Bunge SA v ADM Do Brasil Ltda (The ‘Darya Radhe’) [2009] EWHC 845 (Comm)

Dangerous cargo

Konstantinos S Georgiou, adjuster (Charles Taylor Adjusting - Richards Hogg Lindley); associate of the Association of Average Adjusters; lawyer (Greece) LLM Maritime Law (Soton).

Facts

A cargo of Brazilian soyabean meal pellets was loaded onboard Darya Radhe at Paranagua by the defendant shippers for carriage to Iran. The vessel was also carrying a cargo of maize. During loading a number of rats were discovered in the soyabean meal cargo. There was no evidence of rat infestation in the maize cargo or the holds. Following fumigation ordered by the Brazilian authorities, the appellants arranged re-fumigation to avoid any chance of rejection of the cargo at Iran. After further fumigation at Lisbon the vessel proceeded through the Mediterranean and arrived at Iran where she discharged the cargo without any complications.