Those who successfully report violations of APPS or MARPOL, such as merchant marine sailors and fishing boat crews, can be compensated with up to 50% of the monetary penalties that the U.S. government receives from the guilty parties. However, the average reward granted to whistleblowers as a result of successful APPS prosecutions was 28.8% of the total amount of funds collected by the government.
From the early 1990s until 2017, the U.S. government awarded 205 whistleblowers a sum of approximately $33 million in 100 prosecutions under APPS. These substantial rewards reflect the critical role that whistleblowers play in enforcing the law and protecting our marine environment.