The Facts
What happened?
On Tuesday 19 November, 2002, oil tanker Prestige sank,
nearly a week after rupturing its hull in stormy
weather. Prestige was a 26 year old, single-hulled
tanker.
Where?
Prestige sank 150 miles off Spain's north-west coast.
How much oil was Prestige carrying?
500,000 barrels of heavy fuel oil.
How much oil has been spilled?
73,000 barrels has been spilled.
What about the remaining oil?
It is unclear as yet what will happen to the
remainder of the cargo. The intense pressure at 12,000ft
below sea level may be enough to rupture the tanks,
which were mostly intact when the ship sank. If the
tanks split, some experts think that the temperature at
the bottom of the sea may be so low as to make the heavy
oil congeal and stay where it is. Others like Maria Jose
Caballero of the group Greenpeace and Dr Simon Boxall,
from Southampton University's Oceanography Centre say
"It's a time bomb at the bottom of the sea, waiting to
go off."
What are the environmental implications?
The waters here are home to some of the world's richest
array of fish and marine life, including mussels,
octopus, sardines, sole and the highly prized goose
barnacle — a favorite Christmas dish of Spaniards. The
area also is home to birds unique to Galicia, such as
the Iberian guillemot. For more information follow this
link
Oil spill: Consequences for wildlife
However, experts disagree about how severe the
ecological consequences will be. For more information,
follow this link
Oil spills: What is the long-term damage?
Who owned the Prestige?
Prestige was owned by a Liberian company that had
registered it in the Bahamas, and was operated by a
Greek crew. The ship had been chartered by small
Swiss-based Russian oil trader Crown Resources.
Who will pay for the clean up?
Under the rules of the
International
Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) Civil Liberty
Convention of 1975, the ship owner is strictly liable
for the clean-up costs following a spill, up to a
maximum of $80m. After that, the
International Oil
Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF), which is
financed by the countries that take delivery of oil,
starts paying too, up to a total of $180m. The
IOPC has allotted $154.3 million in damages for the
Prestige spill. Crown Resources was also required to
carry $25.5 million in insurance.
The Headlines
There have been numerous headlines
about the spill, below are links to some of them: |
