Spain Detains Maltese-Flagged Oil Tanker Over Oil Spill Near TarragonaSpain has detained and fined the Maltese-flagged oil tanker, Lagertha, for discharging oil in open waters near the northeastern port city of Tarragona.
The incident was detected on February 11 by aircraft sensors and satellite radar, revealing a slick extending over 12.7 square kilometers.
The vessel, operated by Turkey-based Besiktas Shipping Group, is being held until a bail of €100,000 ($106,680) is paid, with disciplinary proceedings to follow.
Spain’s Mediterranean and Atlantic coastlines, increasingly busy with ship-to-ship (STS) oil transfers, face growing safety concerns. In 2021, another tanker was intercepted for a similar violation off the coast of La Palma in the Canary Islands.
Additionally, the tanker Elephant was detained on February 14 for technical deficiencies and failing to notify Spain’s maritime administration of its STS operations. This vessel had recently transferred cargo to the Singapore-flagged Maersk Magellan, which has been banned from Spanish ports.Authorities continue to monitor and regulate maritime activities to prevent environmental damage and uphold EU sanctions.
Read the full story here.(Reuters – Reporting by Emma Pindeo and Jonathan Saul; Editing by Alexander Smith)
