Crews fight advance of 'black tide' on Spain

PICTURESQUE coastal areas hit

Winds gusting up to 66mph were pushing what Spaniards call a "black tide" towards more of the shellfish-raising stretch of the country's north-west Galicia region, which has a 400 million-a-year fish and seafood industry.

Particularly vulnerable is the Muros inlet, where officials say they have no floating barriers to keep out the toxic fuel oil that has already contaminated 90 beaches along nearly 180 miles of coast since the Bahamas-flagged tanker ruptured on November 13. It finally split in two and sank on Tuesday.

Defence minister Federico Trillo said Spain considered bombing the ship with Harrier jump-jets or F18 fighter planes to sink it or burn off the fuel as it was towed by salvage tugs for six days, looking in vain for a port to carry out repairs.

He said officials were not convinced the plan would work, but it became moot when the ship went down. "The course of events made it unnecessary," Trillo told Spanish national radio last night.

Seeking to ease fears of an Exxon Valdez-style ecological catastrophe, the interior ministry said no more oil had spilled since the single-hulled vessel sank. It offered assurances that the oil would probably solidify two miles down in frigid water, limiting damage.

Altogether, the Prestige spilled about 1.6 million gallons of the 20 million gallons of fuel oil it was carrying. The total load was more than twice the amount of crude oil spilled by the Exxon Valdez off Alaska in 1989.

Spain said yesterday it had spotted four oil slicks, including one near the wreckage, about 150 miles off the Galician coast. Officials said it was 10 miles long and three miles wide.

Two smaller slicks are about 40 miles west of Cape Finisterre, and another is just off the coast at the Muros inlet, Spanish officials said. Portugal said a large slick it was monitoring on Tuesday apparently dispersed in rough seas.

Spanish environment minister Jaume Matas said oil had contaminated nearly 180 miles of Galicia's scenic coastline, rich in fishing grounds.

During a visit to a soiled beach near the fishing port of Caion, he estimated economic losses at 40 million so far, and said the clean-up could take six months.

Crews with shovels and buckets braved strong winds and heavy rains to scoop up sludge along Galicia's craggy coast.

The government said more than 250 tons had been recovered so far, half on land and half at sea by oil-sucking skimmer boats.