Erika Penalty for Spill

Prosecutors have requested maximum fines for French oil company Total and imprisonment for the manager and the owner of the Erika tanker, for their role in the sinking of the Erika ship, which caused a major oil spill, devastating the French coast in 1999. After four months of trial, seven of the 15 accused individuals were convicted, on 4 June 2007, for their role in the sinking of the 25-year-old rusting ship, which leaked out more than 20,000 tonnes of oil onto the French coast, destroying the marine environment and killing hundreds of thousands of seabirds.