Barnacles back on the menu in Spain

SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA, Spain (AFP) Apr 14, 2003
Barnacles can once again be collected from some beaches of northwestern Spain after a five-month ban imposed due to a huge oil slick, fishing officials said Monday.

The barnacles from Galician beaches are a known local delicacy, but have been off the menu since the Prestige oil tanker foundered and sank off the Spanish coast in November.

The regional fishing ministry said Monday tests had found the barnacles were now safe to eat again from certain areas.

The ban on collecting them remains in place in the most widely affected areas south of La Coruna, and north of El Grove.

The Liberian-registered Prestige sank in rough seas some 270 kilometres (170 miles) off the Spanish coast, spilling thousands of tonnes of heavy fuel oil and wreaking havoc on the region's economies, dependent on fishing and tourism.

SPACE.WIRE