The economic analysis of maritime catastrophes in sensitive areas: the assessment and calculation of damages in the environment and population's way of life

Maritime transport is not only one of the safest ways to move dangerous freight it is also one of the most profitable from the economic point of view. Despite this, accidents are inevitable and sometimes become in catastrophes. There are some geographical locations where these accidents or disasters are repeated frequently and then can be considered “black spots”, this is the case in the northwest of Spain: Galicia, where maritime disasters are frequent. The last one, starring the Prestige has involved extensive damage from the environmental point of view and has endangered environment sustainability and even the population style of life. This study is evaluating the effects of disaster and the resilience of the environment and the population. The maritime disasters, repeated over time, attack the local way of life from the point of view of the economic and environmental aspects, and also generate feelings of helplessness and lack of confidence in the institutions responsible for general environmental safety and particularly for sea. The findings indicate that it is necessary to create institutional mechanisms preventive by means of clearly specified rules and controls, together with the identification of agencies responsible for development and execution of proposals, able to generate confidence in the local population and respond appropriately to prevent potential disasters.