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Major oil spill off the coast of Western Australia
Marine Pollution Bulletin
As of now, the environment examined show no contamination. There is adequate amount of dissolved oxygen and oil degrading microflora to take care of any oil which may eventually come out with the Gulf outflow. There appears to be hardly any possibility of the living and non-living resources along the Indian west coast getting affected by the spilled oil. But we are not complacent. These observations were
Major Oil Spill Off the Coast of Western Australia On Sunday 21 July 1991, a Greek oil tanker spilled 20 000 t of light crude oil about 40 km off the Western Australian coast. The fully-laden 100 000 t vessel Kirki was travelling to Kwinana, south of Perth, from the Middle East when the vessel caught fire in heavy seas at about 3 a.m. The bow of the vessel broke off, rupturing three forward tanks, which then caught fire. Gale force winds and 5 m swells then spread the slick very rapidly. The crew were airlifted off the vessel about 4 h later, after life rafts had failed to inflate. The incident occurred in the central, and most productive region of the Western Australian crayfishing industry (valued at AS 500 million). This area is also utilized extensively by seabirds and Australian sealions, and is in the migration path of humpback whales. The size of the spill was the worst in Australia and the volume spilt approaches the Exxon Valdez 30 000 t. The 22-year old tanker still holds 60 000 t of oil and there were initial fears that it would break up and spill the rest of the cargo. There were also fears that the prevailing winds would blow the slick onto a series of islands important for birds and other wildlife and on to the coast. Fortunately, the winds changed to easterlies and the slick moved away from the coast. The West Australian Oil Pollution Control Combat Committee arranged fishing vessels to agitate the slick and assist in dispersal. Much of the oil evaporated and the slick was reduced to a sheen. Very little has come ashore. Despite the weather conditions, salvage experts were able to examine the ship and within 24 h it was towed about 100 km away from the coast. The ship is thought to have been damaged during a storm in the Arabian Sea and the ship appears to have been in difficulties some time before the alarm was raised. It is expected to be towed farther north and the remaining oil on board will be transferred to other vessels. Following the Exxon Valdez spill, an Australian Marine Oil Spill Response Centre was established in Melbourne, but plans were based on dealing with a 10 000 t spill. Booms were airlifted to islands classed as 'Nature Reserves' but have not had to be used. Fortunately, the incident has not lead to widespread environmental damage, mainly because of the weather. 424
carried out 55-65 days after the spill. Using this information as background we will go out on cruise again sometime in August 1991 following the same track and carrying out the same measurements. Hopefully we will be able to confidently confirm our conclusions thereafter. R. SEN GUPTA
The events have resulted in much discussion in the Australian media about control of shipping in environmentally sensitive areas and of the seaworthiness of older tankers. D. L WALKER
New Guidelines on Ballast Water Introductions Draft guidelines listing various measures for preventing harmful marine organisms from being transferred in tanker ballast water have been prepared by a working group of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee. Amongst the measures which will be adopted by the Committee at its next session are: ship operational procedures, ballast water management practices and the use of shore reception procedures. The draft resolution accompanying the draft guidelines recognizes that the discharge of ballast water and sediment has led to the unwanted introduction of nonnative plants, animals and pathogens into new coastal waters. The problem was recently highlighted in Australia when it was suspected that the dinoflagellate, Gymnodiniurn catenaturn, which causes paralytic shellfish poisoning, was inadvertently imported from foreign waters (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 21, 169, 557). Concern for the problem was shared by several other countries including Japan, USA, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and Norway. The draft resolution urges member states and nongovernmental organizations to carry out research into all aspects of control methods. The working group also recommended that, in the longer-term, the Committee should consider the possibility of amending the Annexes of M A R P O L 73/78 or developing a new Annexe to deal with the problem.
MARPOL Annex III to Enter into Force Regulations designed to prevent pollution of the sea by harmful substances carried in packaged form, including freight containers, portable tanks or road and rail wagons, will become international law on 1 July 1992. The regulations are contained in Annex III of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pol-
As of now, the environment examined show no contamination. There is adequate amount of dissolved oxygen and oil degrading microflora to take care of any oil which may eventually come out with the Gulf outflow. There appears to be hardly any possibility of the living and non-living resources along the Indian west coast getting affected by the spilled oil. But we are not complacent. These observations were
Major Oil Spill Off the Coast of Western Australia On Sunday 21 July 1991, a Greek oil tanker spilled 20 000 t of light crude oil about 40 km off the Western Australian coast. The fully-laden 100 000 t vessel Kirki was travelling to Kwinana, south of Perth, from the Middle East when the vessel caught fire in heavy seas at about 3 a.m. The bow of the vessel broke off, rupturing three forward tanks, which then caught fire. Gale force winds and 5 m swells then spread the slick very rapidly. The crew were airlifted off the vessel about 4 h later, after life rafts had failed to inflate. The incident occurred in the central, and most productive region of the Western Australian crayfishing industry (valued at AS 500 million). This area is also utilized extensively by seabirds and Australian sealions, and is in the migration path of humpback whales. The size of the spill was the worst in Australia and the volume spilt approaches the Exxon Valdez 30 000 t. The 22-year old tanker still holds 60 000 t of oil and there were initial fears that it would break up and spill the rest of the cargo. There were also fears that the prevailing winds would blow the slick onto a series of islands important for birds and other wildlife and on to the coast. Fortunately, the winds changed to easterlies and the slick moved away from the coast. The West Australian Oil Pollution Control Combat Committee arranged fishing vessels to agitate the slick and assist in dispersal. Much of the oil evaporated and the slick was reduced to a sheen. Very little has come ashore. Despite the weather conditions, salvage experts were able to examine the ship and within 24 h it was towed about 100 km away from the coast. The ship is thought to have been damaged during a storm in the Arabian Sea and the ship appears to have been in difficulties some time before the alarm was raised. It is expected to be towed farther north and the remaining oil on board will be transferred to other vessels. Following the Exxon Valdez spill, an Australian Marine Oil Spill Response Centre was established in Melbourne, but plans were based on dealing with a 10 000 t spill. Booms were airlifted to islands classed as 'Nature Reserves' but have not had to be used. Fortunately, the incident has not lead to widespread environmental damage, mainly because of the weather. 424
carried out 55-65 days after the spill. Using this information as background we will go out on cruise again sometime in August 1991 following the same track and carrying out the same measurements. Hopefully we will be able to confidently confirm our conclusions thereafter. R. SEN GUPTA
The events have resulted in much discussion in the Australian media about control of shipping in environmentally sensitive areas and of the seaworthiness of older tankers. D. L WALKER
New Guidelines on Ballast Water Introductions Draft guidelines listing various measures for preventing harmful marine organisms from being transferred in tanker ballast water have been prepared by a working group of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee. Amongst the measures which will be adopted by the Committee at its next session are: ship operational procedures, ballast water management practices and the use of shore reception procedures. The draft resolution accompanying the draft guidelines recognizes that the discharge of ballast water and sediment has led to the unwanted introduction of nonnative plants, animals and pathogens into new coastal waters. The problem was recently highlighted in Australia when it was suspected that the dinoflagellate, Gymnodiniurn catenaturn, which causes paralytic shellfish poisoning, was inadvertently imported from foreign waters (see Mar. Pollut. Bull. 21, 169, 557). Concern for the problem was shared by several other countries including Japan, USA, Canada, Denmark, Germany, and Norway. The draft resolution urges member states and nongovernmental organizations to carry out research into all aspects of control methods. The working group also recommended that, in the longer-term, the Committee should consider the possibility of amending the Annexes of M A R P O L 73/78 or developing a new Annexe to deal with the problem.
MARPOL Annex III to Enter into Force Regulations designed to prevent pollution of the sea by harmful substances carried in packaged form, including freight containers, portable tanks or road and rail wagons, will become international law on 1 July 1992. The regulations are contained in Annex III of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pol-