More than 70 per cent of sanctioned oil tankers passing through Irish-controlled waters have serious safety issues, an Irish Times investigation has found.
Nearly a quarter of these ships, which are considered part of the so-called shadow fleet due to their use in transporting sanctioned Russian oil, have such poor safety records they have been detained by port authorities at least once in the past.
The figures underline the growing environmental risk posed by these ageing, poorly maintained tankers to the Irish west coast.
The shadow fleet comprises several hundred vessels used to transport sanctioned oil and other goods. The vessels are typically registered in developing countries with poor or non-existent inspection regimes and their crews often lack adequate training.
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Using satellite data provided by Starboard Marine Intelligence, The Irish Times recorded 218 shadow fleet vessels passing through Ireland’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) so far this year, some of them making multiple transits.
Ireland has certain economic and sovereign rights in the EEZ and is responsible for pollution control in the area, which extends to 370km into the Atlantic.
Of the 218 oil tankers, 208 were under EU sanctions at the time of their passage, while the remainder were under sanctions imposed by the US, UK or New Zealand.
The level of shadow fleet traffic in the Irish EEZ has almost doubled in comparison to the same period last year.
The Defence Forces said its figures show shadow fleet traffic grew by 192 per cent this year. A military spokesman said this was due to threats by UK authorities last March to seize shadow fleet vessels passing through the English Channel.
As a result, many vessels transporting Russian oil are taking the longer and more perilous northern route around Scotland and Ireland.
The increase in shadow fleet vessels off Ireland exposes the State to “exponential environmental risks”, said Gonzalo Saiz Erausquin, a sanctions expert with the Royal United Services Institute in the UK.
In recent years there have been about 50 oil spills and collisions involving shadow fleet vessels, including off Oman in the Middle East last June, when a tanker ran aground, polluting many kilometres of coastline.
Of the 218 ships that passed Ireland this year, 72 per cent had major safety or pollution-control issues on their last inspection, an analysis of safety records shows.
In total, 676 individual deficiencies were recorded across the fleet, including a single ship which had 20 defects.
Safety reports show many of the tankers had issues which could directly increase their chance of sinking or causing serious pollution.
Fire-safety issues were recorded in 71 vessels, structural issues were found in 22 and inspectors found pollution-control failings in 28.
