By the AFP
Norwegian authorities struggled Friday to contain an oil spill after an Icelandic cargo ship holding hundreds of tonnes of fuel ran aground inside Norway’s only marine natural reserve.
The Godafoss, which “probably” contains a total of 800 tonnes of fuel, is leaking from the middle of both sides and some of the oil had reached the shore, the Norwegian Coastal Administration (NCA) said in a statement.
Experts were rushed to the scene to determine how extensive the leak was, and two floating barriers were set up around the ship to limit the damage.
Several NCA anti-pollution ships and tugboats also sailed to the accident site.
The Godafoss became stuck on a rock late Thursday as it carried 439 containers from the southeastern Norwegian town of Fredrikstad to the southern Swedish town of Helsingborg.
The weather conditions were considered relatively favourable to a clean-up, with a calm sea and moderate winds expected to help drive the oil slick away from the fragile shoreline.
However some of the oil had reached the shore of one island by late morning, NCA said.
The Swedish coastguard sent an anti-pollution ship and a surveillance plane to help their colleagues in Norway.
“There is a risk that this oil will reach the Swedish coast,” they said in a statement.
The Ytre Hvaler park is Norway’s only marine natural reserve, and is not far from the Swedish Kosterhavet marine national park.
According to Norway’s environment ministry, the park created in June 2009 stretches across 354 square kilometres (137 square miles) and is home to a wide variety of sea birds, marine life and fragile coral reefs.
