Oil spill from Prestige tanker

Tony Blair was this morning under fire from Spanish environmentalists angry at the threat posed to their shores by oil spills from tankers like The Prestige. Single hull tankers carrying heavy fuel oil continue to sail into port at Gibraltar - despite a ban enacted by the Madrid Government that prevents them passing through Spanish waters after last year's disaster.

This morning volunteers from the Greenpeace boat Esperanza boarded the single-hulled tanker Vemamagna in the Algeciras bay off the British protectorate. They unfurled banners saying 'Peligro Petroleo' - translated as 'Oil Hazard'. Spaniards are upset that their government's efforts to keep dangerous tankers from their coast have been undermined by Blair's continued lack of action. The authorities in Gibraltar cite Whitehall inaction to justify a policy that welcomes single-hulled boats.

The Gibraltarian police have this morning made several arrests.

Greenpeace is today writing to transport minister John Spellar, asking that the Government swiftly follows the lead from Madrid. New Labour has claimed that a ban on these dangerous boats would threaten energy supplies, but Spain has not encountered supply problems despite not being an oil producer.

"Gibraltar's complicity with the oil industry is unacceptable. Gibraltar is playing Russian roulette with the marine environment allowing high risk practices as those being carried out by the Vemamagna and by avoiding a ban on single-hulled vessels," stressed Juan Lopez de Uralde of Greenpeace.

According to Spanish government data, in 2001 over 56,670 merchant ships crossed the Gibraltar Strait. Furthermore, 10% of all international maritime traffic crosses the Strait. Around 5000 oil tankers travel the same route per year - about 10 to 15 oil tankers a day. Approximately 20 million tonnes of oil products are transported annually through the bay.

De Uralde continued, "Since the sinking of the Prestige, European policy regarding the transport of hazardous substances has not changed substantially. Another catastrophe can occur at any time and Algeciras Bay is literally a time bomb waiting to explode. Greenpeace demands an urgent and total ban on single-hulled tankers and the establishment of a new regime of unlimited responsibility."

In a letter to Greenpeace before Christmas the UK government refused to commit to a ban on single-hulled tankers, despite a recommendation to that effect by the European Union Transport Council.

Notes to editors:
(1) The Vemamagna belongs to the Vemaoil Company based in Gibraltar. It is a Maltese flagged vessel built in 1978. It is 246 meters and has a capacity of 87.290 tonnes.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace UK press office on 020 7865 8255

Byzantio leaves Estonia

The British Government is being urged to seize an oil tanker dubbed 'Prestige 2' if, as expected, it enters British waters. The Byzantio left Estonia last week carrying 50,000 tons of heavy fuel oil - the same cargo as the sunken tanker. Like the Prestige, it is a 26 year old single-hulled ship under charter by the Russian-owned trading company Crown Resources, sailing beneath a flag of convenience. It is expected to pass through the English channel as early as tomorrow.

The environmental group Greenpeace has written to Transport Secretary Alistair Darling urging him to ensure the ship is taken to the nearest harbour for inspection.

The Byzantio was recently detained for failing a port inspection. In August it was held for seven days in Dublin for various faults including a lack of fire fighting equipment and deficient certificates for masters and officers. According to Llyod's Marine Intelligence Unit it was involved in a collision with another tanker in the Mediterranean in April. The French shipping minister, Dominique Bussereau, warned Estonia that its chances of joining the EU as one of 10 new members could be compromised if the Byzantio was not thoroughly inspected. Estonia says the ship is fit to sail. European shipping officials have described it as a 'floating dustbin.'

Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar and Brussels Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio have led calls for a crackdown on ships like the Byzantio. German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and Jacques Chirac agreed last Friday to push for stricter measures at the EU summit in Denmark this month.

Ben Stewart of Greenpeace today said,
"The Byzantio clearly poses a threat, its cargo is virtually identical to the Prestige and it may be headed our way this week. The Government should get it into a port and subject it to a rigorous inspection. It's too late for the Spanish victims of the Prestige spill, but not too late to prevent another disaster."

Greenpeace last week attempted to prevent the Byzantio leaving Estonia. Over the weekend a huge slick of fuel oil from the Prestige started to wash up on the Galician coast, bringing more environmental devastation to the Spanish region.

Further information:
Contact:
Greenpeace press office on 020 7865 8255