Filipino maritime officers jailed

The captain and second officer of a Liberian ship that spilled oil in New Zealand’s beach has been jailed for seven months. The ship Rena released an oil slick that killed thousands of sea birds and marine life in the pristine Bay of Plenty. Captain Mauro Balomaga and navigation officer Leonil Relon pleaded guilty in February to a range of charges including attempting to pervert the course of justice by altering navigation records after the accident. They also admitted operating a ship in a dangerous manner and discharging harmful substances from the cargo vessel.

Updated: 2012-06-01 — 03:30:48