title: Illegal discharges in Spanish waters. Analysis of the profile of the Alleged Offending Vessel.
abstract: There is at present a growing concern, on an international level, over environmental offences caused by oil discharges into the sea from vessels. The objective of the Spanish Maritime Administration is to prevent the illegal discharges of polluting substances in Spanish maritime waters by vessels in transit. To combat such discharges, since 2007 Spain has reinforced its means of response with the use of aircrafts that provide services of maritime surveillance, identifying the Alleged Offending Vessels and acting as a deterrent. The objective of the present study is both to introduce the concept and to analyze certain aspects of the so-called "Alleged Offending Vessel" (AOV) that have been detected within Spanish Search and Rescue (SAR) jurisdiction waters in the period 2008-2012, in order to build a profile of such a vessel. For this purpose, an analysis methodology is formalized based on the GINI index and Lorenz curves, associated with certain aspects of vessels: type, flag and sailing area.
authors.affiliation: Spanish Maritime Safety Agency (SASEMAR), Fruela, 3, 28011 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Martín Alonso
authors.affiliation: University of Cantabria, Ocean and Coastal Planning and Management R&D Group, Gamazo, 1, 39004 Santander, Spain. Electronic address: andres.ortega@unican.es.
authors.forename: Andrés
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ortega Piris
authors.affiliation: University of Cantabria, Ocean and Coastal Planning and Management R&D Group, Gamazo, 1, 39004 Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pérez Labajos
mesh_terms: D000401:Aircraft; D012767:Ships / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D013030:Spain; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis; D014876:Water Pollution / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical
keywords: Aerial surveillance; Illegal discharges; Maritime transport