Oil spill Tjörn 2011
In September 2011, the municipality of Tjörn was hit by a major oil spill after an accident in the North Sea. The Coast Guard successfully recovered 644 cubic metres of oily waste during an intensive pollution response operation.
The collision and the first alarms
On 10 September 2011, the Maltese bulk carrier Golden Trader collided with a fishing boat off the Danish coast. No one was injured, but large amounts of heavy oil leaked out and drifted east. Five days later, the oil reached Tjörn, where the Swedish Coast Guard found oil-damaged seabirds in Skärhamn and residents raised the alarm at Klädesholmen.
How the operation was carried out
The rescue operation was named Operation Kyrkesund. Drift forecasts from SMHI, the Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute, and chemical analyses quickly confirmed where the oil came from. Between September 7 and 30, up to 200 people, two response vessels, five patrol boats and eight shallow water protection units were involved. The operation ended on 3 October, when all recoverable oil in the sea area had been dealt with. In total this was 644 cubic metres of oily waste.
