Action was taken against Seattle-based Princess Cruise Lines after a humpback was found dead with skull fractures at the mouth of Glacier Bay, in south-east Alaska, USA.
The company was convicted this week in relation to the actions of one of its ships, which was deemed to have been steaming too quickly near Glacier Bay National Park in July 2001, so endangering marine life. The dead whale was found shortly afterwards.
Princess Cruise Lines pleaded guilty to failing to operate its ship at a slow, safe pace, but would not admit directly that one of its ships had hit the whale. Nonetheless, it paid up a maximum fine of $200,000, plus $550,000 as a compensatory payment to the National Park Foundation. |
