The South China Sea and East Indies, east Mediterranean and Black Sea along with the British Isles have been found to be the most dangerous seas in the world. These commercially important sea-routes have had a high number of accidents involving ships. The latest study on ocean safety was released by the World Wildlife Fund.
"Since 1999 there have been 293 shipping accidents in the South China Sea and east Indies, home of the Coral Triangle and 76 per cent of the world's coral species. As recently as April this year we've seen a Chinese fishing boat run aground on a protected coral reef in the Philippines that had already been damaged by a US Navy ship in January," said Dr. Simon Walmsley, Marine Manger, WWF International.
Cargo ships accounted for about 40 percent of all ships lost at sea. These ships operate in short shipping routes and are associated with trading that doesn't have a set-route for ships. These ships often deal with opportunistic trade, particularly in Southeast Asia.
One of the major impacts of shipping accidents is on the environment. These ships often carry hazardous substances such as oil and chemicals. The Prestige Tanker, in 2002, sunk in the Atlantic and released about 70,000 tons of oil.
"The Prestige oil spill caused not only environmental impacts but economic losses estimated at €8 billion. Even small scale accidents in very sensitive environments, like the Great Barrier Reef, can have profound environmental consequences." said Dr. Walmsley in a news release.
The study showed that most of the ships are damaged due to bad weather. Climate change and the subsequent increases in storm surges could lead to many more shipping accidents in the future.
Walmsley added that there is an urgent need for better shipping standards across the world.
Read a summary of the report here and an infographic about sea-accidents here.
