Residents feared pollution after muddy water appeared around the Oceania Marina, but officials say sediment was churned up by the ship’s propulsion system.

BROWN discolouration seen in the sea around a cruise ship visiting Fishguard sparked concern among residents this week, after some feared it could indicate pollution in the harbour.

The large cruise vessel Oceania Marina arrived in Fishguard on Monday (Jun 8), bringing more than 1,200 passengers and hundreds of crew to Pembrokeshire as part of this summer’s growing cruise season.

But as the ship remained offshore, locals noticed muddy-looking water surrounding the vessel and took to social media to question whether waste had entered the bay.

The Herald understands concerns were raised with Fishguard Harbour, prompting enquiries with the ship’s operators.

According to an explanation passed to local county councillor Billy Shaw, the discolouration was not pollution but sediment disturbed from the seabed.

Harbour officials were told the ship had been using its propulsion system to hold position in strong winds and currents while tender boats ferried passengers to and from shore.

A statement from the vessel said the “brownish sea” seen around the ship had been caused by propulsion bringing mud to the surface.

The operators also stressed that no waste discharge takes place near land, saying all ship discharges stop before entering UK territorial waters and that the vessel complies with international maritime pollution rules.

The Oceania Marina, operated by Oceania Cruises, was making her first visit to Fishguard. Excursions took passengers to locations including St Davids and Cardigan, while many visitors spent time in Fishguard itself.

The call marks one of around two dozen cruise ship visits expected in Fishguard and Goodwick this season, with further vessels scheduled throughout the summer.

Pembrokeshire campaigners say regulator’s action vindicates years of concern over pollution in rivers and coastal waters

DŴR Cymru Welsh Water has been hit with a £44.7 million enforcement package after regulators found “serious and unacceptable” failures in the way the company operated parts of its wastewater network, following years of growing anger over sewage pollution in Welsh rivers and coastal waters.

The intervention by Ofwat comes after an investigation found Welsh Water failed to properly operate, maintain and upgrade wastewater treatment works and sewer networks so they could cope with sewage flows, resulting in excessive spills into the environment. Regulators also found shortcomings in internal oversight and processes.

The £44.7m package – which Welsh Water, not bill payers, will fund – includes more than £40m aimed at reducing sewage spills at storm overflows, tackling groundwater infiltration into sewer systems and improving environmental performance. A further £4.1m is earmarked for river quality improvements in environmentally sensitive catchments.

Ofwat senior director for enforcement Lynn Parker said the investigation uncovered “serious and unacceptable breaches” in the operation of wastewater assets, adding that the company must now focus on rebuilding public trust.

Pembrokeshire concerns

The announcement is likely to resonate strongly in Pembrokeshire, where concern over sewage discharges and bathing water quality has fuelled public protests and growing frustration among residents, surfers and tourism businesses.

Only weeks ago, campaigners gathered at Broad Haven in a sewage protest organised with support from Surfers Against Sewage, warning that pollution alerts had become too frequent on one of Pembrokeshire’s best-known beaches. Protesters accused water companies and regulators of allowing pollution to become “normalised” in Welsh waters.

Campaigners previously claimed Broad Haven alone recorded more than one hundred sewage alerts during 2025, while concerns have repeatedly been raised over the effect of pollution warnings on tourism, wild swimming and public confidence in coastal water quality.

The issue has become particularly sensitive in Pembrokeshire because of the county’s reliance on clean seas and beaches to attract visitors. Businesses connected to tourism, watersports and hospitality have repeatedly warned that pollution headlines risk damaging the area’s reputation.

Questions over accountability

Welsh Water has often promoted itself as different from privatised water firms because it operates as a not-for-profit company without shareholders.

However, critics argue that status has done little to reassure communities worried about repeated sewage incidents, environmental damage and executive pay.

The enforcement package follows a wider Ofwat investigation into wastewater failings across the sector, with the regulator saying penalties and redress packages against water firms have now exceeded £300m.

Welsh Water has previously apologised for failings identified during the investigation and said the package agreed with Ofwat would support environmental improvements and measures to reduce spills.

Political reaction

David Chadwick MP, the Welsh Liberal Democrats’ Westminster spokesperson, said the findings confirmed what many communities had believed for years.

He said: “These findings confirm what communities across Wales have known for years: Welsh Water has been failing to do its job while rivers, streams and coastlines have paid the price.

“People will be rightly furious that it has taken intervention from Ofwat and a £44.7 million enforcement package to force action on failings that should have been addressed years ago.”

He added that despite Welsh Water’s not-for-profit model, serious wastewater failings had still taken place and called for stronger regulation and enforcement.

A PARLIAMENTARY committee is to hold an oral evidence session into the impact of metal mine pollution in Wales.

The Welsh Affairs Committee will examine the environmental and economic legacy of abandoned metal mines as part of its ongoing inquiry into Wales’ industrial past.

Abandoned metal mines continue to cause extensive pollution across Wales. Figures from the Mining Remediation Authority show around 1,300 sites are affecting water quality and ecology across more than 700km of watercourses.

The session, due to take place on July 1, will allow MPs to gather up-to-date evidence on the scale and consequences of the pollution, as well as what is being done on regulation, remediation and public transparency.

It will also examine progress made since a similar evidence session was held by the committee’s predecessor in the last Parliament.

Ruth Jones MP, Chair of the Welsh Affairs Committee, said: “While the extraction of metals such as zinc, lead and gold was once an important part of Welsh industry, the legacy of abandoned mines now poses a serious threat to the animal and plant life of our rivers, streams and lakes, and possibly even to human health.

“Our session will be exploring the scale and consequences of metal mine pollution and whether more can be done to tackle this ongoing environmental challenge.”

Ahead of the session, the committee is inviting written submissions on the human and environmental impacts of metal mine pollution, who should be responsible for tackling it, what progress has been made in recent years, and how affected communities can be supported.

It is also seeking views on how the public can make informed decisions about any risks from metal mine pollution, and what could happen if further action is not taken.

The Welsh Affairs Committee scrutinises the expenditure, administration and policies of the Wales Office, as well as UK Government policies that affect Wales.

The committee is not part of the Government, but is a House of Commons select committee with a role in holding ministers to account.