Pollution Impacts

 

2020-22
UK/Tristan Da Cunha
Instructed by:  Insurer
Provision of guidance on risks to the lobster fishery of Gough Island, Tristan Da Cunha, following the grounding and sinking of a large fishing vessel off the island.  Assessment of evidence of pollution and possible impacts of various scenarios of release of any remaining diesel oil.  Advice on precautionary monitoring of oil contaminants in adult lobster flesh, also potential for risk of damage to earlier life-stages.

 

2019-22  UK
Instructed by:  Law firm/mussel farming company 
Review of evidence and assessment of loss of profits suffered by an integrated mussel farming and sales operation following an accidental discharge of fine sediments on mussel beds during coastal defense works.

 

2017-20 Greece
Instructed by:  IOPCF
Fieldwork to survey fisheries and marketing operations impacted by a vessel sinking and fuel oil spill off Piraeus, Greece.  Assessment of spread of oil in relation to inshore fishing grounds, contamination monitoring and approx 120 claims from inshore fishermen, aquaculture operations, marketing and retailers, following IOPC’s admissibility criteria.

2017 Turkey
Instructed by:  Insurer
Technical advice regarding the accidental loss of a deck cargo of fibre-board and laminate and likely impact on fishery resources and fishing.

2014 UK
Instructed by:  IOPCF
Technical support to IOPCF Secretariat in training of staff in the fisheries sector, likely impacts from oil spills and claims assessment methodology, also assistance with production of a manual on the management of fisheries closures following oil spills.

2013 UK/North Korea
Instructed by:  Law firm
Assessment of evidence surrounding a small spill following a vessel sinking and claims from local aquaculture and fisheries interests.

2012-13 Nigeria
Instructed by: IOPC Fund
Review of evidence of pollution damage to inshore and estuarine fisheries from two historic tanker spill incidents.  Assessment of economic performance of artisanal fleets in Nigeria and possible earning levels in the affected areas.

2011-12 France
Instructed by: Insurer
On-site investigations of oil pollution damage to shellfish growers and collectors following a ship grounding and oil spill on the Atlantic coast of France. Follow up investigations as to levels of contamination and assessment of economic losses suffered.

2011-12 Tristan da Cunha
Instructed by: Government of Tristan da Cunha and private sector fishing company (joint instruction)
Assessment of impact of a bunker oil and soya cargo spill to the lobster fishery in the Tristan da Cunha islands group, (south Atlantic). Provision of guidance as to the mechanisms and potential for impact to juvenile and adult lobsters, implications for the fishery, advice on short and longer term fishery management responses, trial fishing and other research to assess impact, sampling and assessment of contamination.

2010-11 UK
Instructed by: Insurer
Assessment of likely extent of damage to salmon farms arising from an accidental spill of diesel from a power station. Advice on assessment methodology for calculating losses arising from destruction of partially grown fish.

2010
Instructed by: IOPC Fund
Fisheries input into Working Group on assessment of multiple small claims lacking in evidence.

2009-12 Madagascar
Instructed by:  Insurer
Fieldwork and data-gathering to assess the impact of an oil spill on artisanal fisheries in the south of Madagascar.  Interpretation of data gained from fisheries administration, interviews with fishermen and a wide variety of socio-economic sources.  Review of detailed governmental and NGO reports on pollution impact.  Production of fisheries section of responding report.

2008-2009 Ivory Coast
Instructed by:  Oil platform operator
Desk- and field-based assessment of a large claim for pollution damage to fisheries, following an operational spill from an offshore platform.

2008  Japan
Instructed by:  Insurer
Assessment of the likely impact to the marine environment and fishing industry of a cargo of wheat spilled in coastal waters.

2008 Venezuela
Instructed by:  IOPC Fund
Assessment of evidence for fisheries impacts surrounding a historic small-scale oil spill.

2007-13 South Korea
Instructed by:  Insurer/IOPCF
Fieldwork and data gathering to assess the likely overall level of economic losses to fisheries, aquaculture and fish processing sectors arising from the HEBEI SPIRIT oil spill.  Detailed review of pollution monitoring data gathered by governmental agencies and reasonableness of fishery closure zones.

2007
Instructed by: IOPC Fund
Production of a manual on oil spills, the international compensation regime and submission of claims, aimed at small-scale fisheries operators.

2007 China
Instructed by:  Insurer
On-site investigations to assess alleged damage to sea-cucumber farming facilities and other mariculture following a sinking and oil spill in the Bohai Sea.

2007 UK
Instructed by:  Law firm
Provision of advice on fisheries and other marine environmental sensitivities relating to the grounding, pollution and subsequent wreck removal options for the MSC NAPOLI in Lyme Bay, English Channel.

2007 Latvia
Instructed by:  Insurer
Provision of advice on likely environmental impact of a cargo of fertiliser at risk of entering the Baltic Sea from a grounded vessel.

2006-09 Philippines
Instructed by:  Insurer/IOPC Fund
Investigations to assess the impact of the SOLAR 1 oil spill on small-scale fisheries and aquaculture.  Rapid survey of impacted areas post-spill, development of economic models of the main impacted activities.  Assessment of large numbers (>22,000) of claims relating to inshore fishing, boat and gear contamination, milkfish and seaweed farming.

2006 Egypt
Instructed by:  Law firm
Advice on likely impact on fisheries of an oil spill in the Bitter Lakes area of the Suez canal.  Guidance on group claim settlement levels.

2006-09  UK
Instructed by:  Insurer
Assessment of evidence of the linkage between maintenance harbour dredging and alleged mortalities of cultivated shellfish in Poole Harbour.  Assessment of project monitoring data and EIA.

2005-06 Chile
Instructed by: Insurer/ITOPF
Fieldwork and data gathering to assess the economic impact of a spill of bunkers off the port of Antofagasta on the local pelagic and small inshore fishing vessel fleet.

2005-09 UK
Instructed by: Insurer
Assessment of pollution damage to mussel and salmon farms and inshore shellfishing in Shetland following the grounding of a large stand-by tug and subsequent bunker spillage.  On-site assessment of extent and duration of impact, interpretation of contamination data, supervision of partial destruction of mussel crops, assessment of economic losses.

2004 UK
Instructed by:  Insurer
Assessment of stock mortalities and losses at a sports fishery.

2004 UK/Japan
Instructed by:  Insurer
Assessment of the potential for a sunken tug to interfere with local trawling and the possible impact of any remaining oil on local aquaculture installations.

2003-04 UK
Instructed by:  Insurer
Assessment of pollution risk to fish farms and inshore fisheries from the fuel oil and zinc concentrate cargo from a vessel which grounded and sank at the Summer Isles, Scotland.  Daily surveying of pollution spread, sampling and analysis of farmed salmon, quantification of possible outcomes, survey of fishing operations.

2003-04 UK
Instructed by:  Insurer
Assessment of pollution risk to fish farms and inshore fisheries from the fuel oil and zinc concentrate cargo from a vessel which grounded and sank at the Summer Isles, Scotland.  Daily surveying of pollution spread in farm area and any impacts on fish husbandry, sampling and analysis of farmed salmon, quantification of possible outcomes, survey of fishing operations.

2003 UK
Instructed by:  Shellfish company/law firm
Retained to assess likely mechanisms of impact and quantum of loss that could result from dredging and other coastal engineering associated with the London Gateway, a major new container terminal planned for the Thames estuary.

2003 Greece
Instructed by:  Insurer
On-site investigations of damage to sea bass and bream farms in Kos, Greece, following a grounding and oil spill.  Advised on production costs and market values of fish as well as costs of replacement of oiled cages.

2003-04 UK
Instructed by:  Insurer
Assessment of lost income of some inshore fishing vessels temporarily unable to fish and suffering gear damage, thr-1ough release of plastic waste from a grounded cargo vessel on the Cornish coast.

2003-04 UK/Japan
Instructed by:  Solicitors
Review of claims from fisheries co-operatives following the grounding, pollution and fire of a large car carrying vessel on an island near Tokyo.  Issues of importance were habitat damage, recovery, claims for re-instatement and loss of income.

2003  Spain
Instructed by:  IOPC Fund/ Insurer
Fieldwork and data analysis to assess the likely overall fisheries industry losses arising from the PRESTIGE oil spill.

2002-03 UK
Instructed by:  Environment Agency
Assessment of multiple claims from operators of inshore shr-1imp and other trawlers allegedly suffering depressed income as a result of beach re-building on the Lincolnshire coast.    Exhaustive review of catch data, field survey data and the scientific literature to examine the case for secondary effects on shr-1imp stocks from deposition of sand or outwash of plumes of fine materials from works.

2002-03 UK / World-Wide
Instructed by:  IOPC Fund
Preparation of technical guidelines for assessing fisheries sector claims, with special reference to small-scale operations lacking evidence of normal earnings.
The guidelines contain: introductory narrative on the fishing industry and its economic context;  methods for rapidly estimating global losses shortly post-spill including  benchmarking models for various categories of small scale fishing, farming and processing;  detailed claims assessment methods including first screening; business model templates for each of fishing, aquaculture and processing and methods for gathering critical data in the field.

2001-02 UK/China
Instructed by:  Insurer
Assessment of a claim for fisheries stock damage submitted by fisheries authorities following a spill of fuel oil in inshore waters
Prior to mid-2001  Homarus Ltd staff were responsible for undertaking or supervising numerous earlier assessments of pollution impacts on fisheries operations, larger cases are summarised below.

1998 Greece
Oil pollution damage to sea bass and sea bream farm cages.

1997 Cyprus
Oil pollution impact on fish farms.

1996 Greece
Oil pollution damage to fish farms.

1996-97 UK
Assessment of alternative outcomes of SEA EMPRESS salvage operation.

1996 UK: Sea Empress Oil Spill
Assessment of damages to all fisheries capture, farming and processing operations arising from the grounding of the Sea Empress in Milford Haven, including the following main tasks:

• Rapid assessment of the extent of the impact, evaluation of the potential for damage to the inshore and offshore fisheries and fish processors and markets.
• Liaison with authorities and advising on global compensation implications over the establishment of a 750 sq mile fisheries exclusion zone.
• Assessment of fish, shellfish and sea-water contamination data measured by government agencies.
• Detailed review of inshore fisheries impacted including modelling of new whelk fishery to predict 1996 catch rates.
• Detailed assessment of all fishing sector claims (>150 claimants) including development of appropriate compensation methodologies. Rapid claims processing to enable interim compensation payments thr-1oughout 6 month fishery closure period.
• Rapid quantification of effort within the whelk and crustacean sub-sectors thr-1ough counting and marking of 39,000 pots on land and at sea in the spill area.
• Evaluation of impact on salmonid, oyster and mussel aquaculture operations. Negotiation of terms for destruction of oysters, drew up compensation agreements and monitored destruction.
• Detailed technical and financial assessment of 14 merchants and processing companies, covering whelk and crustacean export as well as domestic markets for white fish and cockles, including compliance with admissibility criteria.

1994 Korea
Investigations into losses sustained by shellfish farmers and fishermen following an oil spill.

1994 Chile
Impact of spilled sodium cyanide on fisheries.

1993 to 2000 UK
Detailed assessment of the impact of the BRAER incident on all aspects of fisheries activities in Shetland waters. Responsible for the following major tasks:

• surveyed 18 salmon farm and 3 mussel farm sites in affected area for pollution damage
• assessed data on contamination of fish and seawater and drew up strategic options and compensation implication in response to UK Government fisheries exclusion zone on salmon farms
• negotiated terms for destruction of 2 year classes of farmed salmon stock and drew up 3 separate compensation agreements
• organised and supervised destruction of 5,500 tonnes of salmon and mussels using methods acceptable to local and national government
• assessed all claims for compensation from polluted salmon farms and agreed settlements totalling approximately £21 million
• detailed assessment of impact on fish processing companies on Shetland and appropriate compensation
• detailed study of alleged damage to salmon and white fish prices arising out of the incident including comprehensive statistical analysis of price series and market surveys in UK and Europe
• advised on technical issues of alleged long term damage to fisheries
• diving survey to examine the status of scallop stocks in Shetland waters and evidence of pollution damage
• sediment survey at various locations around Shetland Islands to assess whether oil remained on herring spawning grounds and the concentration of oil remaining on a traditional white fishing ground
• detailed assessment of economic losses of inshore vessels reliant on polluted fishing grounds and reviewing options for long-term solutions
• assessment of claims arising from disrupted stocking patterns at fish farms.

1991 UK
Oil spill damage to fish and shellfish farms.

1990 UK
Oil spill damage to cage fish farm.