The Spanish government has chartered the oil recovery vessel, the mt Mistra Bay, to combat possible oil pollution as a result of the grounding of the Panamanian bulk carrier mv New Flame, which was involved in a mid-sea collision with the Danish registered tanker Torm Gertrud.

The Mistra Bay is owned by Island Bunker Oils Ltd Malta and managed by Tankship Management Ltd Malta. The Mistra Bay has for the last four years operated as a bunker supply vessel in and offshore Malta. During 2005, the vessel underwent a comprehensive upgrade and was equipped with state-of-the-art oil pollution recovery equipment, after Tankship management was awarded a EUR5 million contract by the European Maritime Safety Agency, EMSA, as a stand-by oil recovery vessel stationed in Malta.

The Mistra Bay is one of the first of a series of vessels to be specifically upgraded as oil recovery vessels under contract to EMSA, and is the first vessel to have been called to attend a serious maritime incident.

The Tankship management team and the vessel’s crew are accustomed to operating in a difficult and, at times, dangerous environment. In terms of the contract, they all undergo vigorous training in pollution response and perform several physical drills yearly, sometimes together with vessels stationed in other European ports. All drills are closely monitored by EMSA experts in order to ensure the highest levels of performance.