Yayan said quoting the captain of KRI Teluk Sangkulirang, Ipong Wicaksono as saying.

He said the skipper of LCT Muara Samudera Pacific, Yuli Purwanto, failed to show a radio station permit and did not put up a registration sign.The boat weighing 1,215 gross ton carried 13 Indonesian crew members.

MT Cahaya Ujung with its skipper Nasir carried 30 tons of fuel oil believed to have been obtained illegally. The boat with eight crew on board did not carry shipping permit documents and a national pollution prevention certificate.

Foreign Ministry probing reported arrest of RI sailors in M`sia

Antara News, Monday, October 18, 2010 19:31 WIB

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Foreign Affairs Ministry is still investigating the reported arrest of 13 Indonesian sailors by Malaysian authorities recently.

The report was first released by Bernama News Agency last Oct 17. According to the report, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) detained four foreign vessels for illegally transferring 125,752 liters of oil in Pangerang waters near Kota Tinggi last Oct 16. It was said there were 13 Indonesian sailors in the vessels.

"We are still collecting information on whether there were Indonesians among the arrested sailors or not. One thing I can say is that the government will always give legal support to Indonesian citizens abroad," said a foreign ministry spokesman here on Monday.

Bernama News Agency quoted MMEA southern region operations director Captain Mohd Zubil Mat Som as saying that there were 52 crew inside the four vessels comprising 15 from Thailand, 13 from Indonesia, 12 from the Philippines, eight from Myanmar and four from Holland. The crew members were aged between 20 to 59 years.

Mohd Zubil said the four vessels were spotted by a MMEA patrolling team on KM Manjong at two locations about 1.8 nautical miles off Tanjung Ayam, Pangerang, between 10 am and 5.30 pm on Sunday, during an operation dubbed `Ops Perkasa Selatan`.

"Following inspections, we found that the four vessels were conducting illegal oil transfer, which is an offense under the Merchant Shipping Ordinance 1952 and Federation Light Dues Act 1953," he said.

He added that the vessels were registered in Kiribati, Bangkok, Freetown (Sierra Leone) and Rotterdam.

Dumai customs seize Malaysian ship carrying illegal goods

Antara News, Thursday, September 30, 2010 15:48 WIB

Dumai, Riau province (ANTARA News) - Dumai customs officers have seized a Malaysian ship, KM Rfaida Indah carrying hundreds of sacks of used tires and clothing, an officer said here on Thursday.

The ship was caught on Wednesday (Sept 29) afternoon in the Sungai Kemeli area, Dumai.

"After being checked, the ship proved to contain second-hand tires and clothing products from Malaysia," said the officer adding that the ship was impounded after the captain failed to show official documents related to the products he carried in the ship.

"We took the ship to Pokala harbor for further further legal processing," he said.

Australian wildlife officers on trail of 'whale rider'

BBC News, 27 September 2010 Last updated at 14:58 GMT

Australian officials are investigating reports of a teenage boy riding on the back of a whale.

The southern right whale migrates along
Australia's coasts

A witness has told authorities that he saw the youngster climb on to a southern right whale near the town of Albany in Western Australia on Friday.

Harassing wildlife is an offence which carries a maximum penalty of A$10,000 (US$9,600).

Conservation authorities say such a stunt would be "foolhardy and reckless".

Mike Shephard from the local Department of Environment and Conservation said: "If you are in the way of a tail slap or when it breaches you are unlikely to survive."

Southern right whales can reach 18m in length and weigh up to 80 tonnes.

In a statement, Mr Shephard said these whales came close to shore to rest and to allow calves to gain strength in calm waters.

"Disturbance or physical contact with them, either deliberate or accidental, not only distresses the whales but also could result in a tragic outcome for a foolhardy person," he said.

Under Western Australian laws, boats must stay at least 100m away from whales while swimmers and surfers must be at a minimum distance of 30m.

The BBC's Phil Mercer says the legislation is meant to keep people away from migrating pods along Australia's east and west coasts.

On Monday, wildlife officers were seen patrolling Albany's beaches to remind people to keep their distance from the whales.

Hundreds of sacks of ammonium nitrate seized

Andi Hajramurni, The Jakarta Post, Makassar | Thu, 09/16/2010 10:01 AM

The South Sulawesi Police have seized 489 sacks of ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in explosives and fertilizers, that were brought into the country from Malaysia and the Philippines on ships, a senior police figure says.

The sacks, each containing 25 kilograms of ammonium nitrate, were seized near Taka Bonerate National Park in Selayar Islands regency last week and were transported to Makassar on Tuesday.

It is thought the chemicals were to be used to make explosives for fishing.

The sacks had been transported from Malaysia and the Philippines to Indonesia on two ships from the Selayar Islands, the police’s marine unit director Sr. Comr. Agus Sutikno said.

He said the police were holding the captains of the ships as suspects. They were identified as Hasanuddin, captain of KLM Dewi Anjani, and Sukri, captain of KLM Fajar Islam.

KLM Dewi Anjani was reported to have been carrying 2,000 sacks from Malaysia but the police seized 257 sacks. Some 232 sacks were confiscated from a reported total of 1,800 sacks brought from the Philippines on the ship KLM Fajar Islam.

“They had been selling the sacks to locals on their way to Bonerate Island,” Agus said.

The captains of the two ships tried to evade arrest by entrusting their dossiers to local people, Agus said.

However, the police, assisted by the commander of the local military district command, persuaded the crew of the ship to hand over the ammonium nitrate.

The suspects confessed that the explosives had been purchased from Kuantan, Malaysia, and the Philippines at a price of Rp 250,000 per sack. They had sold them to locals around the Selayar Islands for between Rp 600,000 and Rp 1.5 million per sack.

Ammonium nitrate is used as a fertilizer, especially for oil palm trees, and is readily available and legally traded in Malaysia and the Philippines, Agus said.

However, the chemical is banned in Indonesia to prevent it from being used to make explosives.

A kilogram of ammonium nitrate can produce up to four explosive devices suitable for fishing, Agus said.

The 3,311 sacks that the fishermen had already sold could produce 3 millions bombs, he continued.

“You can imagine how enormous an impacts the bombs could have on the environment,” Agus said.

The police are also concerned that ammonium nitrate might fall into the hands of terrorists, Agus said

Riau Islands touted as haven for illegal foreign fishermen

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam | Tue, 08/31/2010 10:04 AM

The recent case of illegal fishing in Riau waters, Malaysia’s response to which triggered protests in Indonesia, is just the tip of the iceberg, a government official says.

Riau Islands

The true number of poaching cases involving foreign fishermen in the Riau Islands was much larger than those reported, Batam Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency Yulisbar chief said.

Inadequate facilities and the authorities’ lack of commitment to preventing fish poaching were the main reason for the continued rampant thefts by foreign fishermen in the province, he said.

Malaysian Marine Police arrested three Batam Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency (KKP) officers — Asriadi, Selvo Wewengkang and Erwan — and detained them at Kota Tinggi prison in Johore Baru, Malaysia, from Aug. 13 to Aug. 17, after Indonesian officials had caught Malaysian fishermen accused of fishing illegally in Indonesian waters.

Fish thefts in Riau Islands by foreign fishermen are regarded as commonplace.

Fishermen from neighboring Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines have often been caught red-handed in the area, especially in Natuna and Anambas regencies.

According to Yulisbar, the Batam KKP has only eight personnel and a patrol boat to oversee 715 square kilometers of territory.

“Ideally, sea patrols should be conducted four times a month, but we don’t have the means for that,” Yulisbar said.

He added that foreign fishing boats, particularly from Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia, usually caught fish in the open sea, in Natuna and Anambas, for example.

The low competence of local fishermen was another reason for continued thefts, Yulisbar said.

Between January and July this year, 10 foreign fishing boats were detained by Indonesian authorities. The total number of impounded illegal fishing vessels this year is expected to exceed that of last year.

Earlier, Batam Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Agency raised its concerns over the presence of foreign fishermen working in the local fishing industry because of limited skills of local fishermen.

Agency supervisory affairs chief Dasril Talani said the volume of fish caught within four nautical miles of the coast had less economic value than that caught beyond 12 nautical miles.

However, most of the vessels fishing 12 miles off the coast of the Riau Islands were foreign, since local fishermen only went out up to 4 miles, he said.

The chief of the Riau chapter of the Indonesian Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Institute (LKPI), Andi Zulkarnain, said the recent arrests of Malaysian fishermen by KKP officers showed the low bargaining power of Indonesia compared to that of its neighbor.

I am displeased by Malaysia: Fishery Minister

Hans David Tampubolon, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Mon, 08/16/2010 10:54 AM

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad says that the Malaysian government has completely displeased him by arresting his officers patrolling the Riau Islands waters.

Fadel Muhammad
(JP/Hans David Tampubolon)

"I am disappointed. I have discussed this issue with the foreign affairs minister [Marty Natalegawa] and he said that an official diplomatic note would be issued as soon as possible," Fadel told reporters at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Monday.

Fadel said that he would also discuss this issue with the Malaysian ambassador.

"I also have talked with Pak Dai Bachtiar [Indonesian ambassador in Malaysia], and he told me that the Malaysian government was also intensively discussing this issue," he said.

"The point is that I want the Malaysian authorities to release our officers as soon as possible because they are not guilty," he added.

The Malaysian authorities arrested the Indonesian officers after the latter apprehended Malaysian fishermen fishing within the Indonesian territory.

Related Article:

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Pertamina Says Oil Spill All Mopped Up as Police Probe Negligence Angle

Jakarta Globe, July 09, 2010, Candra Malik,Arientha Primanita& Fidelis E Satriastanti

State oil and gas company Pertamina has succeeded in siphoning almost all of the crude oil that spilled into a river in Blora, Central Java, following a leak at its local fuel depot, an executive said on Thursday.

The leak, which police say might have been caused by negligence on the part of an officer on duty at the depot, on Wednesday sent thousands of liters of crude into the nearby Ledok River, covering it for kilometers in a thick layer of oil.

Fires, the causes of which were not yet known, also broke out on the surface, but the main blazes have already been extinguished, officials say.

Basuki Trikora Putra, Pertamina vice president of corporate communications, confirmed the oil spill and said that the company had carried out the necessary cleanup actions.

“We’ve managed to extract almost 95 percent of the spilled oil using a pump,” Basuki said.

“There were fires [at the site] for a while but we’ve managed to douse most of them.

“We’ll conduct an audit to see whether there are any external and internal causes for the accident, besides technical issues,” he said, adding the company had not yet calculated its losses.

On Thursday, some areas of the river still spewed thick smoke, a local policeman said, but the smoke did not prevent several residents from nearby settlements from trying to scoop the oil from the surface for use at home.

Some residents told reporters there that they planned to use the oil as fuel for cooking.

Blora Police Chief Adj. Comr. Isnaini Ujiarto told the Jakarta Globe that police were helping Pertamina officials from the depot to “localize this incident.”

“Fortunately, the depot is in the middle of a teak forest, far from any settlement, so to date there have been no reports of casualties,” Isnaini said.

Pertamina has contained the spill on the surface of the river and used oil pumps to siphon the crude into tankers, he said.

He added that an inspection of the storage facilities in the depot showed that although the fuel tanks were old and rusted, dating back to the Dutch colonial era, there was no sign of a leak.

Police, he said, suspect negligence on the part of an employee at the depot, who might have forgotten to close down a valve on time, causing the crude oil to flow into the river.

Police are questioning workers at the depot but have yet to name a suspect, he said.

As a precaution, police have closed access to the river from the three villages closest to the location of the spill — Ledok, Gagahan and Pojok Watu — to prevent people from scooping up the fuel, Isnaini said.

Berry Nahdian Furqon, executive director of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (Walhi), urged the directors of Pertamina to evaluate their management and technology, pointing out that similar accidents had hit the company in the past.

“This is not the first time that there’s been a leak, so there should be a thorough investigation of the officials, and the directors of Pertamina should take full responsibility,” Berry said, adding that the incident showed how safety issues in the oil and gas industry were often ignored.

Pertamina should also be responsible for all costs stemming from the incident, including cleaning up the river, repairing other environmental damage and compensating villagers affected by the oil spill, he said.

Under the 2009 Environmental Protection and Management Law, heavy penalties can be imposed on corporations or institutions found to have caused environmental pollution.

Imam Hendargo, a senior official at the State Ministry for the Environment, said a team from the district environmental office had been dispatched to the site to investigate the leak and assess the damage.

Related Article:

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Probo Koala trial gets under way in Amsterdam

Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 1 June 2010 - 11:22am

(Photo: Toms Kalnins/ANP)

The environmental disaster surrounding the dumping of toxic waste from chartered ship Probo Koala in 2006 returns to the spotlight today as a number of defendants go on trial in Amsterdam. The defendants include oil company Trafigura, Amsterdam Port Services, the captain of the Probo Koala and Amsterdam's Municipal Executive. They face a number of charges including violations of environmental legislation.

According to the Public Prosecution Service, the Probo Koala, a ship chartered by Trafigura, attempted to offload hazardous waste in Amsterdam. When this did not prove possible, the ship set sail for Ivory Coast, where a local company dumped the waste in various locations in and around Abidjan. At least 16 deaths and tens of thousands of medical complaints have since been linked to the dumping.

The Amsterdam trial will not focus on the events in Ivory Coast, but will examine how the defendants acted while the waste was being handled in the Netherlands. The high profile case is expected to last five weeks.

Related Articles:

Two million euro fine demanded in Probo Koala case

Dutch prosecutors: Trafigura toxic waste fine "frustrating"

Trafigura trial over Ivory Coast toxic waste begins

Bali Police Pull Endangered Turtles From the Pot

Jakarta Globe, Made Arya Kencana, May 19, 2010

A policeman holding up one of 71 green turtles rescued in Bali on Wednesday. Despite a ban on the turtle trade, the reptile’s meat remains a delicacy on the island. (JG Photo/JP Christo)

Denpasar. Bali Police announced on Wednesday that they had rescued 71 endangered green turtles being kept for their meat.

Some of the turtles “were so big it took three people to lift each one,” Andi Taqdir Rahmantiro, director of the Bali Police’s detectives unit said, adding that the biggest turtles weighed as much as 200 kilograms each.

Green turtles (chelonia mydas) were once commonly used in ritual sacrifices across the predominantly Hindu island, while their meat is a traditional delicacy. In recent years, however, there has been a shift toward symbolic sacrifices where the animals are released alive into the sea.

Andi said the animals were seized on Wednesday from a warehouse in Denpasar owned by Jero Mangku Buda. He added Buda had long fronted as a pork vendor, but actually sold turtle meat on the sly.

Police had staked out Buda’s food stall for months before posing as potential turtle meat buyers to make the arrest. During questioning, the suspect told investigators about the warehouse, just 200 meters away from the food stall.

Buda said he had bought the consignment of turtles for Rp 35 million ($3,850) from a fisherman at Amed Harbor in Karangasem a day earlier, who in turn had netted them in the Sulawesi Sea.

He did not tell police whether he had killed or sold any from the batch, but said he often sold off entire turtles for Rp 700,000 each, while serving up turtle meat for Rp 45,000 a portion.

“He says he’s only done it once before, but we’re not buying it,” Bali Police spokesman Gde Sugianyar Dwi Putra said. “In the meantime, we’re tracking down the supplier.”

Buda would likely be charged with poaching, which could see him face up to five years in prison and Rp 100 million in fines, Sugianyar said.

Police will deliver the 71 turtles to the Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) office in Bali, which plans to release them into the sea from Kuta Beach.

“For now, though, we’ll keeping them at the turtle conservation center in Serangan,” BKSDA Bali head Pamen Sitorus said.

Indonesia implemented a turtle trade ban in 1999, and rejected a proposal last year by Bali Governor I Made Mangku Pastika to set an annual quota of 1,000 animals for sacrificial ceremonies. However, high demand has driven the trade underground, with police foiling several smuggling attempts in recent years.

In February 2009, police stopped a boat carrying 26 turtles, while in July a shipment of 42 turtles from Java was foiled. In September, authorities seized 140 kilograms of turtle meat.

Police chase shipwreck treasure hunter

Bagus BT Saragih, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Fri, 04/30/2010 9:48 AM

Facing jail ... Queensland treasure hunter Mike Hatcher. (brisbanetimes)

Authorities are hunting Michael Hatcher, a foreign shipwreck treasure hunter believed to be operating in Indonesian waters.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Fadel Muhammad said Thursday he dispatched a joint investigation team to pursue Hatcher.

“I have received many reports about [Hatcher] and his illegal activities. I told my men to monitor Hatcher’s movements at sea,” Fadel told The Jakarta Post.

National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi confirmed a team of water police had been assigned to arrest Hatcher.

“We have identified his boat. We are now monitoring his activities,” Ito said.

Fadel said he did not know Hatcher very well. “But since I began serving as a minister in 2009, [Hatcher’s] name has been mentioned as a famous treasure hunter,” the Golkar politician said.

Hatcher has been widely known as a shipwreck treasure hunter since the 1980s.

Hatcher is believed to be an Australian national, but reports say he may hold both British and Australian passports.

His main area of operations is reportedly the Malacca Strait between Sumatra and Malaysia, Bangka-Belitung, Java, and in the South China Sea near Thailand.

According to Endro Soebekti Sadjiman, the coordinator of NGOs grouped in the National Assets Rescue Consortium, Hatcher’s latest operation was in Blanakan waters, Subang regency, West Java.

Endro said he believed Hatcher was after porcelain from the Ming dynasty.

“A porcelain plate or bowl from that era could fetch US$20,000. If there are thousands down there, just imagine the losses the state may suffer [if they’re stolen],” he said.

According to the consortium, Hatcher went to Blanakan following his recent discovery of the wreck of a Dutch ship named De Geldermalsen in East Bintan, Riau Islands, from which he recovered Chinese porcelain that was sold at auction in Amsterdam for $20 million.

“There are many other ‘Hatchers’,” Endro claimed.

Head of the National Committee of Excavation and Utilization of Valuable Objects from Sunken Ships at the ministry, Aji Sularso, said the joint team of investigators began hunting Hatcher two months ago.

The team comprises officers from the water police, Navy, police, and civil servant investigators from the Culture and Tourism Ministry.

“Hatcher is smart. He moves quickly and unpredictably if he thinks we’re on to him,” Aji told the Post.

The 2002 Cultural and Heritage Law stipulates that illegal treasure hunting is punishable by up to five years in prison and Rp 50 million ($5,500) in fine.

“Hatcher can also be charged under the Criminal Code on theft of state assets,” Aji said.

Aji said the government had identified 493 shipwreck sites across Indonesia, many of which have been looted.

“Most of the ships were Dutch, Chinese, and Portuguese which sank in the 1600s,” he said.

According to Aji, there are currently six companies permitted to salvage underwater treasure.

The law states that half of the haul’s proceeds belong to the state.

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