‘No significant damage’ to Spain’s marine environment from OS 35, Spanish Government says

The Spanish Government said this week that there had been no “significant” environment damage to Spain’s coastline as a result of the OS 35 maritime casualty in Gibraltar.

It was responding to a question in the Spanish parliament.

In its answer, the Spanish Government said its Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenges, which is responsible for Spain’s national marine pollution response plan, had “no knowledge” of any “possible significant damage” caused by the wreck of the OS 35 on Spain’s ecosystems or biodiversity.

Earlier this week, the Gibraltar Port Authority confirmed that heavy swells that battered Gibraltar’s coastline in recent days appear to have damaged the wreck of the OS 35, which is sitting lower on the seabed.

Despite the damage, however, no oil pollution from the wreck has been observed by GOA and Department of Environment staff monitoring the coastline.

Sheening that has been seen in some beaches is believed to be from discarded fuel canisters washed ashore during the storm.