An oil tanker that «was hovering», about 85 nautical miles south of Portimão, and that would be preparing for an action to supply and transfer crude was intercepted, this Saturday morning, by the Navy, a since this practice is prohibited in Portuguese waters.
According to the Navy, the ship, with the flag of the Republic of Syria, had already been detected in recent days, and the NRP Cassiopeia went to the location, to make the intersection of the ship, which was about 155 kilometers from the coast. algarvian
«The tanker was without a follow-up, close to the southern limit of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), showing behavior that indicated preparations for the practice of supplying and transferring crude, actions known as bunkering, with the Navy ship approached and established communications with him», he adds.
The oil tanker “claimed that the main engines had malfunctioned and that it needed a few hours for repairs, stating that he was awaiting instructions from the company about the port of destination”.
The ship was warned that Portugal, under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, “does not authorize refueling activities within the National Exclusive Economic Zone, as they entail a potential risk for the occurrence of pollution at sea”.
The ship, «after a few hours», started navigation, and is «currently leaving the EEZ of mainland Portugal», concludes the Navy.
The Portuguese State, through the Portuguese Navy, guarantees compliance with the law in maritime spaces under national sovereignty or jurisdiction, so it does not allow the development of this type of activities in the national EEZ.
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