Tanio

The incident

On 7 March 1980, the oil tanker Tanio (with a cargo of 26,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil) broke in two during a storm off Finistère. The bow of the Tanio sunk to about 80 – 90 m below the surface. The stern was towed to the port of Le Havre. 12,500 tonnes of fuel were spilled, polluting the shoreline of two departments in the Brittany region (Côtes d’Armor, Finistère).

Spill response and crisis management

• 8 March, formal notice to shipowner and charterer
• Response at sea:
  • Polmar-Sea plan triggered immediately.
  • Stern towed to Le Havre – Port of refuge (7,500 t of fuel pumped).
  • Bow sunk (80 – 90 m depth), initial leak of 3 – 10 t/day.
• Response on land:
  • Polmar-Land plan triggered: Côtes d’Armor on 10 March, Finistère on 22 March, 160 km of coastline polluted.
  • 54,300 t of waste collected (2,500 military personnel, 150 work sites). Waste treatment with quicklime in a deballasting station.
  • Methods: High pressure cleaning (with cleaning product), manual collection, screening, high pressure washing, pumping.

Treatment of the wreck (lightering)

• 1980 – 1981: 5,100 t of fuel recovered by COMEX (submarine robots, sealing of the leaks and pumping).
• 2019 – 2021:
  • New leaks detected (ripped valves).
  • Sealed by the French Navy (using ROVs), presence of persisting leaks.
• Since 2021:
  • Oiled birds have been found (2024,2025,2026). The oil was identified as originating from the Tanio.
  • Underwater operations were carried out on the wreck to try and seal the leaks (using sheets, the most recent one in July 2024)

Impacts

• Environmental:
  • 40,000 birds dead (2× more than after the Amoco Cadiz).
  • Impact on coastal ecosystems (algae, crustaceans), progressive return to normal.
•   Economical:
  • Perturbation on fishing and tourism (temporary restrictions).
  • Cost: 250 Million Francs (€38 M) for pumping in the wreck (1981).

Legal proceedings and compensation

•  Following partial payments between 1983 and 1985, the IOPC Funds (Funds 71) reached agreements with all claiming parties in 1988, for a total of 348 million Francs, including 327 million Francs (with late fees) for the French government.
• The French government and the IOPC Funds instituted proceedings against the charterers and other stakeholders potentially responsible for the ship’s failure. In December 1987, an agreement protocol led to the payment of 294 millions Francs, including 107 for the IOPC Funds and 187 for the French State.

Conclusions and Developments

• First pumping operation for a wreck in France (sets the example for the treatment of the wrecks of the Erika and Prestige incidents).
• Implementation of a scientific cooperation (CEDRE, IFP, CNEXO) to study the fuel’s degradation.
• Use of ports of refuge: Risks of pollution vs. safety for the vessels in distress.
• Triggering of the Polmar plans and timing.
• Development and use of a (simple) mapping tool for the drift of the slicks
• On a global scale (after the Amoco Cadiz and Tanio incidents), the IMO implemented measures for safety improvements regarding oil tankers (May 1978: duplication of the command system and steering system), and sped up the regulation process with:
  • May 1981: SOLAS Protocol, 1978
  • October 1983: Entry into force of MARPOL
  • Regional agreement on the control of ports by the State: Paris, 1982
  • Agreement memorandum
• 1st major incident for CEDRE since its creation