Only 0.5% of 90,000 oil slicks reported over five-year period, analysis finds

Oil drifting ashore over coral reefs from the MV Wakashio, a Japanese owned Panama-flagged bulk carrier ship that ran aground off Mauritius in 2020. Photograph: Reunion Region Handout/EPA

Just 474 out of more than 90,000 oil slicks from ships around the world were reported to authorities over a five-year period, it can be revealed, and barely any resulted in any punishment or sanctions.

The figure, obtained from Lloyd’s List by the Guardian and Watershed Investigations, shows the pollution incidents reported between 2014 and 2019, compared against a scientific study using satellite imagery that counted the number of slicks from ships over the same period.