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Tuna boat that spilled improperly stored oil costs company $1 million

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A tuna fleet company has agreed to pay a $1 million penalty in connection with an October 2014 oil spill in America Samoa, the U.S. Department of Justice said.

Bellevue, Washington-based Tri Marine Management Co. L.L.C. said the spill was the result of a crew member not following company policy.

The Justice Department on Wednesday said Tri Marine and two affiliated companies, Tri Marine Fishing Management L.L.C. and Cape Mendocino Fishing L.P., also agreed as part of the settlement to perform fleetwide inspections and other corrective measures to resolve claims stemming from the spill and related violations of spill prevention regulations.

The Justice Department said the spill occurred in Pago Pago Harbor in America Samoa after the 230-foot commercial tuna fishing vessel, the Capt. Vincent Gann, returned from a two-month fishing voyage and struck two moored fishing vessels while maneuvering into the harbor.

The hull was breached during the crash, and at least 35 barrels of marine oil flowed out of the bulbous bow into the water. It is illegal to store fuel in the bulbous bow, according to the Justice Department. A bulbous bow is an extension of the hull just below the waterline.

The complaint alleged the oil was illegally stored to extend the duration of the fishing voyage and allow storage of a larger catch of fish.

It said the extra fish had been stored in two of the fish holds, but the oil was transferred out of the fish holds to the bulbous bow to make room for storage of tuna in those fish holds.

“This settlement sends a clear message to vessel owners and operators that they cannot put profits ahead of protection of the marine environment or compliance with the law,” said John C. Cruden, an assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division, in a statement.

Tri Marine said in a statement that a crew member had not followed company policy in improperly transferring fuel to the space. “The company has reinforced its policy with all employees to ensure this type of incident does not happen again,” it said.

“Tri Marine is committed to leading the industry in not only meeting the letter of the law, but exceeding it in many areas of our business,” said company President Renato Curto, in the statement. “Humans make mistakes despite these best intentions. We are grateful that the release of oil was cleaned up quickly.”