- Title: ECUADOR: SHIP'S CAPTAIN TAKES BLAME FOR OIL SPILL OFF GALAPAGOS ISLANDS.
- Date: 25th January 2001
- Summary: SAN CRISTOBAL, GALAPAGOS, ECUADOR. (JANUARY 24, 2001) (REUTERS--ACCESS ALL) 1. LV: VARIOUS OF BEACH (NIGHT) (3 SHOTS) 0.14 2. CU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) MASTER OF SHIP TARQUINO AREVALO SAYING: "I cannot speak of inefficiency or lack of experience or my professional capacity because my resume speaks for itself. I have been a merchant marine for many years. I am not a stranger to the area. I admit, it was a human error but I did not come here to cause damage to this archipelago. How many catastrophes have happened in the world and those people did not do it intentionally. I find myself among those people, who, because of bad luck, suffered a failure and caused a catastrophe of this nature." 1.03 3. LV/PAN: WRECKED SHIP. 1.14 4. MCU: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) AREVALO SAYING: "I don't understand politics. They are speaking of personnel who were responsible for this and I say no sir. I am, involuntarily, responsible. This catastrophe is my fault, it was my mistake." 1.41 5. GV: WRECKED SHIP. 1.48 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 9th February 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SAN CRISOTBAL, GALAPAGOS, ECUADOR
- Country: Ecuador
- Reuters ID: LVACFZOM2JDCDN4QOBVHMWIQZKN9
- Story Text: The master of the ship that has caused an oil spill off
the coast of the Galapagos Islands has taken the blame for the
catastrophe.
Ecuadoran officials detained on Wednesday (January 24)
Tarquino Arevalo, the master of the ship that has spilled some
10,000 gallons of fuel after running aground off the Galapagos
Islands, but have not officially arrested him.
Arevalo told Reuters that he was responsible for the
accident but it was a case of human error and not malicious
intent.
"I admit, it was a human error but I did not come here to
cause damage to this archipelago," Arevalo said. "I am,
involuntarily, responsible. This catastrophe is my fault, it
was my mistake."
Authorities also detained 12 crew members for further
questioning.
Clean up efforts were hampered as strong swells forced
crews to suspend various attempts to straighten the ship. The
oil spill is threatening Ecuador's Galapagos islands but the
exotic species of the naturalist's paradise have so far mostly
escaped contamination.
Waves crashing over the semi-submerged hulk of the
Ecuadorean-registered Jessica have prevented U.S. Coast Guard
teams from trying to remove what little oil remains on board.
A spokesperson for Ecuador's Environment Ministry said the
government had filed a lawsuit against Arevalo and requested a
preventive prison sentence.
Rocks gashed three holes in the hull of the 835-tonne
Jessica when it ran aground on January 16, half a mile from
Galapagos' capital, Puerto Baquerizo Moreno, on San Cristobal.
About two-thirds of the cargo of 240,000 gallons (1. 1
million litres) of diesel and bunker fuel -- a heavy fuel used
to power tour boats operating in the islands -- spilled into
the waters that are home to tropical fish and sea lions. About
70,000 gallons (295,500 liters) have been removed safely from
the ship, owned by Guayaquil-based company Acotramar.
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