El Plan de Acción para el Mediterráneo - CEAB

The majority of beaches and harbors, at least in the westernpart of the Mediterranean, is moderately or severelypolluted. In some parts fishing nets could no longer be usedas they had become completely covered with tar.Large quantities of tar-like oil residues have been founddrifting on the surface of nearly all Mediterranean regions,particularly in the middle of the Gulf of Sidra, where theirdensity has been measured to reach 0.5 ml per square meter.Cyprus: Oil pollution is becoming a major littoralproblem. All beaches are more or less polluted, thoughsome parts of the coast are particularly affected due toprevailing winds and current patterns along the coast.France: No large tanker accident has happened sofar, but numerous accidents of local importance contributedto the oil pollution along the coast.