A commercial fishing company has paid a $100,000 settlement stemming from a 2022 grounding off California’s Santa Cruz Island that spilled more than 1,000 gallons of fuel and hydraulic fluid into the ocean.
According to reporting by Noozhawk, the Ocean Angel VI, a squid fishing vessel, ran aground on Santa Cruz Island around 2:30 a.m. Dec. 15, 2022, after Capt. Jason Lapeyri fell asleep while operating the vessel.
A civil complaint filed by the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office in Superior Court said Lapeyri had slept for only about three hours during the two days leading up to the grounding.
Lapeyri had been squid fishing Dec. 13 and returned to Ventura Harbor around 3 a.m. Dec. 14. The vessel departed again around noon that day.
While traveling toward Chinese Harbor from Prisoner’s Harbor early the following morning, Lapeyri fell asleep, and the vessel struck Santa Cruz Island, according to the complaint.
Rocks punctured the vessel’s hull, releasing approximately 1,000 gallons of diesel fuel and 300 gallons of hydraulic fluid into the ocean. The complaint said an oil sheen stretched for about a mile and birds were observed covered in oil.
Ocean Angel VI, the vessel company, agreed to pay $100,000 to resolve violations of California’s Government Code, Fish and Game Code, and Health and Safety Code.
Of the settlement, $20,000 will support supplemental environmental projects, $15,000 will go to the California Hazardous Materials Investigators Association for hazardous-material spill response training, and $5,000 will go to the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute for rehabilitation of injured marine wildlife.
No people were injured in the grounding.
“This case is yet another reminder of what can happen when individuals operate motorized vehicles — both on land and at sea — without proper sleep,” Santa Barbara County District Attorney John Savrnoch said in a statement. “We are grateful that no persons were injured as a result of this incident, but the environmental harm was substantial and could have easily been avoided.”
Savrnoch said the case should also serve as a reminder for commercial fishing vessel operators to establish appropriate sleep and rest policies.
“Hopefully this incident serves as a reminder to those who operate commercial fishing vessels of how important it is to implement appropriate sleep and rest policies,” he said.
