Oil Spill From Damaged Tanker Reaches UAE Beaches, Forcing Closures
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An oil spill from a tanker struck off the United Arab Emirates earlier this month is washing ashore near Umm Al Quwain, and authorities have closed beaches in the emirate, according to Euronews and the BBC.
The UAE’s Ministry of Climate Change and Environment said its teams began containment, cordoning, cleanup and remediation to limit the environmental impact. Researchers say it is too early to know how much damage the spill will cause.
What happened to the tanker?
The BBC reported that the ship matches the Panama-flagged crude oil tanker Gem No.2. Maritime intelligence firm Vanguard said the vessel was struck by an unknown projectile on Oct. 9, just north of the town of Al Jazeera Al Hamra, starting a fire that was later put out. The maritime security agency UKMTO also reported the strike, according to Euronews.
Verified footage posted on Oct. 10 showed crew members running across the deck and putting on lifejackets as black smoke rose over the ship. The Indian consulate in Dubai said on Oct. 11 that all 22 Indian crew members were rescued. Iranian state media said the vessel had been trying to leave the Strait of Hormuz by an unauthorized and dangerous route.
How far has the oil spread?
Satellite images from Monday show the beginnings of a spill from a ship matching the tanker’s location and dimensions, the BBC reported. A smaller leak was visible on Oct. 19, according to radar imagery reviewed by BBC Verify and intelligence firm MAIAR, and the slick appears to have spread rapidly over the next two days.
By Wednesday, the imagery showed oil more than 35 km (22 miles) from the tanker. UAE authorities said on Thursday that the spill was affecting beaches near Umm Al Quwain, a northern emirate, and verified video from Friday shows oil coming ashore and turning the water black.
What does this mean for residents and wildlife?
For people in the UAE, the most visible effect so far is closed beaches in Umm Al Quwain. Euronews reported that many residents in the country’s north have posted on social media about unusual oil-like smells in recent days, including in northern districts of Dubai.
For wildlife, the picture is uncertain. Steve Widdicombe, director of the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, told BBC Verify it was “inevitable that there will be an impact.” Oil spills can kill marine life outright, for example by trapping turtles, smothering seabird feathers or damaging fish gills. Longer-term harm is possible if species stay exposed to toxic compounds that affect their ability to reproduce.
Researchers told the BBC that the final toll depends on how much oil was spilled, what type it is, how quickly it evaporates or breaks down and how well the cleanup works.
Why is one nearby area a concern?
The spill extends toward the Siniyah and Khor Al Beidah islands, a globally recognized Key Biodiversity Area, according to the BBC. The area contains corals, seagrasses and saltmarshes, and species including green turtles and the critically endangered Halavi guitarfish. Eoghan Darbyshire of the Conflict and Environment Observatory called that proximity the “most concerning environmental angle.”
What is the wider context?
Gem No.2 was one of a record number of ships that reported attacks in and around the Strait of Hormuz at the start of October, the BBC said. Security experts told BBC Verify the surge was part of an Iranian effort to assert greater control over the strait, in response to the U.S. military escorting more vessels through it. Euronews reported that frequent ship attacks have continued in recent weeks amid the war between Iran and the United States.
The BBC also noted that another major oil slick washed up on the shores of Iran’s Qeshm Island in August, which experts said threatened wildlife, protected ecosystems and fishing communities.
