Stranded Ship Off Bulgarian Coast Sparks Fears of Sea Pollution

A screenshot of a drone video of the ship by Konstantin Dishliev, uploaded to YouTube on September 23.

Caretaker Environment Minister Asen Lichev told the media that the Black Sea waters near the spot will be monitored for contamination, but that the major ecological risk, an oil spill, has been prevented by draining the ship's fuel.

"The major risk for the environment has been prevented after we dried up the oil from the reservoirs," Lichev said.

"I have ordered the Regional Environment Inspectorate to carry out monitoring of the waters in a one-kilometre radius [from the ship] so we can compare the data and see whether there is any change in the levels of pollution," he added.

However, a water sample taken on September 28 by Varna's Black Sea Basin Directorate showed pollution four times higher than normal, reported maritime.bg.

The shipwreck raised concerns among environmental activists and locals because the ship is carrying 3,300 tonnes of nitrogen fertilisers, containing carbamide.

If the carbamide goes directly into the water, this can create pollution which can affect marine life in the area.

In the sea, the fertilisers will cause the overgrowth of phytoplankton which as a reaction will produce a toxin that is deadly for marine life.

Rescue workers have been unloading the fertiliser and videos posted on YouTube have shown the cargo being dumped directly into the sea.

A diver also posted a video, dated September 26, which shows traces of spilled fertiliser.

"The fishing industry might the biggest loser in this situation," journalist Vera Staevska wrote on the dnevnik.bg website.

Nickolay Valchev, director of the Institute of Oceanology in Varna, told BIRN that action is needed quickly.