December 4, 2002. Copyright, 2002, Graphic News. All rights reserved

Mini-sub monitors future threat from sunken tanker
By Joanna Griffin

LONDON, December 4, Graphic News:  A French submarine dived deep into the Atlantic this week (Dec 2) to find out whether the sunken tanker Prestige is leaking more fuel oil from its watery grave off the northern Spanish coast.

The three-man crew of the submarine Nautile will make several dives to assess how much damage has yet to be wreaked by the 26-year-old tanker, which rests two miles (3.5km) down on the ocean floor. The submarine, best known for its expeditions to recover artefacts from the Titanic, is equipped with acoustic mapping equipment and a robot probe called Robin to help it search dangerous underwater conditions. 

The 26-year-old Prestige went down on November 19, five days after its hull split in two. It has already left a trail of devastation in its wake, with winds sweeping a slick of 11,000 tonnes of oil towards SpainÕs ÒCoast of DeathÓ, devastating wildlife and the fishing industry.

Now the submarine is plunging into a dispute that has already driven a wedge between several EU nations. After its first dive on Monday, SpainÕs Deputy Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said there was no evidence of further spills from the tanker. That will back Spanish claims that the bulk of the PrestigeÕs deadly cargo, 60,000 tonnes of oil, has solidified in the cold ocean depths and there have been no further leaks. But it wonÕt yet satisfy the French and Portuguese who fear further spills could wreak havoc way beyond Spanish waters.  

The Bahamian-flagged, Greek-operated tanker, now located 152 miles (245km) off the coast of Cape Finisterre, was listing badly when it called a mayday message several days before splitting in two. Its sinking has fouled 150 beaches and forced fishing bans to be introduced on at least 340 miles (550km) of coastline.

More than 200,000 Spanish locals gathered in Santiago de Compostela on December 1 to protest against lax coastal protection. Many believe the Spanish government could have acted quicker to prevent what is reckoned to be the biggest disaster of its kind since the sinking of the Exxon Valdez tanker in AlaskaÕs Prince William Sound in 1989.

Soon after the tanker sank, ships from France, the Netherlands and other EU countries quickly cleared 7,000 tonnes of oil from the surface of the sea, reducing the size of the largest slick. A second, larger slick is now washing ashore, compounding fears that the worst is far from over. In the past few days both Spain and France have expelled single-hulled tankers from their waters, demonstrating a new hard line towards potential maritime polluters. As a result of the disaster, new rules are expected to be rushed through at the EU summit in Copenhagen on December 12-13. 

But for the estimated 15,000 birds killed by the Prestige disaster, not to mention other wildlife, all of this comes too late. Then there are the Spanish fishermen whose livelihood hangs in the balance. In recent days dozens of shellfishermen have taken to the waters to scoop out clumps of the sticky oil by hand. Frustrated by official efforts and wrangling over who is to blame, they are battling to keep their hopes afloat Ð though the future is looking black.
/ENDS