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March 14, 2025

The North Sea tanker collision: What I saw in Grimsby

Topics: Oil and Gas

Our campaign lead Naomi Tilley recounts what happened when she travelled down to the coastal UK town of Grimsby, following the tragic collision between an oil tanker and a cargo ship on Monday 10 March, 2025.

When news broke on Monday of an oil tanker collision in the North Sea, I knew I had to get there – fast.

The crash happened in two marine protected areas, putting vulnerable harbour porpoises, seal colonies, seabirds, and delicate seafloor habitats at serious risk. These waters are meant to be safe havens. Now, they face yet another fossil fuel disaster.

Travelling to Grimsby, it was hard to know what to expect. When I arrived at the docks there was an eerie quiet. Media crews were lined up on the pavements, but little else was happening. The ships’ crews had already been brought ashore and the collision itself was far out at sea, hidden from view.

Everyone was waiting for answers, myself included.

And we still don’t know the full extent of the damage – how much oil or chemicals have spilled and how far they’ve spread.

I spent the day speaking with local people, from Grimsby’s town centre to Cleethorpes’ waterfront. This is a tight-knit community, deeply connected to the sea. And every single person I spoke to was worried. They’re proud of their local wildlife, and rightly so. But they have so many unanswered questions about the impact the collision will have on our seas, but also on their livelihoods and health.

The reality is, oil is always an accident waiting to happen. Every time we allow Big Oil to drill, transport, and burn fossil fuels, we invite disaster. We’ve seen the devastating images too many times – seabirds slick with oil, marine life choking in tarry tidelines, entire habitats poisoned for years.

Big Oil wants us to believe these spills are just freak accidents. But the truth is, UK seas suffered two oil or chemical spills every day of last year. See for yourself using our new spill map. This fight is bigger than just one disaster.

More oil means more spills. We need to transition from oil and gas, and towards a clean, renewable future. For our wildlife. For coastal communities. For all of us.