US NATIONAL FINED $1.7 MILLION FOR DAMAGING THE REEF

June 01, 2009

U-S National David Lautner, whose catamaran destroyed a portion of the reef near Lighthouse Reef Atoll around May 2, 2007, was found guilty of recklessly causing a disaster that resulted in a loss of the environment when he appeared in court. Lautner was fined 1.7 million U-S dollars by Magistrate Ed P. Usher. He is to pay fifty thousand Belize dollars within two months and the balance over a period of five years. In his ruling, Magistrate Usher said that  Lautner was guilty of the charge because he did not exercise due diligence while navigating the waters of Belize and that for that size of a vessel there should have been a pilot and sufficient crew members on board. The size of the reef that was destroyed measured 125 feet by 75 feet. Lautner was represented by attorney Lionel Welch while Douglas Carr represented the Department of the Environment.

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