Researchers from the scientific expedition Madeira Ocean 2026 have noted a rise over the past two to three years in fuel barrels found on the Desertas and Selvagens Islands. These containers are associated with supplying speedboats used in drug trafficking and have become a recurring feature of the region's marine litter.
While it cannot be concluded that the barrels were used in waters near the islands, their connection to drug trafficking vessels has been established. They may have been abandoned at sea and carried by currents, posing marine pollution and navigation hazards, as well as indicating criminal network activity in the Atlantic corridor.
The expedition, studying marine ecosystems, documents human pressure on the sea, including waste in protected areas. The accumulation of litter in these territories underscores the need for surveillance, waste collection, and cooperation between authorities and researchers.
