Turkey Raises Marine Pollution Fines
Turkey has raised the fines for marine pollution by 41 percent, Daily Sabah reported quoting the Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communication.
The Ministry has also implemented stricter regulations after a ship hit rocks and spilled 50 tons of fuel in western Turkey, MANA correspondent reported.
The ministry's decision follows the incident involving Lady Tuna, a ship which hit rocks on December 18, 2016 and was responsible for spilling 50 tons of fuel near the Fener island of Turkey's western Izmir province and has been fined 5 million Turkish liras ($1.37 million).
The nearby beaches of Paşa Limanı and Ilıca Yıldız Burnu had been polluted by the accident and the cleaning the coast had taken days.
The new regulations increase the fines by 41 percent. The fines determined by the weight of the ship before ranged between 5,000 Turkish liras ($1,372) and 120,000 Turkish liras ($32,924).