The Department of the Environment has mobilized its Environmental Protection and Research Unit (EPRU) to increase monitoring of Gibraltar’s coastline in response to the news that a small spill of plastic pellets was found on Bolonia beach, in Tarifa last week. 

This follows the major spill from the ship el Toconao on the 8th December 2023 when up to 6 containers carrying 26 tonnes of plastic pellets were dropped into the waters off Galicia. 

It has not yet been determined whether the pellets found in Bolonia originate from the Galicia spill although the material appears to be the same. The pellets which are around 4mm in diameter are used to make various plastic products such as bags and other packaging. 

They are highly damaging to the natural environment as they do not biodegrade and are hard to eliminate. They are known to accumulate in animals including fish and mollusks and can consequently also be ingested by humans. 

Members of the public are advised to report any sightings to the EPRU team on 58009620.