Shetlands en oliewinning

De Shetlandeilanden zijn bekend om hun enorme hoeveelheden zeevogels. De laatste jaren wordt er om deze eilandengroep echter bovendien veel olie gewonnen. Deze olie wordt overgeslagen in de Sullom Voe Terminal op de eilanden zelf (deze terminal kwam november 1978 gereed) en hiermee is het gevaar voor een ernstig ongeluk sterk toegenomen. Uitermate illustratief in dit verbaad is het volgende, een citaat uit het jaarverslag van the Advisory Committee on Oil Pollution of the Sea (ACOPS): “On Friday 11 january (1980 red.) the 33,287 grt Greek owned and registered tanker ‘Scenic’ was loading BNOC North Sea crude oil at Sullom Voe terminal in Shetland when 200 gallons of oil were spilled. The vessel’s master. Captain Adoniou, was fined £3,830, of which £2,830 went to cover the cost of cleanup operations. Although the amount spilled was smaall and damage was slight, the event is significant because of other incidents in which this vessel was involved. On the day before the oil spill, crew members were reported to be smoking on deck; loading of the ship was therefore suspended.