Aground Ferry in Sweden Towed to Port; Prepares for Removal of 300 Tons of Fuel After Oil Spill

Ferry's stranding resulted in oil spills impacting wildlife and coastline, while legal action begins against ship's captain and on-board officer for reckless reliance on faulty GPS; clean-up and investigation underway.

The Marco Polo ferry, which ran aground off southeastern Sweden last month, has been towed to a Swedish port where the remaining 300 tons of heavy fuel oil onboard will be emptied.
The incident has resulted in significant environmental impact with oil spills affecting wildlife, particularly birds, and coating the coastline. So far, authorities and volunteers have removed nearly 1,800 cubic feet of oil and oil waste from the impacted areas.
The ferry repeatedly ran aground and leaked oil, firstly on October 22, then was able to continue under its own power, but became stranded again, and once more after severe weather dislodged it.
Swedish prosecutors have fined the captain of the ship and an on-duty officer due to their reckless reliance on a faulty GPS which contributed to the initial grounding.
The ship’s German operator, TT-Line, will be fully participating in an in-depth investigation into the incident, and has already begun by emptying the remaining fuel from the vessel.