ONE of the world’s worst oil shipping disasters hit the Pembrokeshire coast 20 years ago today (Monday).

On the evening of February 15, 1996, the tanker the Sea Empress hit rocks and started to spill 72,000 tonnes of crude oil into the county’s waters.

The incident had devastating effects on local wildlife and threatened the area’s tourism and fishing industries.

Thousands of birds were killed after the tanker was holed below the water line as it entered the Cleddau estuary on its way to Milford Haven, contaminating more than 120 miles of coastline.

Salvage teams battled the elements as they tried to bring the vessel under control, and planes sprayed chemicals in an attempt to disperse the growing oil slick.

It soon became clear this was an ecological maritime disaster on a world scale, as tonnes of oil spilled out onto this special coastline.

Gordon James was director of Friends of the Earth Cymru and an active member of Pembrokeshire Friends of the Earth at the time, and remembers looking down at the damaged tanker from St Anne’s Head.

He said: “The immensity of the impact of this tragedy was now becoming clear to a horrified local population.

“I remember seeing people weep at the sight of golden sandy beaches being smothered under a black mass of oil and seabirds making pathetic and useless efforts to heave their tarred bodies out of it.

“Many people, including volunteers from Pembrokeshire FoE, waded into the foul smelling sea in an effort to rescue the birds.”

Working together to tackle the emergency were Dyfed County Council - which was in the process of becoming Pembrokeshire County Council, the National Park Authority, Milford Haven Port Authority, the oil industry and an army of volunteers.

A makeshift animal hospital was set up as local beaches turned black and oil-drenched birds staggered around on the seashore.

Volunteers used hot water and washing up liquid to clean the birds, but many did not survive.

Mr James added: “Inshore fishermen and those working in the tourist industry suddenly faced a frightening and uncertain future.

"Workmen battled in filthy conditions to physically remove oil from beaches and shorelines, often seeing their good work being undone by the next incoming tide.”

It was seven days before the Sea Empress could be re-floated and taken into dock at Milford Haven.

The vessel was pounded by strong winds and high seas, and grounded several times.

The spill had a huge impact on local shellfish and it is believed to have taken a decade for the coastline’s ecology to recover.

The total cost of the extensive clean-up operation was around £60million, but beaches were able to open in time for Easter.

Still among the 20 largest oil spills in the world, at its peak 19 aircraft, 56 ships and small craft, and 1,000 workers were involved in the clean-up operation.

The tourist industry was estimated to have lost around £20million as a result of the incident, and the impact on the fishing industry was estimated to be nearly £5million.

An official report into the oil spill concluded that the incident could have been worse, as northerly winds blew most of the oil offshore, and huge colonies of sea birds had not yet returned to the Pembrokeshire islands and coast to breed.