SANCCOB on standby over oil spill off Cape West Coast

First Take SA

The Panama-flagged cargo ship MV Ultra Galaxy, which has been stranded near Lutzville on the Cape west coast since July, has broken into four sections, resulting in an oil spill. The South African Maritime Safety Authority (Samsa) confirmed the incident, adding that measures are being taken to prevent further fuel and oil spillage, and to salvage the ship's fertiliser cargo. Samsa says it has activated an Oil Spill Contingency Plan and deployed additional personnel to assist with the cleanup. The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds (SANCCOB) says is on standby to respond if seabirds are affected. For more on this Elvis Presslin spoke to Monica Stassen, Preparedness and Response Manager at The Southern African Foundation for the Conservation of Coastal Birds {SANCCOB}