Tsipras: Radical changes needed to system for finding vessels seaworthy
"The sinking of the tanker in the Saronic Gulf, which sank under conditions requiring further investigation, has created a great source of pollution and justifiable concern among citizens in Attica and beyond," Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said on Monday during a cabinet meeting.
He noted that "the effort to tackle pollution is a difficult task requiring the immediate mobilisation of all the agencies involved," and underlined that all available anti-pollution methods have already been utilised, while great efforts were being made.
The government, unlike others, is interested in dealing with the substance of the problem rather than communication games, Tsipras said. Even more important, he added, was to consider the radical changes that must be made to the legal framework for issuing ship licences, carrying out inspections and ensuring that rules for seaworthiness are strictly followed, in order to be able to effectively protect the natural and marine environment, which is Greece's great source of wealth.
Tsipras stated that the "clean-up" must not be limited to the coasts of Attica only, but also extend to the system for the transport and distribution of liquid fuels at sea.
The prime minister said that "we have decided to step up efforts to clean up the sea and the coasts affected by the spill as quickly as possible" and stressed that "we will not act on the basis of fleeting impressions but with a view to genuinely tackling the problem."
Source: amna-mpa
