The Erika which is owned by the Total oil company sank off the coast of Brittany in the Bay of Biscay. As the ship tank, it leaked out 20,000 tons of oil into the sea. About 400 kilometers of the coastline was contaminated by fuel after it broke up.
Upon conviction, Total was fined a price of 375,000 Euros. It was also ordered to pay a share of almost 200 million Euros in damages as a result of the tanker spill. This fine was the maximum penalty allowed under French law.
Giuseppe Saverese, the owner of the Erika and Antonio Pollara, the manager were also found guilty. The Italian company known as Rina which declared the ship seaworthy was too found guilty.
Total along with 14 other defendants stood trial in February 2007. All defendants had denied responsibility. There were many plaintiffs in the trial.
While being found guilty, Total was cleared on a separate charge of complicity and endangerment of people and property. The ship was a 25-year-old-rusting.
75,000 birds died in that 1999 spill.