More Offensive Strategy of the Swedish Coast Guard
On Sunday morning, the Coast Guard boarded a ship outside Ystad on suspicion of environmental crimes. This was after the Coast Guard’s aircraft discovered that the Panama-flagged bulk carrier had washed coal residues into the sea.
“We have now questioned the captain and he admits that he committed this crime out of negligence,” says Håkan Andersson, senior prosecutor on standby at the National Unit for Environmental and Work Environment Cases.
On behalf of the Prosecution Authority, the Panama-flagged bulk carrier Hui Yuan was boarded by the Coast Guard on Sunday morning.
“The Coast Guard caught a ship washing coal residues from the deck and out into the sea. This is a violation of the Environmental Code,” says Håkan Andersson.
By lunchtime on Sunday, the captain had been heard—and confessed. The penalty was 50 daily fines of 500 kronor each.
What Was the Negligence?
“He should have known that it was happening and he should have prevented it,” says Håkan Andersson.
How Serious Is This?
“It is pollution that is washed down from a ship into the water and we do not want it in our economic zone as in the long run it can have negative consequences for the environment.”
The ship, which was on its way from Russia to Las Palmas in Spain, was anchored off Ystad after the boarding. Shortly after 1 p.m., Hui Yuan was able to leave Sweden after the fine had been paid.
“The shipping industry should know that Swedish authorities are working together to maintain order at sea. We are acting to increase maritime safety and protect the environment. If there is a suspicious vessel, we intervene based on the prevailing conditions,” says Daniel Stenling, deputy head of the Coast Guard’s operations department, in a press release.
The suspicions arose on Saturday after the Coast Guard’s aircraft discovered that the Panama-flagged bulk carrier was flushing coal residues into the sea.
Part of the Coast Guard’s Strategy
The Coast Guard has recently carried out operations against vessels linked to the Russian shadow fleet. The fleet is primarily associated with older oil tankers, which is not the case with this vessel, which is a cargo ship coming from a Russian port.
“Even though this does not concern an oil tanker, this operation is part of a new and more offensive strategy from the Coast Guard where they no longer turn a blind eye to violations and security threats at sea,” says SVT’s security reporter John Granlund.
The vessel was caught when it was flushing its deck out at sea, which is against the rules.
“When it comes to suspected environmental crimes, the Coast Guard has extensive powers to act.”
Source: SVT Nyheter (in Swedish)