MSC Al Amine
On 15 February 2005, the Moroccan-owned, 13-year-old,
137 m long container ship MSC Al Amine suffered mechanical failure
and grounded in the Gulf of Tunis near the Korbous health spa, spilling
100 to 150 tonnes of heavy fuel oil.
The Tunisian authorities requested that the shipowner
organise clean-up operations, which were conducted by a specialised
French company. Within the framework of trans-Mediterranean cooperation
and upon request from the Provence-Alpes Côte-d’Azur
region, the team leader of Cedre's Pollution Follow-up Department
carried out a mission to provide technical expertise for the Tunisian
National Environmental Protection Agency. The aims of this mission,
conducted from 11 to 15 March, were to assess the sensitivity of
the sites affected and to give advice on clean-up techniques and
assessing ecological and economic impacts. The advice provided was
mainly based on the experience of the heavy fuel oil spills caused
by the Erika and the Prestige.
Recommendations were also made on preparing compensation claims.
General view of recovery operations. © ANPE
Name: MSC Al Amine
Date: 15 February 2005
Location: Tunisia
Accident area: Gulf of Tunis
Cause of spill: mechanical failure
Type of pollutant: heavy fuel oil
Quantity spilled: 100 - 150 tonnes
Ship type: container ship
Flag: Moroccan
Last update: December 2005