SPAIN Ria de Arousa (River Arousa) -- 15/12/2002 -- Aerial view of mussel beds in the estuary of the River Arousa on the coast of Galicia, over two weeks after the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige

SPAIN Ria de Arousa (River Arousa) -- 15/12/2002 -- Aerial view of mussel beds in the estuary of the River Arousa on the coast of Galicia, over two weeks after the sinking of the oil tanker Prestige - which sank with around 77,000 tonnes of heavy fuel oil aboard. Despite widespread pollution of much of the north-west coast of Spain and southern France, the Galician mussel industry reportedly did not have serious problems with contamination from the oil (at least on this part of the coast). Other fishermen were not so lucky and much of Galicia's fisheries have been severely affected. Along with tourism, fisheries are an economic mainstay and the cost of the disaster is estimated at over 20 billion Euros