Are tanker accidents the major source of marine oil pollution?
• No. Although every major oil spill from a tanker or a rig, hitting coastal areas and beaches and killing marine life and seabirds, is a tragedy and causes much damage, it has been estimated that oil spills in conjunction with tanker accidents or oil platform blowouts account for a minor part, approximately 10-15 per cent, of the total annual oil input of oils to the marine environment. According to a recent report by the National Research Council of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, the total input of oils to the marine environment is about 1.3 million tonnes per year. The main categories of sources that contribute to this input are: natural seeps 46%; discharges from consumption of oils (operational discharges from ships and discharges from land-based sources) 37%; accidental spills from ships 12%; offshore extraction of oil 3%. • However, although the total amount of oil entering the ocean from tanker and accidents and blowouts might be lower than what is generally believed, e
