Squid fishing vessel grounding and diesel spill of about 1,300 gallons: Ocean Angel VI reaches $100,000 settlement with California prosecutors

John Savrnoch, District Attorney of Santa Barbara County, California, announced on October 26, 2026 that commercial squid fishing company Ocean Angel VI has reached a settlement over the 2022 grounding of its squid fishing vessel and the resulting fuel spill. The company will pay $100,000 (about EUR 89,554) to resolve state-law violations related to the spill.

The vessel involved was the squid fishing boat Speranza Marie. In December 2022, the vessel ran aground at Chinese Harbor near Santa Cruz Island, within Channel Islands National Park and Marine Sanctuary, and about 1,300 gallons of diesel and byproducts leaked into the sea. According to the District Attorney's Office, the spilled oil was visible within a one-mile radius of the site and hundreds of birds were oiled; salvage and recovery of the vessel took more than a month.

The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) subsequently investigated and concluded that the captain fell asleep while operating the vessel, having slept only three hours in the previous two days.

Speaking about the case, Savrnoch said: "This case is another reminder of what happens when individuals operate motor vehicles on land and at sea without adequate sleep. We are glad no one was injured in this incident, but the environmental damage was severe and could easily have been avoided. I hope this incident serves as a reminder to commercial fishing vessel operators of how important it is to implement adequate sleep and rest policies."

Under the settlement, the $100,000 consists of: $20,000 (about EUR 17,911) for environmental projects; $15,000 (about EUR 13,433) paid to the California Hazardous Materials Investigators Association for hazardous materials spill response training; and $5,000 (about EUR 4,478) paid to the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute for rescue of injured marine wildlife.