Ecologists warn of 'toxic cloud' in the Strait of Gibraltar caused by ships

Environmentalist organisation Verdemar Ecologistas en Acción warned on Sunday of a "toxic cloud" in the Strait of Gibraltar coming from the ships that circulate in the area.

Emissions from ships "are soaring" in the bay of Algeciras (Cadiz), Ceuta and the Strait of Gibraltar, said the organisation in a statement, despite the fact that the Spanish ministry of transport (Mitma), in collaboration with the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the merchant navy, is using drones to monitor atmospheric pollutant emissions from ships.

The environmental organisation has pointed out that, "apparently", the EMSA drone, known as an RPAS (remotely piloted aircraft system), has returned for the second time to the Strait of Gibraltar to detect sulphur oxide emissions, but "every day" ships in the bay of Algeciras are seen to exceed the limits set by the Marpol Convention, Annex VI, according to Verdemar.

The association points out that in the port of Algeciras "it is easy to see the plumes of smoke from ships crossing the Strait of Gibraltar without control".

According to Verdemar, these ships "pollute the air and, due to the action of the wind, this pollution spreads dozens of kilometres inland, increasing local air quality problems".

In this respect, the environmental organisation stressed that pollutants such as particulate matter, soot, sulphur and nitrogen oxides "damage human health, the environment and the climate", and explained that particulate matter, for example, "is linked to serious health problems such as cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, including stroke and cancer, which can lead to premature death".