Comments on: Did Justice Prevail? Inequity in Fines Paid for Oil Spill /did-justice-prevail-inequity-in-fines-paid-for-oil-spill.html water matters Mon, 21 May 2012 08:23:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Mike King /did-justice-prevail-inequity-in-fines-paid-for-oil-spill.html/comment-page-1#comment-9025 Mike King Sat, 16 Apr 2011 03:05:09 +0000 /?p=3420#comment-9025 125K is going to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation not the US Fish and Wildlife services. From what I’ve been told, By US Laws, 20-25% of the fine must go to a Non-Profit organization in the state or territory where the crime was committed and not a government agency. This is the second ship fined the first was Spanish Fishing ship caught fishing in US waters over a year ago. That fine was $5mil. We haven’t seen 1 cent so far. The funds are to go to coral reef restoration efforts in American Samoa not just the harbor area. I doubt that our organization, the Coalition of Reef Lovers (CORL) (a US based 501-(c)-3 not for profit public charity that has been doing coral reef restoration projects in American Samoa since 1999) will ever see any of the funds, but my fingers are crossed because we currently have no funds to continue our work here in American Samoa and are looking at closing down within the next three months if we can't come up with 20K to at least cover our operating cost for the next year. American Samoa is a small US Territory but contains the only Indo-Pacific coral reef habitats within the US and its Territories. It's waters and reefs are the home to over 900 species of fish and 240 coral species. The reefs here like many of the world's coral reefs have been declining in health and much work is needed to turn the decline around. I just hope and pray some of the cash does make it here to AS and is used to take action to save American Samoa's/USA's coral reefs. Our website is www.corl.org if anyone would like more information. 125K is going to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation not the US Fish and Wildlife services. From what I’ve been told, By US Laws, 20-25% of the fine must go to a Non-Profit organization in the state or territory where the crime was committed and not a government agency.
This is the second ship fined the first was Spanish Fishing ship caught fishing in US waters over a year ago. That fine was $5mil. We haven’t seen 1 cent so far. The funds are to go to coral reef restoration efforts in American Samoa not just the harbor area.
I doubt that our organization, the Coalition of Reef Lovers (CORL) (a US based 501-(c)-3 not for profit public charity that has been doing coral reef restoration projects in American Samoa since 1999) will ever see any of the funds, but my fingers are crossed because we currently have no funds to continue our work here in American Samoa and are looking at closing down within the next three months if we can’t come up with 20K to at least cover our operating cost for the next year.
American Samoa is a small US Territory but contains the only Indo-Pacific coral reef habitats within the US and its Territories. It’s waters and reefs are the home to over 900 species of fish and 240 coral species.
The reefs here like many of the world’s coral reefs have been declining in health and much work is needed to turn the decline around. I just hope and pray some of the cash does make it here to AS and is used to take action to save American Samoa’s/USA’s coral reefs.

Our website is http://www.corl.org if anyone would like more information.

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