On Monday, Spain's Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda (Mitma) announced that its General Directorate of the Merchant Marine (DGMM) had ordered the master of the tanker Aldan - which was under way in the Mediterranean, bound for Piraeus - to divert to Almeria. A Spanish naval vessel escorted the tanker into port in order to "supervise compliance with the order at all times."10 days earlier, a satellite operated by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) observed the Aldan allegedly carrying out an illegal discharge of hydrocarbons at a position about 150 miles to the northwest of La Palma - within Spain's EEZ. According to the ministry, the spill contaminated about 20 square miles of the sea. The Maritime Captaincy of Almería has opened an investigation into the vessel's activities and is holding the ship in detention pending the deposit of a bond. Given the size of the pollution event, the agency said that the operator could face "one of the highest sanctions imposed so far by the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine."Upon the vessel's arrival in Almería, port state control inspectors recorded issues with her sewage plant, radio log, charts, compass, emergency generator, EPIRB, SART, railings, liferafts, drills and ISM code compliance, giving additional grounds for detention.
Source: Splash247 (Click for further of the article)
Source: Splash247 (Click for further of the article)