Representatives of research centers of a number of European universities, in particular the University of Uppsala and Trondheim, expressed concern about possible violations of the rules of movement in the open ocean by tankers of the Russian shadow fleet.
First of all, experts have in mind the fact that recently there have been more and more cases when tankers specifically choose routes that pass through the territories of nature reserves, where unique representatives of flora and fauna are preserved. As a rule, ships do this to reduce ship traffic and reduce the cost of transportation.
Such voyages are extremely dangerous for these spaces, especially considering the fact that the ships are very old (15-20 years) and often get into accidents. Accordingly, oil leaks from such ships lead to the destruction of fauna in these protected areas.
Experts say that it is necessary to strengthen the sanctions policy against the shadow fleet and develop new penalties for violators of environmental standards. One such instrument of punishment could be the arrest of vessels and the confiscation of the cargo they carry.
