Hokkaido Oil Tanker Grounding and Spill: A Black Crisis for Marine Ecology

On the evening of January 6, 2025, a tanker ran aground in the waters off Hakodate City, Hokkaido. on January 7, a civilian salvage vessel attempted to tow the tanker away from the shore but was unsuccessful. in the early morning of January 8, the tanker began leaking fuel oil. the authorities have set up a perimeter fence and plan to tow the tanker away from the shore depending on the situation, and the Maritime Safety Agency is investigating the amount and scope of the leaking fuel oil in detail.