The Bahamas Maritime Authority has dispatched two men to investigate the oil spill in Costa de Lorca, Spain, according to Ministry of Transport and Aviation Permanent Secretary Archie Nairn Tuesday.
In an interview with The Guardian, Mr. Nairn confirmed that two senior officers, Captains Bell and Clinch, of the Bahamas Maritime Authority departed for Spain two to three days ago.
"Captain Bell and Clinch were sent to investigate, for one, if there was any crew on board and, if so, how many crew members were on board, and what happened on board that caused the oil spill in the first place," he said.
Mr. Nairn confirmed that although the vessel, named "Prestige", was registered with the Bahamas Maritime Authority, the ship's captain Apostulos Maguras is not a Bahamian, but Greek.
The captain has since been jailed and charged with disobeying the authorities and endangering the environment.
The vessel, built in 1976, is owned by Mare Shipping Incorporated, which is managed by a Greek Company. The ship was reportedly last inspected in May 2001 in China.
The 730-foot vessel was traveling from a Baltic port to Singapore. Carrying more than 20 million gallons of Russian fuel oil, it broke in two off northwest Spain and sank Nov. 12.
The tanker suffered a 30- to 50-foot crack in its hull below the waterline, making it unable to proceed under its own power or transfer the oil to another ship.
In recent times, the Transport and Aviation Ministry, stressing their position in regards to oil spills in The Bahamas, launched its $74 million Boston Whaler, to protect marine life and monitor coastal waters, including oil spills.
"The Ministry is very concerned about any oil spills, not only in The Bahamas, but also that occur as a result of Bahamian-flagged vessels near other countries. This spill pulls major environmental concerns for Spain, who depend on the sea, so this is not very good," said Mr. Nairn Tuesday.
"Oil spills underscore the seriousness for our own waters and protecting our precious waters," he said An estimated 1.3 – 2.6 million gallons of oil was lost in the initial spill last week, which destroyed miles of Spain's beaches, while hundreds of animals have been rescued covered in sludge, prohibiting fishing and putting others out of work.
About 150 oil-covered seabirds have been rescued, while sea animals and fishes were washed ashore.
Some rescue workers called the fuel oil "the most difficult of oils to remove."
World reports are already labeling this oil spill as nearly as "devastating" as 1989's Exxon Valdez disaster in Alaska.
This is not the first time an oil spill occurred near Spain's shores. In 1992, a Greek tanker lost about 21.5 million gallons of crude oil.
BY Khashan Poitier, The Nassau Guardian
