Evolution of the profile of alleged offending vessels producers of illegal discharges in Spanish waters

Abstract

In 2015, the first study was published on the construction of the profile of what came to be called the "Alleged Offending Vessel" (AOV), in order to verify the characteristics of the vessel that allegedly pollutes the most intentionally and furtively, taking into account aspects such as the type of vessel, its flag and the navigation area. The study was carried out with data on traffic and detected cases of illicit discharges during the five-year period 2008-2012 that took place in Spanish SAR territorial waters. The results of this work were conclusive: the AOV profile corresponded to a passenger ship, sailing through the Mediterranean Sea and which was registered in an open registry. In the present work, which covers the following five-year period 2013-2017, the study is repeated for the same areas. This study consists of two parts. First, a comparative analysis is made between the data from the first five years and that of the second five, and then, using the GINI indices of inequality and the associated Lorenz curves as a tool, the profile of the polluting vessel will be determined again and it will be verified whether this is the same or if it has changed over time. Additionally, the study will serve to evaluate the consequences of the use of the different methods of detection of cases of deliberate marine pollution from vessels, specifically aerial and satellite surveillance. The results obtained will provide an accurate picture of the effectiveness of the system and the evolution of the AOV profile.