C.M.W..MaóAlthough the oil slick has been cleared from Cala Figuera, its consequences linger on and it could take as long as twelve months for the area to completely regenerate and recover from the effects of last Wednesday´s oil spillage.
Whilst the oil tanker the "Mar Rocío" was unloading fuel at the CLH depot in Cala Figuera an engine failure resulted in 250 litres of oil leaking into the sea. The incident occurred at 2200 hrs. but was initially considered of little importance. An hour later, however, a slick had started to form and a boom was put into place to contain the oil and prevent it from spreading to the rest of the port. The Balearic Government´s Coastal Cleaning Service and the Port Authorities started the clearing-up operation at 0700 hrs. the following morning using a type of blotting paper to soak up the fuel.
Described by the members of the cleaning service as "spectacular", the oil slick covered Cala Figuera, leaving a sticky black film on the walls of the inlet and on the hulls of boats moored in the bay, some of which had to be taken out of the water to make the cleaning operation easier. According to one of those involved in the operation, the cost of cleaning the harbour walls would be high and the machinery to carry out the task is not available. This black legacy will mean that the effects of the spillage will last for months and it could be one year before the area returns to normal.
The speedy reaction of the cleaning service to the emergency, both in containing the slick and later in clearing it, prevented the incident from causing more serious and widespread problems.
