Birgo scuttling (Norway)
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
The bulk carrier Birgo sank in Nedstrandfjorden, Norway, in July 1978 with a cargo of ferrosilicon. Its owner was later convicted and ordered to repay the insurer and the cargo owner.
Both amounts are given as about. Source: Wikipedia summary of the Norwegian rulings.
Status As of 1985: the owner's conviction was upheld in 1984 and the Norwegian Supreme Court ruled for the insurer against the lienholders in 1985; no later proceedings are recorded.
What happened
The MS Birgo, a small bulk carrier, sank on 18 July 1978 in Nedstrandfjorden, Norway, in water about 700 metres deep. It was carrying ferrosilicon.
The Wikipedia entry on the ship, the only source on the sinking reviewed, states that the owner opened a bottom valve and burned holes in the hull. The Norwegian court records themselves could not be checked.
According to the same entry, the owner was convicted in 1983 and the conviction was upheld in 1984. The sentence was 18 months, together with repayment of about NOK 4.2 million to the insurer and NOK 1.6 million to the cargo owner. The ship's machinist was also convicted. In 1985 the insurer won a case against the lienholders in the Norwegian Supreme Court.
- 197818 July: Birgo sinks in Nedstrandfjorden, about 700 m deep, carrying ferrosilicon
- 1983Owner convicted
- 1984Conviction upheld: 18 months, plus repayment of about NOK 4.2m to the insurer and NOK 1.6m to the cargo owner
- 1985Norwegian Supreme Court rules for the insurer in its case against the lienholders
How it looked
Shown
Recorded
- The owner opened a bottom valve and burned holes in the hull (Wikipedia account).
- Owner convicted in 1983; conviction upheld in 1984; 18 months, plus repayment of about NOK 4.2 million to the insurer and NOK 1.6 million to the cargo owner.
- The machinist was also convicted.
- The insurer won a case against the lienholders in the Norwegian Supreme Court in 1985.
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- 1983; upheld 1984Claimant wonNOK 4200bn About NOK 4.2 million repayment to the insurer (plus about NOK 1.6 million to the cargo owner)Prosecution of the Birgo owner and machinistNorwegian courts (first instance and appeal) · Criminal · Not named in the source → The ship's owner and the machinist
The owner was convicted in 1983 and the conviction was upheld in 1984: 18 months, plus repayment of about NOK 4.2 million to the insurer and NOK 1.6 million to the cargo owner. The machinist was also convicted; his sentence is not stated. Wikipedia
- 1985Claimant wonInsurer v. lienholdersNorwegian Supreme Court · Civil · The insurer → The lienholders
The insurer won its case against the lienholders in the Norwegian Supreme Court in 1985. The subject of the dispute is not stated in the source. Wikipedia
Insurers
- 1983No policy foundNOK 4200bn About NOK 4.2 million ordered repaid to the insurerNot named in the source → The ship's owner
The owner was ordered to repay about NOK 4.2 million to the insurer as part of the 1983 conviction, upheld in 1984. In 1985 the insurer won a case against the lienholders in the Norwegian Supreme Court. The source does not state what the insurer had paid. Wikipedia
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: The record holds no measurement of harm to nature.
Insurers
- Unclear Not named in the source: no decision on record.
Did the harm stop?
Who paid?
The owner was ordered to repay about NOK 4.2 million to the insurer and NOK 1.6 million to the cargo owner.