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67-632: Clipperton Island (French: La Passion–Clipperton [la pasjɔ̃ klipœʁtɔn] ; Spanish: Isla de la Pasión ), also known as Clipperton Atoll and previously as Clipperton's Rock , is an 8.9  km (3.4  sq mi ) uninhabited French coral atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean . The only French territory in the North Pacific, Clipperton is 10,675  km (6,633  mi ) from Paris , France; 5,400  km (2,900  nmi ) from Papeete , French Polynesia ; and 1,280  km (690  nmi ) from Acapulco , Mexico. Clipperton

134-591: A Mr. Lockhard of Le Havre to claim oceanic islands in the Pacific for the exploitation of guano deposits. On 17 November 1858, Emperor Napoleon III formally annexed Clipperton as part of the French protectorate of Tahiti . Sailing aboard Lockhart's ship Amiral , Ship-of-the-line Lieutenant Victor Le Coat de Kervéguen published a notice of this annexation in Hawaiian newspapers to further cement France's claim to

201-725: A concession agreement with Mexico. In 1898, Mexico made a US$ 1.5 million claim against the Oceanic Phosphate Company for the guano shipped from the island from 1895 to 1897. In 1905, the Mexican government renegotiated its agreement with the British Pacific Islands Company, establishing a military garrison on the island a year later and erecting a lighthouse under the orders of Mexican President Porfirio Díaz . Captain Ramón Arnaud

268-542: A corresponding increase in both vegetation and coconut palms. This report urgently recommended eradication of rats, which have been destroying bird nesting sites and the crab population, so that vegetation might be reduced, and the island might return to its 'pre-human' state. In 1825, Benjamin Morrell reported finding green sea turtles nesting on Clipperton, but later expeditions have not found nesting turtles there, possibly due to disruption from guano extraction, as well as

335-525: A passing ship to fetch help. Lighthouse keeper Victoriano Álvarez was the last man on the island, together with 15 women and children. Álvarez proclaimed himself 'king', and began a campaign of rape and murder, before being killed by Tirza Rendón, who was his favourite victim. Almost immediately after Álvarez's death, four women and seven children, the last survivors, were picked up by the U.S. Navy gunship Yorktown on 18 July 1917. Throughout Mexico's occupation of Clipperton, France insisted on its ownership of

402-475: A still seaworthy lifeboat, four members of the crew volunteered to row to Acapulco for help. The USS  Cleveland arrived months later to rescue the crew. While there, the captain offered to transport the survivors of the colony back to Acapulco; Arnaud refused as he believed a supply ship would soon arrive. By 1917, all but one of the male inhabitants had died. Many had perished from scurvy , while others, including Arnaud, died during an attempt to sail after

469-402: Is believed to be composed of recently introduced species. Sachet suspected that Heliotropium curassavicum , and possibly Portulaca oleracea , were native. Coconut palms and pigs introduced in the 1890s by guano miners were still present in the 1940s. The largest coconut grove is Bougainville Wood ( Bois de Bougainville ) on the southwestern end of the island. On the northwest side of

536-412: Is common to only two beaches (northeast and southwest), and the rest of the island is fairly clean. Other refuse has been left after the occupations by Americans 1944–1945, French 1966–1969, and the 2008 scientific expedition. During a 2015 scientific and amateur radio expedition to Clipperton, the operating team discovered a package that contained 1.2 kilograms (2.6 lb) of cocaine. It is suspected that

603-475: Is devoid of fish, and is shallow over large parts except for some deep basins with depths of 43–72  m (141–236  ft ), including a spot known as Trou Sans Fond ('the bottomless hole') with acidic water at its base. The water is described as being almost fresh at the surface and highly eutrophic . Seaweed beds cover approximately 45% of the lagoon's surface. The rim averages 150  m (490  ft ) in width, reaching 400  m (1,300  ft ) in

670-445: Is equal to: It is also approximately equal to: Conversely: The symbol "km " means (km) , square kilometre or kilometre squared and not k(m ), kilo–square metre. For example, 3 km is equal to 3 × (1,000 m) = 3,000,000 m , not 3,000 m . Topographical map grids are worked out in metres, with the grid lines being 1,000 metres apart. In each case, the grid lines enclose one square kilometre. The area enclosed by

737-532: Is low-lying and largely barren, with some scattered grasses, and a few clumps of coconut palms ( Cocos nucifera ). The land ring surrounding the lagoon measures 1.7 square kilometres (0.66 sq mi) in area with an average elevation of 2  m (6.6  ft ), although a small volcanic outcropping, referred to as Clipperton Rock ( Rocher de Clipperton ), rises to 29  m (95  ft ) on its southeast side. The surrounding 3.7-square-kilometre (1.4 sq mi) reef hosts an abundance of corals and

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804-572: Is mostly a sandy desert with only 674 palms counted by Christian Jost during the Passion 2001 French mission and five islets in the lagoon with grass that the terrestrial crabs cannot reach. A 2005 report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 's Southwest Fisheries Science Center indicated that after the introduction of rats and their increased presence has led to a decline in both crab and bird populations, causing

871-415: Is native to the island". Historical accounts from 1711, 1825, and 1839 show a low grassy or suffrutescent (partially woody) flora. During Marie-Hélène Sachet 's visit in 1958, the vegetation was found to consist of a sparse cover of spiny grass and low thickets, a creeping plant ( Ipomoea spp. ), and stands of coconut palm. This low-lying herbaceous flora seems to be a pioneer in nature, and most of it

938-459: Is partly exposed at low tide. In 2001 a geodetic marker was placed to evaluate if the land is rising or sinking. Clipperton Rock is the remains of the island's now extinct volcano's rim; because it includes this rocky outcropping, Clipperton is not a true atoll and is sometimes referred to as a 'near-atoll'. The surrounding reef in combination with the weather makes landing on the island difficult and anchoring offshore hazardous for larger ships; in

1005-649: Is that the vegetation is arranged in parallel rows of species, with dense rows of taller species alternating with lower, more open vegetation. This was assumed to be a result of the trench-digging method of phosphate mining used by guano hunters. The only land animals known to exist are two species of reptiles (the Pacific stump-toed gecko and the copper-tailed skink ), bright-orange land crabs known as Clipperton crabs ( Johngarthia oceanica , prior to 2019 classified as Johngartia planata ), birds, and ship rats . The rats probably arrived when large fishing boats wrecked on

1072-563: The National Geographic Explorer and plotting a GPS map of Clipperton for the National Geographic Society . In 2005, a four-month scientific mission organised by Jean-Louis Étienne made a complete inventory of Clipperton's mineral, plant, and animal species; studied algae as deep as 100  m (328  ft ) below sea level; and examined the effects of pollution. A 2008 expedition from

1139-670: The Clipperton Island Case remains widely studied in international law textbooks. In the late 1930s, as flying boats opened the Pacific to air travel, Clipperton Island was noted as a possible waypoint for a trans-Pacific route from the Americas to Asia via the Marquesas Islands in French Polynesia, bypassing Hawaii. However, France indicated no interest in developing commercial air traffic in

1206-740: The Galápagos Islands in Ecuador . The nearest land is Socorro Island , about 945  km (510  nmi ) to the northwest in the Revillagigedo Archipelago . The nearest French-owned island is Hiva Oa in the Marquesas Islands of French Polynesia . Despite its proximity to North America, Clipperton is often considered one of the eastern-most points of Oceania due to being part the French Indo-Pacific, and to commonalities between its marine fauna and

1273-532: The University of New Caledonia Nouméa , made extensive studies of the island in 1997. In 2001, French National Centre for Scientific Research geographer Christian Jost extended the 1997 studies through the French Passion 2001 expedition, which focused on the evolution of Clipperton's ecosystem . In 2003, cinematographer Lance Milbrand stayed on the island for 41 days, recording the adventure for

1340-421: The University of Washington 's School of Oceanography collected sediment cores from the lagoon to study climate change over the past millennium. Clipperton is a ring-shaped atoll that completely encloses a stagnant fresh water lagoon and measures 12  km (7.5  mi ) in circumference and 720 hectares (2.8 sq mi) in area. The island is the only coral island in the eastern Pacific. The lagoon

1407-500: The 1940s American ships reported active problems in this regard. The environment of Clipperton Island has been studied extensively with the first recordings and sample collection being done in the 1800s. Modern research on Clipperton is focused primarily on climate science and migratory wildlife. The SURPACLIP oceanographic expedition, a joint undertaking by the National Autonomous University of Mexico and

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1474-666: The Clipperton EEZ during the Passion 2015 expedition. The island is an overseas state private property of France under direct authority of the Minister of the Overseas . Although the island is French territory, it has no status within the European Union. Ownership of Clipperton Island was disputed in the 19th and early 20th centuries between France and Mexico , but was finally settled through arbitration in 1931;

1541-475: The French navy. The coral island is located at 10°18′N 109°13′W  /  10.300°N 109.217°W  / 10.300; -109.217  ( Clipperton Island ) in the East Pacific, 1,080  km (583  nmi ) southwest of Mexico, 2,424 km (1,309 nmi) west of Nicaragua , 2,545 km (1,374 nmi) west of Costa Rica and 2,390 km (1,290 nmi) northwest of

1608-592: The French that they did not intend to assert American sovereignty over the island. A few weeks later, on 13 December 1897, Mexico sent the gunboat La Demócrata and a group of marines to assert its claim on the island, evicting the Americans, raising the Mexican flag, and drawing a protest from France. From 1898 to 1905, the Pacific Islands Company worked the Clipperton guano deposits under

1675-604: The Italian king biased towards France, consulted international experts on the validity of the decision, but ultimately Mexico accepted Victor Emmanuel's findings. The Mexican press at the time raised the issue of the Monroe Doctrine with the United States, stating that the French claim had preceded its issuance. France formally took possession of Clipperton on January 26, 1935. Square kilometre 1 km

1742-624: The Oceanic Phosphate Company began negotiations with the British Pacific Islands Company to transfer its interest in Clipperton; this drew the attention of both French and Mexican officials. On 24 November 1897, French naval authorities arrived on the Duguay Trouin and found three Americans working on the island. The French ordered the American flag to be lowered. At that time, U.S. authorities assured

1809-543: The area are infrequent, this includes a significant amount of illegal fishing, along with lobster harvesting and shark finning , resulting in estimated losses for France of €0.42 per kilogram of fish caught. As deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules increases in the adjacent Clarion–Clipperton Zone , similar mining activity within France's exclusive economic zone surrounding the atoll may have an impact on marine life around Clipperton. Polymetallic nodules were discovered in

1876-407: The area as evident by fossilized specimens. Studies of the water have found that microbial communities on the water's surface are similar to other water samples from around the world with deeper water samples showing a great diversity of both bacteria and archaea . In 2005, a group of French scientists discovered three dinoflagellate microalgae species in the lagoon: Peridiniopsis cristata , which

1943-461: The atoll, the most abundant plant species are Cenchrus echinatus , Sida rhombifolia , and Corchorus aestuans . These plants compose a shrub cover up to 30  cm (12  in ) in height, and are intermixed with Eclipta , Phyllanthus , and Solanum , as well as the taller Brassica juncea . The islets in the lagoon are primarily vegetated with Cyperaceae , Scrophulariaceae , and Ipomoea pes-caprae . A unique feature of Clipperton

2010-562: The booby". Thirteen species of birds are known to breed on the island and 26 others have been observed as visitors. The island has been identified as an Important Bird Area by BirdLife International because of the large breeding colony of masked boobies, with 110,000 individual birds recorded. Observed bird species include white terns , masked boobies , sooty terns , brown boobies , brown noddies , black noddies , great frigatebirds , coots , martins (swallows), cuckoos , and yellow warblers . Ducks and moorhens have been reported in

2077-588: The corridor. After France ratified the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) in 1996, they reaffirmed the exclusive economic zone off Clipperton island which had been established in 1976. After changes were made to the area nations were allowed to claim under the third convention of UNCLOS France in 2018 expanded the outer limits of the territorial sea to 22 km (12 nmi) and

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2144-715: The drier months. The prevailing winds are the southeast trade winds . The rainy season occurs from May to October, and the region is subject to tropical cyclones from April to September, but such storms often pass to the northeast of Clipperton. In 1997 Clipperton was in the path of the start of Hurricane Felicia , as well as Hurricane Sandra in 2015. In addition, Clipperton has been subjected to multiple tropical storms and depressions including Tropical Storm Andres in 2003. Surrounding ocean waters are warm, pushed by equatorial and counter-equatorial currents and have seen temperature increases due to global warming. When Snodgrass and Heller visited in 1898, they reported that "no land plant

2211-440: The end of World War II, Clipperton has primarily been the site for scientific expeditions to study the island's wildlife and marine life, including its significant masked and brown booby colonies. It has also hosted climate scientists and amateur radio DX-peditions . Plans to develop the island for trade and tourism have been considered, but none have been enacted and the island remains mostly uninhabited with periodic visits from

2278-496: The endemic sponges, collected during the 1938 visit, was named Callyspongia roosevelti in honor of Roosevelt. In April 2009, Steven Robinson, a tropical fish dealer from Hayward, California , traveled to Clipperton to collect Clipperton angelfish . Upon his return to the United States, he described the 52 illegally collected fish to federal wildlife authorities as king angelfish , not the rarer Clipperton angelfish, which he intended to sell for $ 10,000. On 15 December 2011, Robinson

2345-731: The exclusive economic zone off Clipperton Island to 370 km (200 nmi), encompassing 431,273 square kilometres (166,515 sq mi) of ocean. On 21 February 2007, administration of Clipperton was transferred from the High Commissioner of the Republic in French Polynesia to the Minister of Overseas France. In 2015, French MP Philippe Folliot set foot on Clipperton becoming the first elected official from France to do so. Folliot noted that visiting Clipperton

2412-408: The highest concentration of endemic species found anywhere with more than 115 species identified. Many species are recorded in the area, including five or six endemics, such as Clipperton angelfish ( Holacanthus limbaughi ), Clipperton grouper ( Epinephelus clippertonensis ), Clipperton damselfish ( Stegastes baldwini ) and Robertson's wrasse ( Thalassoma robertsoni ). Widespread species around

2479-399: The introduction of pigs and rats. Sea turtles found on the island appear to have been injured due to fishing practices. Morrell also reported fur and elephant seals on the island in 1825, but they too have not been recorded by later expeditions. Birds are common on the island; Morrell noted in 1825: "The whole island is literally covered with sea-birds, such as gulls, whale-birds, gannets, and

2546-461: The island and making a detailed report of its vegetation. The common name for the island comes from John Clipperton , an English pirate and privateer who fought the Spanish during the early 18th century, and who is said to have passed by the island. Some sources claim that he used it as a base for his raids on shipping. After its declaration of independence in 1821, Mexico took possession of

2613-658: The island and that the claim was not bonded as was required by law. Additionally during this time there were concerns in Mexico that the British or Americans would lay claim to the island. Despite the lack of U.S. approval of its claim, the Oceanic Phosphate Company began mining guano on the island in 1895. Although the company had plans for as many as 200 workers on the island, at its peak only 25 men were stationed there. The company shipped its guano to Honolulu and San Francisco where it sold for between US$ 10 and US$ 20 per ton. In 1897,

2680-486: The island are an important nursery for sharks, particularly the white tip shark . Galapagos sharks , reef sharks , whale sharks , and hammerhead sharks are also present around Clipperton. Three expeditions to Clipperton have collected sponge specimens, including U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt 's visit in 1938. Of the 190 specimens collected, 20 species were noted, including nine found only at Clipperton. One of

2747-525: The island as "La Passion–Clipperton". There are several claims to the first discovery of the island. The earliest recorded possible sighting is 24 January 1521 when Portuguese-born Spanish explorer Ferdinand Magellan discovered an island he named San Pablo after turning westward away from the American mainland during his circumnavigation of the globe. On 15 November 1528, Spaniard Álvaro de Saavedra Cerón discovered an island he called Isla Médanos in

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2814-515: The island in 1905, but during the Mexican Revolution contact with the mainland became infrequent, most of the colonists died, and lighthouse keeper Victoriano Álvarez instituted a short, brutal reign as "king" of the island. Eleven survivors were rescued in 1917 and Clipperton was abandoned. The dispute between Mexico and France over Clipperton was taken to binding international arbitration in 1909. Victor Emmanuel III , King of Italy,

2881-401: The island in 1999 and 2000. The pigs introduced in the 1890s reduced the crab population, which in turn allowed grassland to gradually cover about 80 per cent of the land surface. The elimination of these pigs in 1958, the result of a personal project by Kenneth E. Stager , caused most of this vegetation to disappear as the population of land crabs recovered. As a result, Clipperton

2948-479: The island, and lengthy diplomatic correspondence between the two countries led to a treaty on 2 March 1909, agreeing to seek binding international arbitration by Victor Emmanuel III of Italy , with each nation promising to abide by his determination. In 1931, Victor Emmanuel III issued his arbitral decision in the Clipperton Island Case , declaring Clipperton a French possession. Mexican President Pascual Ortiz Rubio , in response to public opinion that considered

3015-553: The island. In 1892, a claim on the island was filed with the U.S. State Department under the U.S. Guano Islands Act by Frederick W. Permien of San Francisco on behalf of the Stonington Phosphate Company. In 1893, Permien transferred those rights to a new company, the Oceanic Phosphate Company. In response to the application, the State Department rejected the claim, noting France's prior claim on

3082-427: The lagoon and water caught from rain, no freshwater sources are known to exist. The island has a tropical oceanic climate, with average temperatures of 20–32  °C (68–90  °F ) and highs up to 37.8  °C (100.0  °F ). Annual rainfall is 3,000 to 5,000 millimetres (120 to 200 in), and the humidity level is generally between 85 per cent and 95 per cent with December to March being

3149-425: The lagoon water, while "muddy and dirty", was drinkable, despite not tasting very good. Several of the castaways drank it, with no apparent ill effects. Survivors of a Mexican military colony in 1917 (see below) indicated that they were dependent upon rain for their water supply, catching it in old boats. American servicemen on the island during World War II had to use evaporators to purify the lagoon's water. Aside from

3216-436: The lagoon with an oxic and brackish upper water layer and a deep sulfuric anoxic saline layer. At a depth of approximately 15  m (49  ft ) the water shifts with salinity rising and both pH and oxygen quickly decreasing. The deepest levels of the lagoon record waters enriched with hydrogen sulfide which prevent the growth of coral. Before the lagoon was closed off to seawater, coral and clams were able to survive in

3283-571: The lagoon. The coral reef on the north side of the island includes colonies more than 2 metres (6.6 ft) high. The 2018 Tara Pacific expedition located five colonies of Millepora platyphylla at depths of 28–32 metres (92–105 ft), the first of this fire coral species known in the region. Among the Porites spp. stony corals, some bleaching was observed, along with other indications of disease or stress, including parasitic worms and microalgae. The reefs that surround Clipperton have some of

3350-522: The lands that had once belonged to Spain. As Spanish records noted the existence of the island as early as 1528, the territory was incorporated into Mexico. The Mexican constitution of 1917 explicitly includes the island, using the Spanish name La Pasión , as Mexican territory. This would be amended on January 18, 1934, after the sovereignty dispute over the island was settled in favor of France. — Mexican Constitution of 1917 In April 1858, French minister Eugène Rouher reached an agreement with

3417-649: The marine fauna of Hawaii and Kiribati 's Line Islands , with the island sitting along the migration path for animals in the Eastern Tropical Pacific region. The island is the only emerged part of the East Pacific Rise , as well as the only feature in the Clipperton Fracture Zone that breaks the ocean's surface, and it is one of the few islands in the Pacific that lacks an underwater archipelagic apron . The atoll

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3484-552: The package washed up after being discarded at sea. In April 2023, the Passion 23 mission by France's Armed Forces in the Antilles  [ fr ] and the surveillance frigate Germinal collected more than 200 kilograms (440 lb) of plastic waste from the island's beaches along with a bale of cocaine. The Sea Around Us Project estimates the Clipperton EEZ produces a harvest of 50,000 metric tons (55,000 short tons) of fish per year; however, because French naval patrols in

3551-616: The reefs include Pacific creolefish , blue-and-gold snapper , and various species of goatfish . In the water column, trevallies are predominant, including black jacks , bigeye trevally , and bluefin trevally . Also common around Clipperton are black triggerfish ;, several species of groupers , including leather bass and starry groupers ; Mexican hogfish ; whitecheek , convict , and striped-fin surgeonfish ; yellow longnose and blacknosed butterflyfish ; coral hawkfish ; golden pufferfish ; Moorish idols ; parrotfish ; and moray eels, especially speckled moray eels . The waters around

3618-459: The region while on an expedition commissioned by his cousin, the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés , to find a route to the Philippines . Although both San Pablo and Isla Médanos are considered to be possible sightings of Clipperton, the island was first charted by French merchant Michel Dubocage , commanding La Découverte , who arrived at the island on Good Friday , 3 April 1711; he

3685-441: The shallow parts of the lake contain eroded coral heads from when the lagoon was last connected with the ocean. During visits in 1897 and 1898 the depth at the middle of the lagoon was recorded as being between two inches and two feet due to the dead coral. The surface of the lagoon has a high concentration of phytoplankton that vary slightly with the seasons. As a result of this the water columns are stratified and do not mix leaving

3752-407: The territory. He arrived on Clipperton as governor later that year. By 1914 around 100 men, women, and children lived on the island, resupplied every two months by a ship from Acapulco . With the escalation of fighting in the Mexican Revolution , regular resupply visits ceased, and the inhabitants were left to their own devices. On 28 February 1914, the schooner Nokomis wrecked on Clipperton; with

3819-534: The vessel reported no leaks. The vessel was re-floated on 6 March and returned to service. In mid-March 2012, the crew from the Clipperton Project noted the widespread presence of refuse, particularly on the northeast shore, and around the Clipperton Rock. Debris, including plastic bottles and containers, create a potentially harmful environment for the island's flora and fauna. This trash

3886-465: The wall to a rectangle or an oval ( ellipse ). Examples include: Parks come in all sizes; a few are almost exactly one square kilometre in area. Here are some examples: Using the figures published by golf course architects Crafter and Mogford, a course should have a fairway width of 120 metres and 40 metres clear beyond the hole. Assuming a 6,000-metre (6,600 yd) 18-hole course, an area of 80 hectares (0.8 square kilometre) needs to be allocated for

3953-514: The walls of many European medieval cities were about one square kilometre. These walls are often either still standing or the route they followed is still clearly visible, such as in Brussels , where the wall has been replaced by a ring road, or in Frankfurt , where the wall has been replaced by gardens. The approximate area of the old walled cities can often be worked out by fitting the course of

4020-478: The west, and narrowing to 45  m (148  ft ) in the north-east, where sea waves occasionally spill over into the lagoon. Ten islets are present in the lagoon, six of which are covered with vegetation, including the Egg Islands ( les îles aux Œufs ). The closure of the lagoon approximately 170 years ago and prevention of seawater from entering the lagoon has formed a meromictic lake . The bottom of

4087-523: Was abundant; Durinskia baltica , which was known to exist previously in other locations, but was new to Clipperton; and Peridiniopsis cristata var. tubulifera , which is unique to the island. The lagoon also harbours millions of isopods , which are reported to deliver a painful sting. While some sources have rated the lagoon water as non- potable , testimony from the crew of the tuna clipper M/V Monarch, stranded for 23 days in 1962 after their boat sank, indicates otherwise. Their report reveals that

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4154-411: Was appointed governor of Clipperton. At first he was reluctant to accept the post, believing it amounted to exile from Mexico, but he relented after being told that Díaz had personally chosen him to protect Mexico's interests in the international conflict with France. It was also noted that because Arnaud spoke English, French, and Spanish, he would be well equipped to help protect Mexico's sovereignty over

4221-399: Was chosen as arbitrator and decided in 1931 that the island was French territory. Despite the ruling, Clipperton remained largely uninhabited until 1944 when the U.S. Navy established a weather station on the island to support its war efforts in the Pacific. France protested and, as concerns about Japanese activity in the eastern Pacific waned, the U.S. abandoned the site in late 1945. Since

4288-406: Was documented by French merchant-explorers in 1711 and formally claimed as part of the French protectorate of Tahiti in 1858. Despite this, American guano miners began working the island in the early 1890s. As interest in the island grew, Mexico asserted a claim to the island based upon Spanish records from the 1520s that may have identified the island. Mexico established a small military colony on

4355-601: Was joined the following day by fellow ship captain Martin de Chassiron  [ fr ] and La Princesse . The island was given the name Île de la Passion ('Passion Island') as the date of rediscovery fell within Passiontide . They drew up the first map of the island and claimed it for France. In August 1825, American sea captain Benjamin Morrell made the first recorded landing on Clipperton, exploring

4422-618: Was sentenced to 45 days of incarceration, one year of probation, and a $ 2,000 fine. During the night of 10 February 2010, the Sichem Osprey , a Maltese chemical tanker , ran aground en route from the Panama Canal to South Korea . The 170  m (558  ft ) ship contained 10,513 metric tons (11,589 short tons) of xylene , 6,005 metric tons (6,619 short tons) of soybean oil, and 6,000 metric tons (6,600 short tons) of tallow. All 19 crew members were reported safe, and

4489-515: Was something he had wanted to do since he was nine years old. Following the visit, Folliot reported to the National Assembly on the pressing need to reaffirm French sovereignty over the atoll and its surrounding maritime claims. He also proposed establishing an international scientific research station on Clipperton and administrative reforms surrounding the oversight of the atoll. In 2022, France passed legislation officially referring to

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