ESG Press Release on Algeciras Capsized Vessel
16th June 2011

The ESG is aware of the maritime incident which took place a few days ago in the Port of Algeciras when a large vessel overturned dumping several containers with assorted contents into the sea.
While the accident was not explosive in nature, this is still a very serious incident especially as it remains unclear as to the exact contents of the goods in the containers which, if toxic, could escalate the impact of the incident to the environment. There are already reports of oil patches washing up along the shoreline.

The ESG urges the Gibraltar Government to make official enquiries to the Spanish Government into this accident and trust that we shall be informed as soon as possible of the precise details as far as these are known. Our own contacts with experience in port matters suggest that regardless of contents in containers, while this is important to ascertain, all vessels carry a certain amount of corrosive and chemical product on board, as well as fuel and paints etc. These would cause serious harm when released into the marine environment.

This is yet another example of the impacts affecting the Bays ecosystem from industrial activity in the area. Indeed a Greenpeace report found at:-
http://www.greenpeace.org/espana/Global/espana/report/contaminacion/contaminaci-n-en-espa-a.pdf confirms the Bay’s seabed is heavily contaminated from regular accidents as well as industrial discharge. The sum total of this ongoing pollution, according to the Greenpeace report, suggests the bay’s seabed reflects pollution equivalent to a major accident such are the levels of chemicals present.