Illegal discharges in Spanish waters. Analysis of the profile of the Alleged Offending Vessel

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 97; no. 1-2; pp. 255 - 261
• Main Authors: Martín Alonso, J.M., Ortega Piris, Andrés, Pérez Labajos, Carlos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 15-08-2015
• Subjects: Aerial surveillance; Aircraft; Illegal discharges; Marine; Maritime transport; Ships - legislation & jurisprudence; Spain; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollution - legislation & jurisprudence; Water Pollution - prevention & control; Spain; ANE, Spain; Maritime transport; Aerial surveillance; Illegal discharges
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2015.06.009

•“Alleged Offending Vessel” (AOV) allegedly makes illegal hydrocarbon discharges.•The profile of an AOV is a passenger ship in the Mediterranean Sea with open registry.•The Gini methodology is effective in determining the profile of Alleged Offending Vessels.•Aerial surveillance is an effective tool for the detection of illegal discharges.
There is at present a growing concern, on an international level, over environmental offences caused by oil discharges into the sea from vessels. The objective of the Spanish Maritime Administration is to prevent the illegal discharges of polluting substances in Spanish maritime waters by vessels in transit. To combat such discharges, since 2007 Spain has reinforced its means of response with the use of aircrafts that provide services of maritime surveillance, identifying the Alleged Offending Vessels and acting as a deterrent.
The objective of the present study is both to introduce the concept and to analyze certain aspects of the so-called “Alleged Offending Vessel” (AOV) that have been detected within Spanish Search and Rescue (SAR) jurisdiction waters in the period 2008–2012, in order to build a profile of such a vessel. For this purpose, an analysis methodology is formalized based on the GINI index and Lorenz curves, associated with certain aspects of vessels: type, flag and sailing area.