THE SHORES OF SALAMIS AND ATHENS IN MOURNING

The Island of  Salamis and Shores from Piraeus to Lagonissi Affected  by the Spill

More than 2000 tonnes of fuel were poured into the sea, when the tanker, Agia Zoni II, sank off the island of Salamis, in the west of the Argo-Saronic Gulf, on Sunday the 10th  September.  This incident caused a huge ecological disaster with repercussions on the environment, the submarine fauna and flora and the economy of the area.

Unfortunately, the worst fears have been confirmed.    From the coastline of the island of Salamis, the winds pushed the pollution to the Attica shores, from Piraeus to Lagonissi, so all the popular beaches of the  Athenian Riviera, have been severely affected.

The residents blame the authorities for responding too late to the disaster, while environmental groups have stated that "officials bungled their response to the spill" leaving it to "spread out of control".  According to the press,  WWF  Greece "expressed dismay that a country with heavy tanker traffic has proven unable to protect its beaches from an, initially small-scale incident".

Greek health authorities have banned swimming on a 25-kilometre stretch from Piraeus to Glyfada.   The severe pollution has brought equally severe financial difficulties to the shops, cafes, bars and restaurants of the region because people stopped visiting the area to swim and eat.

Two companies are, presently, assigned with the cleaning of the sea and the shore.   The cleaning of the sea, according to experts, would take about one month, while the shores will be clear of the absorbed fuel, much later.  An enormous and extremely difficult task.

A Dark Image of the Athenian Coastline

A Seabird  Struggling to Escape