Risk of Oil Spills Rises in the Mediterranean

A cargo ship suffered engine failure in waters near Sardinia, Italy, resulting in the spill of approximately 30 tons of diesel fuel. The spill has formed an oil slick stretching 10 kilometers, threatening local fisheries and marine protected areas. The Mediterranean Marine Environment Organization has urgently deployed oil booms and oil recovery vessels, warning that if not cleaned up promptly, the oil spill could affect a 50-kilometer stretch of coastline and cause fatal harm to rare species such as sea turtles and dolphins.