The Algeciras Maritime Captaincy has retained the ship 'Atlantic Merchant', flying the Singapore flag, and has demanded the establishment of guarantees for a total amount of 200,000 euros after the spill of light fuel registered during a fuel supply operation in the Bay of Algeciras.
The incident occurred on Wednesday during the consumption operations conducted between the barge 'Vejer' and the 'Atlantic Merchant' in the anchorage B of the port of Algeciras. According to information provided by the General Directorate of Merchant Marine, the leak originated from a pore located in the structure of the tank that was being filled with fuel.
The Maritime Captaincy took charge of the emergency and activated the National Maritime Response Plan for Marine Pollution in situation 1. This phase contemplates the intervention of maritime means and the coordination of the necessary resources to contain and remove the spilled product.
The Maritime Salvage services deployed in the area carried out cleaning work at sea in accordance with the Captaincy's instructions. Although anti-contamination barriers were installed during the operation to limit the extent of the fuel, some debris reached Palmones beach, in the municipality of Los Barrios.
After the incident, the inspectors of the Maritime Captaincy conducted a review of the 'Atlantic Merchant' to determine the state of the vessel and the circumstances that caused the leak. The inspection detected deficiencies related to the structure of the tank involved in the spill.
As a result of these actions, the maritime administration has opened an administrative file and adopted several provisional measures. Among them is the retention of the vessel and the obligation to establish two differentiated economic guarantees.
The first guarantee amounts to 150,000 euros and is linked to the deficiencies detected on board which, according to the Maritime Captaincy, caused the contamination. The second, amounting to 50,000 euros, will be allocated to cover the expenses arising from the intervention and the cleaning work carried out by Maritime Salvage.
The full amount must be deposited in the General Treasury Deposits Box. The establishment of guarantees is part of the conditions set for the vessel to regain departure authorization.
The 'Atlantic Merchant' will remain detained until its owner or representative proves both the deposit of 200,000 euros and the correction of the deficiencies identified during the inspection. The Maritime Captaincy must verify that the repairs made allow the vessel to operate under adequate conditions before authorizing its departure from the port.
The spill occurred in an anchorage area used by vessels waiting to dock, conducting port operations or receiving supplies. Fuel supply operations are subject to prevention and control procedures aimed at reducing the risk of leaks and limiting their effects on the marine environment.
The activation of the National Maritime Plan allowed coordination of the response in the water, while the arrival of debris at Palmones forced the extension of monitoring along the coastal strip. The official information has not specified the total amount of light fuel spilled or the volume removed during the cleaning activities.
The Algeciras Maritime Captaincy depends on the General Directorate of Merchant Marine, which is part of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility. Its responsibilities include navigation safety, vessel inspection, marine pollution prevention, and the management of maritime emergencies within its territorial scope.
The administrative file must determine the responsibilities associated with the spill and the possible sanctioning consequences. While the procedure is processed, the adopted economic guarantees are provisional and seek to ensure both the eventual responsibilities arising from the vessel's deficiencies and the payment of costs generated by the cleaning.
