Chronic oil pollution

How many illegal dumping incidents take place each year around the world and in Europe and what is their volume?

Given that these dumping incidents are illegal, their total number and volume is not known for certain. Routine dumping from vessels represents almost 33% of the total hydrocarbons found in the sea; 10-12% come from accidents and the rest originates on land and is transported by the atmosphere, rivers or surface run-off on the coast, except for 5-6% which is of natural origin. In other words, more than 600,000 tonnes of annual spillages originate in this way.

In Europe, some 3,000 illegal dumping incidents are detected each year, but it is believed that the real figure could be closer to 90,000 incidents.

Is all dumping illegal?

The majority, yes, although international agreements permit a certain amount of hydrocarbons to be dumped at sea. But taking into account the volume authorised by MARPOL, this would not exceed a few dozen tonnes.

Isn’t there any legislation that can sanction them?

Some countries have already included criminal sanctions for this type of dumping in their legislation, but the European Union does not, in this case, have a framework directive that establishes minimum sanctions, which means that there is a huge disparity between laws.

The same type of dumping, depending on whose waters it takes place in, can result in a prison sentence or just an administrative sanction. Meanwhile, when dumping takes place on the high seas, there is a huge legal vacuum that tends to leave many violations unpunished.

Where are the most polluted areas?

The Mediterranean is the sea with the highest levels of hydrocarbon pollution in the world. But all European waters are on the receiving end of huge amounts of spillages of oil and its derivatives. Three of the biggest shipping routes for oil tankers and other merchant vessels can be found in:

• The Mediterranean and the Strait of Gibraltar, with the transit of merchant vessels from the Persian Gulf which cross the Suez Canal en route to Europe and North America.
• The coasts of the Iberian Peninsula, with the transit of merchant vessels from southern Europe, Africa and North America towards the ports of Central and Northern Europe, many of which come through the Panama Canal.
• The Canary Islands and the West African coast are on another major shipping route for African crude oil and the vessels that come round the Cape of Good Hope.

How does this affect marine life?

All hydrocarbons have an effect on marine life. The most sensitive species may well disappear from highly polluted areas and others, such as furred or feathered animals (pinnipeds, sea otters, seabirds, etc.) can suffer from oil-impregnated skin, losing their insulation (and thus their capacity to protect themselves from the cold) and ingesting huge quantities of oil by cleaning their fur or feathers.

Sea turtles, dolphins and whales can come into contact with these slicks when they come up to the surface to breathe, and they can even obstruct their respiratory passages. But many contaminants manage to permeate the whole ecosystem by means of the trophic chain. Fish, molluscs, crustaceans, seaweeds and many other marine creatures end up being affected by these spillages.

The effects range from death from intoxication to sub-lethal effects (reduction in reproductive capacity, immunodepression, cancers, etc.) or changes in behavioural patterns (migrations, spawning zones, etc.).

And what about humans?

Humans ingest some of the most toxic compounds from oil through breathing or eating. The consumption of contaminated marine species ends up by affecting us through our diet. The effects are similar to those experienced by marine life.

Which vessels commit the most infractions?

Unfortunately, the dumping of contaminants in the sea, especially hydrocarbons, is a very widespread practice. All fleets commit irregularities and carry out illegal dumping, but some of them tend to feature constantly on the black lists of international organisations. The fleets flying the flags of countries such as Albania, Sao Tome and Principe, Tonga, North Korea, Bolivia, the Lebanon, Algeria, the Comoros Islands, Honduras, Georgia, Turkey and Syria tend to be amongst the greatest offenders. But we should not forget that others, such as the EU, which are classified as among the ‘cleanest’, also commit a very high volume of infractions, reaching as high as 40% in the case of the infringements and deficiencies covered by the international convention for the prevention of marine pollution from ships.

What is the main source of the hydrocarbon pollution of the sea?

The main source of marine hydrocarbon pollution comes from the land, reaching the oceans by rivers or the atmosphere. Our industries and traffic generate a huge volume of waste, a high proportion of which ends up in the oceans.

But on the oceans themselves, maritime traffic is the main cause of direct pollution. Between routine spillages and accidents, more than one million tonnes of hydrocarbons are dumped in the seas each year.

What are PAHs and how can they affect me?

PAHs, or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, are some of the most toxic compounds to be found in hydrocarbons. Their high toxicity means that no safety limits can be established for them, meaning that they are always harmful to health, even in very low doses. Some of them can generate such serious problems as cancers (carcinogenic), effects on the foetus (teratogenic) or mutations (mutagenic). Notable amongst these is benzo(a)pyrene, a compound classified as high priority by international organisations. In fish it can cause mortality in concentrations of just 0.005 mg/l or ppm.

What is the European Union doing about it?

Actions vary greatly. Some countries have implemented a lot of measures and passed strong legislation to combat pollution, while others barely give the issue any attention. In countries where the merchant marine fleet is very important, governments tend to try to limit fines and sanctions, while the countries most greatly affected by dumping are trying to increase pressure to reduce this kind of pollution.

The European Commission has presented various proposals for solving many of these problems and the European Parliament has endorsed them and even improved them, but governments continue to fail to reach a consensus.

What is needed to put a stop to this source of marine pollution?

Europe must recognise that the dumping at sea of contaminants is a criminal act and, as such, should be appropriately punished. It has also got to implement instruments that discourage, control and eliminate this kind of dumping. To do so, it will be necessary to implement a marine surveillance system, strict monitoring of port inspections and strong legislation.

What can I do to help solve this problem?

Ask your Government to support a directive that imposes criminal sanctions on offenders and all those involved in the illegal dumping of hydrocarbons at sea.