Crude oil continues to wash up on west Algarve beaches

After a weekend in which at least two west Algarve beaches have been affected by crude oil washing in from the sea, authorities have been forced to admit the spill is ‘not yet over’. There have so far been two ‘clear up’ initiatives (one on Sunday morning, one this morning) and later today there will be a third. With the beaches principally of Cabanas Velhas and Boca do Rio ‘off limits’ to the general public, polluting material is being bagged up and sent for analysis. But the question remains ‘where did all this crude come from?’ The most likely source is a ‘cleaning out of containers at sea’ (something that should not happen, due to the fact that polluting material goes straight into the water). Managing to pinpoint which cargo ship/s could be responsible is unlikely to result in any kind of penalty, without solid proof.