According to the information available commercial fishing and seafood operators in Queensland are taking legal action against the company responsible for the oil spill on the south-east Queensland coast in March this year. It is informed that the cargo ship Pacific Adventurer spilled more than 270,000 litres of oil onto Moreton and Bribie islands and the Sunshine Coast.
Winston Harris, CEO of Queensland Seafood Industry Association (QSIA), said that his members are seeking compensation from the ship’s owner, Swire Shipping, for loss of income. He added that apart from the safety issues there is obviously exclusion and a buffer zone around the containers but they are right in the middle of some pretty prime trawl grounds.
Harris also opined that the incident occurred of course in the lead up to Easter, one of the busiest times of the year so the impact is quite significant. He said that Swire Shipping will do the right thing by those people that have been affected. He says the QSIA believes it has every chance of success in a compensation claim against Swire Shipping. Premier Anna Bligh will meet Swire Shipping representatives in Brisbane today to discuss the clean-up bill for the oil spill. The company says it is not legally required to pay for the entire clean-up.
