Russian LNG tanker adrift in the Mediterranean: WWF calls for EU action

Brussels – “A precautionary, transparent, and internationally coordinated action”. This is the appeal released today (23 March) by WWF Mediterranean Marine Initiative,

the Mediterranean regional programme of the nature conservation organisation, regarding the case of the LNG tanker
Arctic Metagaz,

part of Russia’s shadow fleet, which has been adrift without a crew in the Mediterranean for weeks. As stated in the organisation’s press release, “the vessel is carrying large volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and between 700 and 900 tonnes of diesel and remains in an extremely unstable condition.” For these reasons, “the consequences of an accident could be catastrophic and long-lasting” and “Mediterranean countries and the European Union must act immediately.”

The Arctic Metagaz LNG tanker is part of the Kremlin’s so-called “shadow fleet“, a fleet of vessels that, despite EU sanctions, continue to transport oil and gas illegally. On 3 March, whilst sailing off the coast of Malta, the vessel was damaged by a series of explosions in a drone attack, the circumstances of which remain unclear: Moscow claims that the Ukrainians were responsible, but Kyiv has not yet responded to these allegations. The thirty crew members abandoned the vessel immediately after the explosions and, since then,  the LNG tanker has been drifting, driven towards the Libyan coast by winds and currents.

As Isabella Pratesi, head of the Conservation Department at WWF, pointed out in an interview this morning on Rainews24, the area in question is particularly critical as it represents “a site rich in biodiversity that is home to protected species, critical habitats, and strategic migration routes for marine wildlife.” Furthermore, “the semi-enclosed nature of the Mediterranean limits water circulation and slows down the ecosystem’s recovery.” In light of all this, a leak or explosion could cause “large-scale marine and atmospheric pollution, lethal clouds of cryogenic gas affecting marine species, fires and long-term contamination of water and seabeds.” Finally, there is the economic risk, with the possibility of “serious consequences for fishing, tourism and the livelihoods of coastal communities.”

The WWF is therefore urging Mediterranean countries and the EU as a whole to take immediate action “to stabilise the ship and prevent the situation from deteriorating,” to ensure that all decisions are guided “by environmental risk assessments and the precautionary principle,” avoid “high-risk options such as towing or uncontrolled sinking” and strengthen “real-time monitoring and data sharing between countries.”

“This is a critical moment for the Mediterranean,” says the Director of WWF’s Mediterranean Marine Initiative, Giuseppe Di Carlo. “We are facing a potential environmental disaster in one of the most fragile and valuable marine ecosystems on the planet. Beyond the immediate ecological danger, this incident threatens the very livelihoods of Mediterranean coastal communities. A major spill or explosion would damage fisheries and jeopardize the income of thousands of fishers who rely on a healthy sea for their survival” underlines Di Carlo, encouraging governments to act together, decisively, and with the environment as the top priority. “Delays or poorly coordinated responses could have consequences that last for generations.”

Several countries in the region (Spain, Italy, Greece, Malta, and Cyprus) took action last Wednesday (23 March). The five countries sent a joint letter to the European Commission, calling for the activation of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism in light of an “imminent and serious risk of an ecological disaster.”