Oil spill management

Oil and fuel pollution harms wildlife and can remove oxygen from the water. If you become aware of an oil spill on the River Hamble, report it immediately.

Spillage on your boat

In the event of a spill on your boat you should:

• not smoke or use naked lights
• notify fuel berth attendant and marina manager
• attempt to locate and stop source of spill
• inform Harbour Master’s Office
• deploy oil absorbent materials. Don’t use detergent. It can be more toxic to aquatic life than the oil itself, and only disperses the spill rather than cleans it

For larger spills berth staff should:

• inform the Coastguard - phone 999
• call for additional oil absorbent materials (from Harbour Authority or other fuel berth operators)
• evacuate non-essential personnel

Find out more about safely fuelling your boat on our Services page

Role of the Harbour Authority

All permanent, operational Harbour Authority staff are trained in oil spill response techniques. The Harbour Authority can provide Tier 1 equipment (for small spills) and has a contract with oil spill response company Adler and Allen to assist in responding to larger (Tier 2 and 3) spills.

The Harbour Authority’s responsibility is for clean up operations on the water below the low water mark. Shoreline clean up is coordinated by the local authorities. It is the responsibility of the landowner and, where identifiable, the polluter to clean up shoreline oil spills.

Oil spill response

The Harbour Authority maintains an oil spill contingency plan for the entire harbour. It is specific to the harbour and provides staff with guidance on how to deal with an oil spill incident. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency inspect and approve it every five years.

The oil spill plan is a controlled document and is not available to the public. Certain chapters can be available to view at the Harbour Office by special request. External authorities, including the police and fire services, have controlled copies. 

The River Hamble contains many important nature conservation sites, and these are given the greatest protection from an oil spill. They are far harder to clean than boats and man-made structures. Every effort will be made to minimise pollution reaching all types of potential receptors.