IMO calls for pollution clean-up equipment owing to ‘significant’ risk from Rubymar wreck
The bulk carrier was sunk carrying 22,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate after being struck by the Houthis
The bulk carrier sank in March, leaving a fuel slick behind it. But the IMO is worried that bunkers and fertiliser on board may leak
THE International Maritime Organization says there is a “significant environmental threat” to Yemen from the bulk carrier Rubymar (IMO: 9138898), which sank off the Yemeni coast in March 2024.
The Belize-flagged, 1997-built, 32,211 dwt Rubymar was carrying more than 20,000 tonnes of ammonium phosphate, 200 tonnes of heavy fuel oil and 80 tonnes of marine diesel when it sunk in approximately 100 m of water. Its sinking caused a 29 km oil slick in the days following the incident.
The IMO is concerned that remaining bunkers on board, as well as fertiliser cargo, could pose a threat to Yemen, in particular the nearby biologically rich Hanish Islands.
A lack of oil spill response equipment in Yemen has prompted the IMO to call for contributions from the maritime community, including inflatable harbour booms, liquid storage tanks and personal protective equipment.
Rubymar was the first vessel to be sunk by the Houthis since they began attacking commercial shipping in late 2023. A second vessel, fellow bulk carrier Tutor (IMO: 9942627), was sunk earlier this month.
