Albania Searches for Seashore Oil Polluter

The Albanian authorities said on Monday that they have not yet been able to identify the ship that spilled the oil and polluted the popular beach in Durres. 

The general prosecutor's office told BIRN on Monday that the spill is under investigation and prosecutors are collecting information from several agencies in order to connect the dots and find out who was responsible for the pollution. 

"We are taking information from state agencies related to the issue and we are expecting to have a clear picture of what happened in the coming days," said spokesperson Albi Serani.

The oil spill was first noticed by locals in Durres on Saturday.

It is unclear if the oil came from a ship passing through Albanian territorial waters or if the vessel responsible was anchored in the port of Durres, which is the biggest in the country. 

The environment and agriculture ministries, which are in charge of environmental protection and water management, asked for those responsible to be identified and charged as soon as possible. 

The local authorities in Durres, aided by the defence ministry, are now cleaning up the affected shoreline.

The agriculture ministry has ordered the suspension of all fishing activities in the area until the sea is cleaned up and experts identify the exact nature of the pollution. 

After conducting an inspection, the National Environment Agency said people should stay away from the sea water in the area because pollution levels were very high and could be dangerous. 

The oil spill rapidly became a political issue when opposition MPs described the spill as a severe ecological crime and accused the government of failing to protect the country's waters.

But the Durres mayoralty said it would take all...

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