South African Maritime Authority Works to Avert Disaster After West Coast Oil Spill
A Panama-flagged cargo ship broke apart over the weekend on the West Coast, prompting efforts by the South African Maritime Safety Authority (SAMSA) to avert a potential environmental disaster. Severe weather has impeded a thorough assessment of the damage and the extent of the oil spill from the vessel, raising concerns about its impact on nearby fishing grounds, estuaries, and islands that support threatened seabird species.
The MV Ultra Galaxy, which beached on its side in a remote area of the West Coast in early July during a severe storm, broke apart over the weekend amid more stormy seas, resulting in an oil spillage. The fertiliser cargo aboard the ship has dissolved into the ocean, with its white carrier bags washing ashore on nearby beaches.
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Before the vessel broke apart, several lube oil drums and eight tonnes of marine gas oil were removed from it.
SAMSA spokesperson Tebogo Ramatjie stated that the current focus is on preventing the remainder of the fuel from spilling into the sea and safely removing the wreck. “That requires planning because now we are working with a vessel that broke apart on Friday. It changes a lot of things. We are going to have to sit down and plan again about how to then remove [the wreck]. We need to remove the fuel as safely as possible and as quickly as possible, and then eventually remove the wreck from the beach,” he said.
