The Diplomat
The Gibraltar Port Authority confirmed yesterday that a “small” leak of heavy fuel oil from the bulk carrier OS 35 has passed the perimeter of the barrier and has entered the Bay of Algeciras. The ship has been stranded since Tuesday after a collision in the port of the Rock and its captain has been arrested for disobeying the authorities. For its part, the City Council of La Línea is studying possible legal actions.
According to the Government of Gibraltar, the origin of this leak is to be found in two vents in the tanks of the half-sunken vessel, which had been sealed as a precautionary measure, but whose seals were loosened as the ship deformed. “A small amount” of the fuel oil has escaped from the perimeter of the barrier and has entered the Bay of Algeciras after rounding Punta Europa, it said.
Divers have managed to close the vents and the Gibraltar Port Authority is trying to deal with the spill by deploying skimmers and sorbent booms, all with the help of the Spanish Maritime Rescue authorities through the Luz de Mar vessel, prepared to fight the pollution. In addition, the Port Authority of Gibraltar began yesterday to pump the diesel oil that remains stored inside the vessel OS 35.
According to the Government of the Rock, the OS 35 was loaded with steel bars and was carrying at the time of the collision 183 tons of heavy fuel oil, 250 tons of gas oil and 27 tons of lubricating oil. At the time of the accident it was sailing from Gibraltar for Vlissingen in the Netherlands. The collision between the two ships caused the OS 35 to become stranded some 200 meters off Catalan Bay and set off environmental alarms due to the fuel oil cargo inside it.
On the other hand, the Government of Gibraltar reported yesterday that the captain of the OS 35, of Syrian origin, has been arrested by the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) in connection with the accident of the vessel. Previously, Gibraltar’s Chief Minister Fabian Picardo reported that the authorities had asked the vessel to stop once the impact occurred, but “he did not stop, did not follow Gibraltar’s instructions and said he had no damage”. The vessel “went out to the Strait to continue its journey”, “against the instructions of Gibraltar”, but “once in the Strait, the entry of water into the ship was such that the captain could not continue his journey and then had to accept the instructions of the Gibraltar Harbour Master,” he added. The captain is working with detectives from the Royal Gibraltar Police Crime & Protective Services Division, who are investigating the accident.
For its part, the City Council of La Linea will order today to the municipal legal services to study possible criminal or civil actions for the accident of the vessel OS 35. “There has been a fuel leak and it seems to be that it is controlled, but the latest information we have is that the leak is surrounding the Rock and reaching the other part of the coast of our city,” said the mayor of the city, Juan Franco. “The damage it could cause us is enormous,” because it could have a “negative effect on tourism” and the fishing sector, “where fishing grounds are already being closed,” he added. This incident, he specified, reveals that “the memorandum of understanding on the environmental aspects as a result of Brexit, by no means, is closed”. “I hope that soon we can continue to count on the collaboration of the authorities of Spain and Gibraltar, but we are the most affected,” he concluded.
