What Crew Members Say About Stellar

On June 26, 2023, the vessel 'Stellar' was detained in Varna, Bulgaria, following the discovery of 16 deficiencies during an inspection. Eight of these issues were deemed serious enough to warrant the ship's detention. The critical deficiencies included: 1. **Safety of Navigation**: Absence of a complete voyage or passage plan. 2. **Safety of Navigation**: Inadequate monitoring of the voyage or passage plan. 3. **Life-Saving Appliances**: Lifeboats not ready for emergency use. 4. **Life-Saving Appliances**: Improper stowage of rescue boats. 5. **Life-Saving Appliances**: Inadequate operation of life-saving devices. 6. **Emergency Systems**: Lack of training with regards to fire drills. 7. **Labour Conditions**: Insufficient ventilation in working spaces. 8. **ISM Compliance**: Non-compliance with ISM certification requirements. Following the inspection, the 'Stellar' was cleared and released on July 1, 2023. The vessel then set course for Tartous Anchorage, arriving at the location on July 9 at coordinates 34° 53' N 035° 51' E. As of July 11, the ship has remained stationary in these waters.

In an unprecedented turn of events, the Rouen Court of Appeal has made a groundbreaking ruling in a marine pollution case involving the tanker 'Guardians', now operating under the name 'Stellar'. The case stems from an incident that occurred on January 13, 2021, when the vessel, loaded with almost 5,000 tons of rapeseed oil, departed from Rouen bound for Rotterdam. After its departure, the CleanSeaNet system, a satellite-based monitoring service managed by the European Maritime Safety Agency, detected an oily surface approximately 10 nautical miles off the Normandy coast near Le Havre. Initial investigations revealed that the chemical tanker had discharged roughly 36 cubic meters of wastewater containing vegetable oil residues at a distance of 10.01 nautical miles from the French coastline, violating regulations that stipulate discharges must occur at least 12 nautical miles offshore. Correlating satellite imagery with the ship's trajectory strongly suggested that the 'Guardians' was responsible for the slick. Following this analysis, Le Havre's prosecutor launched legal action against both the captain and the ship's owner for their alleged involvement in the illegal discharge of pollutants. However, authorities faced challenges when trying to confirm the slick on-site due to unstable weather conditions, leading to a lack of direct evidence. In March 2022, the Le Havre District Court acquitted both the captain and the shipowner, declaring the evidence insufficient, a decision that was contested by environmental groups, including Surfrider Foundation and France Nature Environnement, who appealed the ruling. On April 25, 2025, three years after the incident, the Rouen Court of Appeal overturned the initial verdict, finding the Cypriot company Valsa Holding Ltd, which owns and operates the tanker, guilty alongside its captain. The court imposed a substantial fine of €80,000, with €60,000 attributed to the shipowner. Furthermore, the civil parties, Surfrider and France Nature Environnement, were awarded €10,000 in damages and an additional €1,000 in procedural costs. This ruling marks a significant milestone in environmental law in France, as it is the first instance where prosecutions have been initiated solely on the basis of satellite imagery, paving the way for potential future actions against marine pollution.