Transport Malta (TM), the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and several local stakeholders today concluded an exercise simulating the response to an oil spill incident off the coast of Qawra. The primary aim of the exercise, held annually, was to test Malta's preparedness to handle such incidents.

Transport Malta's role was to coordinate all stakeholders during a response operation. All operations were directed from TM's Emergency Control Centre in Marsa, with participation of the Armed Forces, the Police, MEPA and Civil Protection Department.

Participants on the scene included two chartered vessels - Balluta Bay, and Santa Maria - operated respectively by Tankship Management Ltd. and Falzon Marine Group, Tug Malta, Cassar Ship Repair, Armed Forces, and Malta Maritime Pilots through the deployment of their respective sea craft. Other entities directly involved in this exercise included the Health Department, the Physical Oceanography Unit of the University of Malta, the Meteorological Office at the Malta International Airport, REMPEC (Regional Marine Pollution Response Centre for the Mediterranean), and EMSA.

This year's scenario consisted of an unattached (unknown polluter) oil slick of approximately 330,000 square metres (550 x 600 metres). The exercise commenced yesterday afternoon with the receipt of a "report" of a sighting of an oil slick. Response vessels were mobilised after the 'report' and clean-up operations commenced early this morning.

The Armed Forces also deployed an aircraft to the scene where real time information was transmitted to TM's emergency control centre.

The tug Spinola (Tug Malta) was this year the lead response vessel from which 250m of offshore boom and a skimmer were deployed assisted by the other company's vessel Felica. Pilot boat Echo served as the on-scene-command vessel from which all clean-up operations at sea were directed by TM's On Scene Commander (OSC).

Sea conditions were a flat calm.