The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has fined a yacht by MVR 4.8 million for damages caused due to its grounding on a reef in Alif Dhaal atoll.
M/Y Big Fish ran aground on April 28. It was removed from the reef on April 29.
When the EPA inspected the reef in June, it found that an area of about 187 square metres of the lagoon had been destroyed.
The yacht was fined MVR 4,889,450 as compensation for environmental damage as per the rules.
Big Fish was previously owned by an Australian millionaire. The current owner of the yacht is unknown.
It is a 45-foot yacht which can be chartered for about USD 275,000 (MVR 4.2 million) per week.
