The fishing vessel Monte Arballu sank alongside a berth in the port of Arrecife on Lanzarote, one of Spain’s Canary Islands.
The incident occurred on September 29 in the fishing harbour of Puerto Naos. The moored vessel developed a leak, resulting in uncontrolled water ingress.
The search-and-rescue vessels Salvamar Al Nair and the 21-metre Salvamar Acrux were deployed to assist. Responders attempted to control the flooding with dewatering pumps, but they were unable to stabilise Monte Arballu.
The vessel subsequently sank alongside the quay and settled on the bottom of the harbour basin. No crew members were aboard at the time of the incident, and no injuries were reported.
Monte Arballu is a Spanish-flagged fishing vessel built in 1965. It is approximately 28 metres long and has a gross tonnage of 109 GT. The vessel was reportedly one of the last tuna boats operating as part of Lanzarote’s traditional fishing fleet.
Approximately 10,000 litres of diesel fuel were stored in the vessel’s tanks, prompting authorities to activate emergency plans in response to the potential risk of marine pollution. Two containment booms were deployed around the sunken vessel.
A small oily sheen appeared near the vessel. Authorities later reported that it mainly consisted of bilge residue, oil and accumulated contaminants. The containment booms prevented it from spreading beyond the affected area.
According to the latest information, no significant marine pollution has been recorded. Port authorities have instructed the vessel’s owner to submit a plan for refloating and removing Monte Arballu. If the owner fails to arrange the operation within the specified period, the authorities may recover the vessel and subsequently claim the costs.
