Oil Spill Hits Ibiza

Oil leaking from a sunken ship has broken through floating barriers off the Balearic Island of Ibiza, threatening a series of tiny islands that make up a protected bird sanctuary, officials said Sunday.

The protective barriers were meant to shield the Ses Salines park, but the oil got through, Environment Minister Cristina Narbona said.

By Sunday the oil slick had reached Ses Salines, 11 kilometers (seven miles) south of where the ship sank last week.

The park, which has protected status, is made up of many small islands and rocky outcrops that extend from the south of Ibiza to the north of Formentera. It is a nesting spot and a stopover for migratory birds.

Ecology watchdog Greenpeace issued a warning on the spill, noting that Ibiza's coastal region was very sensitive to oil as it is an area of "high ecological value."

Divers had tried to seal leaks in the merchant ship Don Pedro, which hit rocks and sank on Wednesday with 150 tons of fuel oil and 50 tons of gasoline on board.

The government has decided to try to remove the oil remaining inside the sunken vessel, rescue service spokeswoman Pilar Tejo said.

Spanish maritime crews in the Mediterranean island of Ibiza were cleaning up three beaches popular with tourists on Friday, after inspectors discovered a sunken ship had leaked 10 tons of fuel nearby.

The merchant ship «Don Pedro» had been transporting 150 tons of fuel and 50 tons of gasoline from Ibiza to

the eastern city of Valencia on Wednesday, when it hit rocks and sank.

Inspectors on Wednesday discovered the leak, which by Thursday had stretched 3.5 miles (5.6 kilometers) from the ship, and was a half-mile (kilometer) wide, Development Minister Magdalena Alvarez said in a news conference.

Workers have since sealed off the boat to prevent further leakage.

Cleanup crews from across Spain were dispatched to the Balearic island.