Oceana UK statement on the North Sea oil tanker collision

Press Release Date: March 12, 2025

Location: United Kingdom

Contact:

Daisy Brickhill | email: dbrickhill@oceana.org

Dorsal fin of a harbour porpoise breaking the sea surface.

On Monday 10 March, an oil tanker collided with a cargo ship in the North Sea off the coast of East Yorkshire, posing a huge threat to marine wildlife and coastal communities (BBC News).

Hugo Tagholm, Executive Director of Oceana UK, said:

“This incident is a shocking reminder of the ferocious polluting power of oil. We are seeing burning slicks, the threat of heavy fuel oil, and toxic chemicals leaking in or near not one but two marine protected areas. Places that should be safe havens for wildlife. Southern North Sea and Holderness MPAs protect declining harbour porpoises and rich seafloor habitats, both highly sensitive to these toxic spills.

Oil is always an accident waiting to happen in our ocean and we are all familiar with its devastating impacts – seabirds slick with oil, marine life struggling in tarry tidelines, and a toxic legacy that can impact wildlife and coastal communities for years. More oil will always result in more spills.

Editors notes

  • Using publicly available information about the location of the incident (estimated to be at Lat 53.734, Long 0.396) we believe the collision has taken place in or near two protected areas.
  • Southern North Sea MPA – designated for harbour porpoise.
  • Holderness Offshore MPA – designated for seafloor habitats.
  • In addition to these sensitive areas there are breeding seal colonies as well as numerous species of seabirds nearby.