An oil spill at the Grand Harbour, which “could not be contained”, risked causing damage to marine species on the shore, according to marine biologist Alan Deidun.

The oil spill was spotted from Kalkara after a yacht caught fire in the marina. People at the Kalkara Marina described the blaze as something akin to a fireworks factory explosion, damaging nearby boats and causing thousands of euros in damages.

The cause of the fire is not yet known and the fire only died when the boat started sinking.

Prof. Deidun said the environmental impacts of hydrocarbons, including fuels, depended on their composition. The diesel from the yacht in question was composed of light fractions that had limited impact on marine life. The effect would be mainly restricted to short-term impacts on coastal species attached to the rocks (like algae, limpets and barnacles) that came in contact with the fuel, he said.

The issue was that the layer of diesel was so thin and spread so quickly there was nothing that could be done to stop the damage.

Nothing could be done to stop the damage

“In the short term, there is practically nothing that can be done because the oil spill cannot be recovered,” he said.

Despite being “impossible to contain”, the environmental impact was not big, given that most of the fuel would evaporate in the short term.

Diesel oil spills create a translucent sheen, causing alarm as they seem to be very grave. The oil from the yacht has a light chemical composition, spreading quickly into a thin veneer at the surface of the ocean.

“The oil spill is so thin that it cannot be burned and even if it did, you can’t burn it in a harbour as that would be dangerous,” Prof. Deidun noted.

The Environmental Resources Authority conceded it could not deal with the sunken yacht that contained some oil, pointing out that a magisterial inquiry was in progress.

A spokeswoman for ERA said compliance officers immediately carried out investigations at the Grand Harbour upon being alerted to the spill. It was concluded that the incident was “in all probability” related to Tuesday’s yacht fire.

The environment watchdog said it was in contact with Transport Malta, the competent authority where oil spills within the Grand Harbour were involved, and with the Civil Protection Department, which were all following the case.

The sunken wreck, the spokeswoman admitted, could contain some diesel residues that could not be recovered.

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