According to Ekologistak Martxan, the scarring left in the Gulf of Bizkaia by the spillage of the ship Grande America is very large and damaging. It has also stated that attempts to curb the scar have not been effective.

According to the environmental group, “there is a serious risk that the Basque coast will be contaminated”. The dumping of fuel “threatens marine ecosystems and their economic activities: fishing, shellfish, tourism and leisure”.

Yesterday, 28 March, the landfill was about a hundred miles from the Basque coast. The scar was about 100 square kilometers wide. If its characteristics are not taken into account, the group points out that it is time for the maritime authorities to consider it as an accident of greater severity and risk.

For the ecologist, the implementation of the State Response Plan is absolutely necessary. Grande America transported 2,200 tons of fuel and hundreds of tons of hydrochloric acid, oil, resin, fungicide and other pollutants. Most were spilled when the boat was burned, while the others are located thousands of meters at the bottom of the sea.

As in previous disasters, however, the proportion of gradual spillage of fuel by the ship is very high. That is why Ekologistak Martxan calls for investigations and sanctions to be opened as soon as possible. In the words of Eneko Aierbe, coordinator of the maritime department of Ekologistak Martxan, “it is essential to recover the values of the marine environment and the situation of the economic activities associated with them”.