US Court

US Court approves Aegean’s restructuring progress

Aegean announced that the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York approved its final motion regarding the $535 million in aggregate Debtor-in-Possession financing from Mercuria Energy Group.

The Court also approved the Aegean’s Restructuring Support Agreement with Mercuria, the Official Committee of Unsecured Creditors of Aegean, American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc., and certain holders of the Company’s unsecured convertible notes. Moreover, the company filed...

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-approves-aegeans-restructuring-progress/

US Court upholds ban on Mexican seafood imports dangerous for Vaquita

The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit decided to uphold a preliminary order implementing a federal law that requires a ban on seafood imported from Mexico’s Upper Gulf of California and caught with gillnets that drown the vaquita porpoise.

The Earth’s most endangered marine mammals, vaquita porpoises, has won a battle against extinction. A third U.S. court decision kept in place the four-month-old ban on importing Mexican shrimp and other seafood caught with gillnets that drown the...

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-upholds-ban-on-mexican-seafood-imports-dangerous-for-vaquita/

US Court sentences former captain for interfering with USCG inspection

A Boston federal court sentenced the former captain of the ‘Bulldog’, a New Bedford based commercial fishing vessel for interfering with a US Coast Guard inspection of a fishing boat off the Massachusetts coast.

Thomas D. Simpson, 57, of South Portland, Maine, was sentenced to two years of probation, with the first four months to be served in home confinement with electronic monitoring and ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. In August 2018, Simpson pleaded guilty to one count of destruction or...

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-sentences-former-captain-for-interfering-with-uscg-inspection/

Two Greek companies to pay $4 million fine over illegal oil discharge in Texas

Two Greek shipping companies, Avin International LTD, and Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises, pleaded guilty yesterday in US court in Beaumont, to charges over several oil discharges in Texas waters by the oil tanker ‘Nicos I.V.’ The Master and the Chief Officer also pleaded guilty to making material false statements to members of the US Coast Guard during the investigation into the discharges.

Avin International was the operator and Nicos I.V. Special Maritime Enterprises was the owner of...

https://safety4sea.com/two-greek-companies-to-pay-4-million-fine-over-illegal-oil-discharge-in-texas/

Aegean receives court approval to support business operations

Aegean announced that the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York granted interim approval of all the company’s first day motions regarding its voluntary Chapter 11 restructuring. The approvals improve Aegean’s liquidity position, to ensure that critical partners continue to be paid normally.

In the beginning of November, Aegean had filed voluntary petitions for relief under Chapter 11 of the US Bankruptcy Code. The debtors entered this process with the support of Mercuria...

https://safety4sea.com/aegean-receives-court-approval-to-support-business-operations/

15 US Navy sailors accused of LSD use

Officials from the US Navy have confirmed an ongoing investigation of 15 sailors over allegations of LSD abuse. Most of the sailors are reportedly working in the nuclear reactor department of the aircraft carrier ‘Ronald Reagan’, local media report.

Two sailors are already heading to court-martial accused of using, possessing and distributing the drug. Meanwhile, three are waiting to see whether they will be charged as well and another 10 were administratively disciplined. Of the 15, 14 worked...

https://safety4sea.com/15-us-navy-sailors-accused-of-lsd-use/

US court orders NOAA to reinstate restrictions on bycatch

A US court ruled that NOAA Fisheries illegally withdrew a proposed rule that would have established limits on bycatch of protected species caught in California’s swordfish drift gillnet fishery.

The decision does not immediately imposes the caps, but requires NOAA Fisheries to either revive the regulations or come up with any potential revisions with the Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Two years ago, NOAA Fisheries proposed rule to reduce the amount of bycatch in the driftnet fishery....

https://safety4sea.com/us-court-orders-noaa-to-reinstate-restrictions-on-bycatch/

Fisherman accused of murder onboard fishing vessel

A Mexican national was arrested and charged on September 24, in federal court in Boston in connection with the murder of an individual aboard a fishing vessel off the coast of Massachusetts.

Franklin Freddy Meave Vazquez, 27, was charged with one count of murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US, and one count of attempted murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the US. He will appear in federal court in Boston.

According to the charging...

https://safety4sea.com/fisherman-accused-of-murder-onboard-fishing-vessel/

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