Ship-based oil spill compensation reform needed for Indigenous communities Ship-based oil spill compensation reform needed for Indigenous communities Victoria, British Columbia, Jan. 14, 2021 — Indigenous communities face many barriers to receiving compensation for oil spills from ships in their territories — in fact, only one relatively small claim has ever been paid directly to an Indigenous group — according to a new WWF-Canada-commissioned report. When an oil spill from a ship occurs, any person, organization, company, community or government can file a claim against the Ship-Source Oil Pollution Fund (SOPF) to mitigate or clean up the spill. Claimants can also seek compensation for property damages or losses to fishing, tourism and other sectors, as well as subsistence harvesting. While spills have occurred near Indigenous communities in the past, the burden of evidence to prove a subsistence claim may be very difficult to meet because of complexities with valuing non-economic losses, uncertainty over what is covered, cultural or language barriers, and concerns over sharing sensitive information.