There have been more than 2,000 oil spills in the North Sea since 2011 including 215 in marine protection areas home to some of Scotland’s most threatened species and habitats, The Ferret can reveal.
Our analysis of official UK Government data on oil and gas spills found that 1,175 tonnes were spilled between January 2011 and December 2023 – 2,252 spills in total.
Some 308 tonnes of oil spilled into marine protected areas (MPAs) over the 13-year period. Green groups stressed that marine life is put at risk by spills, as well as toxic chemicals, microplastics, and
seismic blasting noise pollution from oil and gas production.
Exposure to toxic oil fumes has been recognised to kill whales and dolphins years after exposure, according to the Centre for Biological Diversity.
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