PM apologises to oil slick victims

The clean-up operation is ongoing

Spain's Prime Minister Jose Aznar has apologised for his government's failure to help those affected by a catastrophic oil spill during his first visit to the stricken north-west coast.

I am fully aware that the necessary means have not always been made available in time, and where they were needed

Jose Aznar

Mr Aznar - visiting the town of La Coruna - was met with shouts of "Never again" and "resign" by hundreds of protesters angry with how his government has handled the catastrophe, which has had a serious impact on the regional Galician economy.

Several hundred kilometres of coastline have been coated in heavy fuel oil leaking from the Prestige tanker, which sank last month some 240 kilometres off Spain's north-western coast.

A French submarine trying to stem the flow from the vessel, still leaking from its resting place on the ocean floor, on Friday managed to place a metal plate over one of its 14 cracks.

Moroccan offer

Mr Aznar and his government have been severely criticised for not moving faster last month to contain the crisis as it started to unfold.

The prime minister was particularly criticised for failing to visit. Saturday's appearance was his first.

There are 14 cracks in the vessel

"I am fully aware that the necessary means have not always been made available in time, and where they were needed," he told a news conference.

"I am aware of that, I take responsibility for the mistakes and I apologise to people who, on certain days, were without means and resources which we simply did not possess," he said.

The authorities had hoped that once the ship sunk, the oil would solidify on the ocean floor as a result of the low temperatures.

However the vessel is still leaking about 100 metric tons of fuel oil a day from the cracks in its hull.

The resulting slicks have contaminated dozens of beaches along the Galician coast, devastating the fishing and seafood industries, threatening the tourist trade and taking a heavy toll on wildlife.

During his trip, Mr Aznar once again expressed his gratitude to Morocco, which says it will allow Spanish fishermen affected by the spill to fish in its water for three months.

Morocco's Royal Palace said in a statement on Friday that the step was taken as an exceptional measure which was "dictated by the principles of solidarity and good-neighbourliness".

The offer comes just five months after a major diplomatic row between the two countries over the tiny island of Perejil.