View source for MV Erika

{{More citations needed|date=February 2008}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin}}
{{Infobox ship image
| Ship image = "Intermar Prosperity" - Orinoco River, 1979.jpg
| Ship caption = ''Erika'' as ''Intermar Prosperity'' at [[Orinoco River]] in 1979.
}}
{{Infobox ship career
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| Ship country = [[Malta]]<ref name="psix">{{csr|register=PSIX|id=224572|shipname=Erika}}</ref>
| Ship flag = {{shipboxflag|Malta|civil}}
| Ship name = ''Erika''
| Ship namesake = 
| Ship owner = [[Tevere Shipping]] ([[Malta]])
| Ship operator = [[Panship]]
| Ship registry = 
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| Ship builder = Kasado Dock Company, Japan
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| Ship launched = 17 October 1974
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| Ship completed = 1975<ref name="psix"/>
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| Ship commissioned = 
| Ship recommissioned = 
| Ship decommissioned = 
| Ship maiden voyage = 1975
| Ship in service = 1975
| Ship out of service = 12 December 1999
| Ship renamed = *''Shinsei Maru'' (1975)
*''Glory Ocean'' (1975–1977)
*''Intermar Prosperity'' (1977–1984)
*''South Energy'' (1984–1985)
*''Jahre Energy'' (1985–1990)
*''Prime Nobel'' (1990–1994)
*''Nobel'' (1994–1996)
*''Erika'' (1996–1999)
| Ship reclassified = 
| Ship refit = 
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| Ship homeport = 
| Ship identification = *{{IMO Number|7377854}}<ref name="psix"/>  
*[[Maritime call sign|Call sign]]: 9HEZ3
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| Ship fate = Sunk on 12 December 1999
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}}
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| Ship class = 
| Ship type = [[Oil tanker]]<ref name="psix"/>
| Ship tonnage = {{DWT|37,283}}<ref name="psix"/>
| Ship length = 184 m (LOA)<ref name="cedre">CEDRE, 2009.</ref>
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| Ship draught = 10.9 m<ref name="cedre"/>
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| Ship propulsion = [[Sulzer (manufacturer)|Sulzer]] main engine, 13,200 horsepower
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}}
|}

The '''MV ''Erika''''' (formerly '''''Shinsei Maru''''', '''''Glory Ocean''''', '''''Intermar Prosperity''''', '''''South Energy''''', '''''Jahre Energy''''', '''''Prime Nobel''''' and '''''Nobel'''''<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ship ERIKA (Oil Products Tanker) Registered in - Vessel details, Current position and Voyage information - IMO 7377854, MMSI -7377854, Call Sign |url=https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/details/ships/shipid:928619/mmsi:-7377854/imo:7377854/vessel:ERIKA |access-date=2023-05-31 |website=MarineTraffic.com |language=en}}</ref>) was a [[oil|tanker]] built in 1975 and last chartered by [[TotalEnergies|Total-Fina-Elf]]. She sank off the coast of [[France]] in 1999, causing a major environmental disaster.

== Background ==

Erika was one of eight sister ships built in [[Japan]]. Despite having 10% less steel than many other tankers of similar size, Erika was very popular amongst shipping companies because of its relative inexpensiveness.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/correspondent/883110.stm | work=[[BBC News]]| title=The scandal of the Erika | date=August 16, 2000}}</ref>

== Sinking ==

On December 8, 1999, she sailed out of [[Dunkerque]], bound for [[Livorno]] and with a cargo of around 31,000 tons of [[heavy fuel oil]].

She ran into a heavy storm as it entered the [[Bay of Biscay]]. On December 12, 1999, she broke in two and sank, releasing thousands of tons of oil into the sea, killing marine life and polluting shores around [[Brittany]], [[France]].

According to the official inquiry by the Dunkerque Tribunal, the Principal Shareholder of Tevere Shipping is Giuseppe Savarese, owner of the Erika since 1996. Savarese lives in London and was personally responsible for finance, administration, legal, commercial, hull and machinery insurance and P&I insurance matters.

The Erika's technical and maritime management company was Panship, a Ravenna-based corporation incorporated in 1997. The Pollara and Vitiello families each own 50 percent. The company did not employ a specialist in naval architecture or vessel strength. With regards to maintenance, Panship defined the scope and nature of maintenance work in addition to creating and evaluating calls for bids for such work. All decisions were submitted to Giuseppe Savarese. Erika's was registered under a Maltese flag. The Classification Society classed the Erika for RINA or the Foundation Registro Italiano Navale ed Aeronautica, based in Genoa. Malta like most Flag States delegates compliance with International Safety Management Code of International Maritime Organization to Classification Societies such as RINA. RINA issued all safety certificates for the Erika.

[[file:Erika littoral pollution map-fr.svg|thumb|Course and oil spill]]
List of certificates issued for the Erika by RINA:

*International Load Line Certificate – Dated December 16, 1998 valid until August 31, 2003
*Safety Construction Certificate – Dated December 16, 1998 valid until August 31, 2003
*International Pollution Certificate – Dated December 16, 1998 valid until August 31, 2003
*Safety Equipment Certificate – Dated December 16, 1998 valid until August 14, 2000
*Radio Certificate – Dated November 23, 1999 valid until March 31, 2000

[[TotalEnergies|Total]] said that the classification society, [[Registro Italiano Navale]] had reported that the tanker was in good condition, and that it routinely requires certificates of good condition for vessels more than 20 years old.

The accident triggered new EU-legislation as regard to transport by sea.

On January 16, 2008, Total, Giuseppe Savarese (the shipowner), Antonio Pollara (the handler) and RINA (the expert company) were sentenced in solidum to pay indemnities of €192 million (US$280 million), plus individual  penalties. The judgement, while recognizing the risks inherent to oceangoing vessels, reckons Total SA was "guilty of imprudence", from the fact that Total did not take into account "the age of the ship", (nearly 25 years), and "the discontinuity of its technical handling and maintenance".<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.lesechos.fr/info/energie/300233996.htm |title=Erika : amende maximale pour les coupables, dont Total |access-date=2008-01-16 |language=fr |archive-date=2016-08-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160821085144/http://www.lesechos.fr/16/01/2008/lesechos.fr/300233996_erika---amende-maximale-pour-les-coupables--dont-total.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

On March 30, 2010, Total SA lost their appeal to overturn the court's decision.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.english.rfi.fr/environment/20100330-total-loses-erika-oil-spill-appeal|title=Total loses Erika oil spill appeal|date=30 March 2010}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|France|Transport}}
*[[Oil spill]]
*[[Erika (law)|EU Erika packages of law I, II and III]]
{{Clear}}

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite web |url=http://www.cedre.fr/en/spill/erika/erika.php |title=Erika |author=Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution (CEDRE) |authorlink= |date=November 2009 |publisher=Centre of Documentation, Research and Experimentation on Accidental Water Pollution |location=Brest |page= |pages= |at= |language= |trans-title=|format= |doi= |accessdate=2010-06-30 }}

==External links==
*[http://www.beamer-france.org/BanqueDocument/pdf_87.pdf Report of the Enquiry into the Sinking of the Erika off the coasts of Brittany on 12 December 1999] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120308180515/http://www.beamer-france.org/BanqueDocument/pdf_87.pdf Archive]) - Permanent Commission of Enquiry into Accidents at Sea (''Commission Permanente d'Enquêtes sur les Événements de Mer'', CPEM) - Hosted by the [[Bureau d'Enquêtes sur les Événements de Mer]]
*[http://www.beamer-france.org/BanqueDocument/pdf_54.pdf Rapport d’enquête sur le naufrage de l’ERIKA] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120323132135/http://www.beamer-france.org/BanqueDocument/pdf_54.pdf Archive]) {{in lang|fr}} - CPEM at BEAmer
** [http://www.beamer-france.org/BanqueDocument/pdf_86.pdf Annex] ([https://web.archive.org/web/20120323132200/http://www.beamer-france.org/BanqueDocument/pdf_86.pdf Archive]) {{in lang|fr}}
*[https://web.archive.org/*/http://www.total.com/en/group/news/special_report_erika/erika_review_facts/erika__vessel_11373.htm Report] - [[Total SA]]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20040209222844/http://www.environnement.gouv.fr/actua/cominfos/comdec99/erika-1.htm Ministry of the Environment] {{in lang|fr}} (Archived on [[Internet Archive|web.archive.org]])
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20041011155338/http://www.defense.gouv.fr/marine/actu/erika/erika.htm Dossier of the Ministry of Defense] {{in lang|fr}} (Archived on [[Internet Archive|web.archive.org]])
*[http://coordination-maree-noire.eu/spip.php?rubrique422&lang=en Erika trial, Paris 2007]
*[http://coordination-maree-noire.eu/spip.php?article6487&lang=en judgement Erika (in french)  january 16, 2008]
*[http://coordination-maree-noire.eu/spip.php?article4835&lang=en slides of Erika by her crew few hours before sinking]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20071028190808/http://www.sextan.com/archives/erika/rapport23.html GMDSS Transmissions]
*[http://erikarivista.googlepages.com/home Chronology]
*[http://coordination-maree-noire.eu/spip.php?rubrique511&lang=en Erika trial appeal - Paris october 5th -november 18th 2009]
*[http://coordination-maree-noire.eu/spip.php?article11623&lang=en appeal ruling (in french), March 30, 2010 ]

{{1999 shipwrecks}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Erika}}
[[Category:Oil tankers]]
[[Category:Oil spills in France]]
[[Category:Shipwrecks in the Bay of Biscay]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1999]]
[[Category:TotalEnergies]]
[[Category:Ships of Malta]]
[[Category:1974 ships]]