According to a statement released by the government, the president has asked the authorities responsible for both the ministries of Justice and Environmental to take the necessary action against the crew of the ship concerned.

"The president of the republic has expressed his indignation over ships that dump their waste oil in Senegalese territorial waters," the statement read.

"He has given instructions to the justice minister together with the minister for the environment to open a preliminary investigation into these criminal acts in order to severely sanction the perpetrators."

According to the release, President Wade also called for some mechanism to be put in place to monitor the country’s territorial waters and track down vessels engaging in the act of destroying ‘‘the environment and the marine resources" of the country.