Report an oil or fuel spill in Panamanian waters to the Autoridad Marítima de Panamá (AMP), Department of Pollution Prevention and Control: email [email protected] or call on VHF 16. In canal waters, call the ACP. MiAmbiente expects environmental incidents to be reported to its regional office within one hour.
Who handles spills in Panama
Responsibility is split by where the spill is.
- AMP: all Panamanian waters except the canal. The AMP leads the Plan Nacional de Contingencia contra Derrames de Hidrocarburos, approved by Resolución ADM 233-2023 and published in Gaceta Oficial 29918-A on 27 November 2023. It runs it through the Dirección General de Puertos e Industrias Marítimas Auxiliares (DGPIMA). DGPIMA's Departamento de Prevención y Control de la Contaminación is the first point of contact.
- ACP: canal waters. The ACP's own contamination control and response unit covers the canal, its locks, lakes and anchorages, according to ITOPF's country profile.
- MiAmbiente: the environment. MiAmbiente runs the protected areas and enforces environmental law. Under Resolución DM 0427-2021, anyone whose activity causes an environmental incident must report it to the MiAmbiente regional office within one hour.
If anyone is hurt, the boat is on fire or it is taking on water, deal with that first. Call for help as set out in boating emergencies: who to call.
Contact points published in the national plan
The 2023 plan lists these channels for the AMP's pollution department. Save them in your phone before you need them, and confirm they are current with the AMP.
| Channel | Detail |
|---|---|
| [email protected] | |
| Radio | VHF channel 16 |
| Office phones | 501-5149, 501-5154, 501-5155, 501-5255 |
| Mobile, Panamá | 6880-1245, 6880-1915 |
| Mobile, Colón | 6880-5222 |
| Mobile, Chiriquí | 6879-3262 |
| AMP switchboard | +507 501-5000 |
Canal waters: ITOPF's 2019 profile lists the ACP's 24-hour Emergency Dispatch Center at +507 276-3669. During a transit, tell your ACP advisor first.
MiAmbiente: report to the regional office for the province or park. In a park, the ranger station is usually the fastest way in.
What to say
Keep it short and factual. MiAmbiente's resolution asks for this content, and it works for the AMP too:
- Your name, the boat's name and registration, and a phone number.
- The position (lat/long or a clear landmark) and the time it happened.
- What spilled (diesel, gasoline, engine oil, hydraulic oil) and roughly how much.
- The cause, if known: overfill, broken line, bilge pump, grounding.
- Whether it has stopped, and what you have done to contain it.
- What is nearby: a beach, reef, mangrove, marina or protected area.
Take photos or video that show the date and time. The resolution asks for evidence of when the incident happened, and it protects you if the size of the spill is disputed later.
Before and while you report
- Stop the source. Close the fuel valve, stop the pump, switch off the automatic bilge pump.
- Keep people safe. Gasoline vapour can ignite. Stop engines and keep sparks and smoking away.
- Contain what you can. Use absorbent pads and booms from the marina or fuel dock. Do not use soap or detergent.
- Tell the marina. Fuel docks and marinas have their own spill kits and procedures.
- Report. AMP, ACP in canal waters, and MiAmbiente within the hour.
- Keep the used pads. Bag them as hazardous waste and ask the marina how to dispose of them.
Prevention is covered in fuelling and spill prevention.
What happens after a report
The AMP investigates spills it learns of from any source, including anonymous reports. Officers may inspect by land and water. In its October 2024 statement on a bunkering spill at Balboa, the AMP noted that the contingency plan requires the vessels involved to hire an AMP-certified oil spill response organisation (OSRO) to contain and clean up.
A pleasure boat with a few litres on the water is unlikely to need a contractor, but the principle is the same: the polluter pays for the clean-up. Penalties are set by law and depend on the case. This guide does not list amounts; confirm them with the AMP or a Panamanian lawyer.
Tell your insurer the same day. Pollution liability is usually a separate line in the policy; see boat insurance in Panama.
If you see someone else's spill
Report a slick or sheen you did not cause in the same way. Give the AMP the position, its size, its colour and any boat or ship nearby. The national plan requires ship masters to report sightings of hydrocarbons without delay, and the AMP accepts reports from the public. Photos with a time stamp help. Do not motor through a slick to get a closer look.
Your practical starting checklist
- Stop the source and make the boat safe from fire.
- Contain the fuel with pads and booms, without soap.
- Report to the AMP on [email protected], VHF 16 or the regional mobile; in canal waters, tell the ACP.
- Report to the MiAmbiente regional office within one hour, with photos showing date and time.
- Tell the marina and your insurer, and keep a written record of who you spoke to and when.
Frequently asked questions
Who do I report a boat fuel spill to in Panama?
The AMP's Department of Pollution Prevention and Control, by email to [email protected], VHF 16 or the numbers in the 2023 national plan. In canal waters, report to the ACP. Also tell MiAmbiente's regional office.
How fast do I have to report an environmental incident in Panama?
MiAmbiente's Resolución DM 0427-2021 sets a deadline of one hour from the moment it happens. The AMP's plan says notification is mandatory and should be made without delay.
Will I be fined for reporting my own spill?
Penalties depend on the case and are set by law, so we do not list them. Reporting quickly and showing you contained the spill is always better than being traced afterwards.
What if fuel spills during a Panama Canal transit?
Tell your ACP advisor at once. The ACP, not the AMP, responds in canal waters. Oily discharges are banned there under Advisory A-12-2025, so stop any bilge pump and contain the fuel on board.
¿Cómo reporto un derrame de combustible en Panamá?
Avise al Departamento de Prevención y Control de la Contaminación de la AMP: [email protected], canal 16 de VHF o los celulares regionales del Plan Nacional de Contingencia. En aguas del Canal, avise a la ACP. Informe también a la Dirección Regional de MiAmbiente en un plazo no mayor de una hora.
En español: reporte de derrame de combustible
Si derrama combustible o aceite, detenga la fuente, contenga el derrame con paños absorbentes (nunca con jabón) y repórtelo. La AMP coordina el Plan Nacional de Contingencia contra Derrames de Hidrocarburos (Resolución ADM 233-2023). Su punto de contacto es el Departamento de Prevención y Control de la Contaminación: [email protected] o canal 16 de VHF. En aguas del Canal, la ACP atiende el derrame. MiAmbiente exige reportar todo incidente ambiental a su Dirección Regional en un plazo no mayor de una hora (Resolución DM 0427-2021), con fotos o videos que muestren fecha y hora.
The next question to answer
The environment sub-hub. Read Clean boating in Panama.
How to fuel without putting diesel in the water. Read Fuelling and spill prevention.
SENAN, SINAPROC and the AMP when people are at risk. Read Boating emergencies: who to call.
Same topic in Florida: coming from the US? Compare Reporting Oil and Fuel Spills.
Official resources
Use the relevant Panamanian authority for current requirements and fees. These resources are the next place to check; a practical recommendation is not an agency determination.
- Gaceta Oficial 29918-A: AMP Resolución ADM 233-2023, Plan Nacional de Contingencia contra Derrames de Hidrocarburos ↗
- AMP: investigation of a bunkering pollution incident at Balboa (22 Oct 2024) ↗
- ITOPF country profile: Panama (competent authorities, conventions; Dec 2019) ↗
- Panamá América (secondary): MiAmbiente Resolución DM 0427-2021, report environmental incidents within one hour ↗
- ACP Advisory A-12-2025: extraction and discharges in canal waters (9 May 2025) ↗