Sri Lanka busts oil spill using satellite surveillance for first time

• Imposes record fine from responsible shipping company 

By Yohan Perera 

Following the initiative with the French government for  detecting oil spills in Sri Lankan waters using satellite  surveillance, Sri Lanka has detected the first such incident and fined  Rs.15 million from the responsible company, the Marine Environment  Protection Authority (MEPA) said.    

According to the MEPA, on February 5, the CLS analysts (The  French Company) reported the detection of a significant oil pollution  off their coasts, by an illegal discharge of the Global Crest, a 120m  tanker cruising from Malaysia to the UAE.   

Action was taken immediately against the vessel and an  onboard inspection was conducted which revealed clear evidence of the  illegal discharge. The ship was detained until the owner admitted the  offence and acknowledged the maximum fine of Rs. 15 million pursuant to  national regulations.  

Lying at the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent, Sri  Lanka is strategically located to become a key stage along the main  Indian Ocean shipping routes. However, it is exposed to the increasing  risk of pollution from both accidental spills and illegal discharges.  

In the frame of the OSDS initiative funded by the French  Government, Sri Lanka recently entrusted CLS with the delivery of a  service to detect oil pollution and identify polluters from space. This  proven detection system has already been successfully deployed in other  regions around the world, like in Europe where the CleanSeaNet service  operated by the European Maritime Safety Authority (EMSA) has had a  clear deterrent effect, halving the number of pollution incidents  detected in European waters in 10 years.  

Since September 2023, CLS has been delivering more than 100  detection reports to MEPA with the aim of demonstrating the  effectiveness of satellite technologies in reducing marine pollution and  mitigating their environmental impact.  

This case is considered as a real success by the OSDS  stakeholders, proving the relevance and efficiency of the initiative. It  paves the way toward developing a sovereign, fully operational local  capability to meet the challenges that lie ahead.