UNEP SENDS ADVISOR TO PAKISTAN OIL SPILL SITE

UNEP SENDS ADVISOR TO PAKISTAN OIL SPILL SITE

(Reissued as received.)

NAIROBI/BANGKOK, 28 August (UNEP) -- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has dispatched one of its emergency response specialists to Pakistan to assist the authorities to assess the damage caused by oil spilled from the tanker MT Tasman Spirit.

The UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said this followed a request for assistance from the Pakistan Government.

The MT Tasman Spirit was carrying 67,000 tonnes of Iranian crude oil when it ran aground off the port of Karachi during a monsoon on 27 July and broke up two weeks later.  Authorities have estimated that about 15,000 tonnes were spilled when the ship began breaking up.

Most of the oil washed up on popular bathing beaches close to the port, but despite intensive efforts to transfer, disperse and contain and recover the oil, authorities fear forecasts for stormy weather could see remaining oil spread further along the Arabian Sea coast towards mangrove forests and turtle nesting beaches.

Mr. Toepfer praised the difficult salvage, oil removal and recovery efforts undertaken to date by the Pakistani authorities, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), UNEP's sister agency, and oil tanker industry representatives.

He said the incident underscored the importance of regional contingency plans and cooperation agreements, which could help mobilize oil-fighting equipment and expertise from within neighbouring countries in times of crisis.

The UNEP coordinates 15 Regional Seas Conventions and Action Plans designed to help countries protect their common marine and coastal environments.

A regional oil spill contingency plan has been developed and established within the framework of the South Asia Seas Regional Seas Programme, which includes Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and the Maldives.

     The UNEP's expert arrives in Karachi today and will assist the Pakistan Government in assessing the impact of the oil spill on the marine environment, give advice on ways to prepare for future oil spills, and advise on opportunities to enhance regional cooperation in emergency prevention, preparedness and response.

For more information, please contact:  Eric Falt, Spokesperson/Director of UNEP's Division of Communications and Public Information (DCPI), in Nairobi, on tel.:  +254-20-623292, mobile:  +254-733-682656,

e-mail:  eric.falt@unep.org or Tim Higham, Acting UNEP Head of Media, DCPI, on tel.:  +254-20-623084, e-mail:  higham@unep.org

Note to Editors:  Klaus Toepfer's statement on tanker oil spill issues, made following the loss of the vessel Prestige off the Spanish Coast in November 2002, is available at the following Web site:  http://www.unep.org/Documents/Default.asp?DocumentID=270&ArticleID=3181

Information on the UNEP Regional Seas Programme can be found at www.unep.ch/seas

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