Environmental Protection Agency EPA says the cargo ship from Panama that ran aground west off Kaafu Rasfaree reef must pay a deposit of MVR 100 million before the ship can leave Maldivian waters.
Speaking to some local media outlets, Director General at EPA Ibrahim Naeem said that if the ship decides to leave the Maldives before local authorities can determine the damages caused by the incident, it should pay a deposit of MVR 100 million.
In the incident reported on the 19th of this month, the mega cargo ship had run aground on a protected marine site and the environmental protection and preservation act states that the highest fine that can be given on any offense is MVR 100 million.
Two tug boats weighing 150 tons and 50 tons have been brought to the Maldives to help refloat the mega cargo ship.
Owners of the ship had also acquired the use of other sea vessels to mitigate the damage to the marine site during the operation to free the ship.
Local authorities had met the media to brief on the issue last week and Deputy Minister at the Transport Ministry Hamad Abdul Ghanee had said that the cargo ship had run aground after its crew switched off the ship's engines after encountering technical problems.
He added that the ship had drifted onto the reef and that the ship's captain was at fault for it running aground on the protected site.
