2021 Mediterranean oil spill
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The 2021 Israel oil spill occured in February 2021. Beginning on 16 February 2021, dozens to hundreds of tonnes of tar were washed ashore on the beaches on a 160-kilometer stretch of Israel's coast from Rosh Hanikra to Ashkelon, after a heavy storm and unusually high waves. This also prevented an early detection of the approaching tar and its removal at sea.[1][2][3][4]
Government reaction
All of Israel's beaches have been closed. A call was made to the population not to go swimming or to play sports on the beach,[5] as environmental pollution could endanger health.[6]
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited the beach near the port city of Ashdod and announced that the Ministry of the Environment would work out a plan to clean the beaches.[4]
The Israeli military pledged to deploy several thousand soldiers to support more than 4000 EcoOcean volunteers who had begun clearing the beaches of clumps of tar.[3][7]
The Israeli Ministry of Environment said the pollution was due to tens to hundreds of tons of oil spilled from a ship or illegally dumped into the sea from a tanker. They are working with European authorities to identify who is responsible. Nine ships that would have been about 50 kilometers off the coast on 11 February 2021 would be considered.[1][2]
Eliminating the pollution will take months to years, officials said. The cost is estimated at tens of millions of shekels. The Israel Nature and Parks Authority described the pollution as the worst natural disaster in years.[2]
At the request of the Ministry of the Environment, a court in Haifa approved censorship measures on 22 February: publications on the names of people or ships, ports, navigation routes or cargo that could lead to the identification of suspects were banned. The Israeli media described this as "irregular", the environmental protection organization Adam Teva veDin warned of a loss of confidence in the government and authorities as a result of this measure and announced an examination of legal steps against the censorship. A representative from the environmental research center in Haifa accused the ministry of failing to prevent such disasters and of a lack of transparency.[7]
Environment and health
Numerous sea animals such as fish, turtles and seabirds were found washed up and covered with a black, sticky film. A young fin whale about 17 meters long was washed up dead on a beach in the south of the country. According to scientists from the Israeli Ministry of Agriculture, he died from ingesting the viscous oil degradation products. Numerous coral reefs on Israel's coast were covered with a layer of tar. According to the nature and park authority, this endangers the existence of a rare sea snail that was recently rediscovered. The entire ecosystem of the coast was damaged for decades.[2][7][8]
Several volunteers complained of malaise after inhaling toxic fumes and were taken to hospitals.[6]
References
- ^ a b Zafrir Rinat, Almog Ben Zikri: Oil spill off Israel's coast is its worst maritime pollution in decades, and cleanup "could take years", haaretz.com. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b c d Oil spill from passing ship blackens Israel's Mediterranean shoreline. Reuters report via The Guardian website. 21 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b Rebecca Hersher: Mediterranean Oil Spill Injures Wildlife, Closes Israel's Beaches. NPR. 21 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b Israel scrambles to clean beaches after Mediterranean oil spill, dw.com. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ Beach Update from the Ministries of Environmental Protection, Interior, and Health. 21 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ a b Oliver Holmes: "It'll take decades to clean": oil spill ravages east Mediterranean, The Guardian. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ a b c Tzvi Joffre: Israel oil spill disaster: Investigation details placed under censor, Jerusalem Post. 22 February 2021. Retrieved 22 February 2021.
- ^ Inga Rogg: Schlimmste Umweltkatastrophe seit Jahren: Israel schliesst nach Ölpest seine Mittelmeerstrände, nzz.ch (in German). 22 February 2021. Retrieved 23 February 2021.