Updates on the Oil Spills

From Birdlife International:

Thousands of birds die in Black Sea oil spill

Thousands of birds and fish have been killed as oil spills from a stricken tanker in the northern Black Sea. At least 30,000 birds have died, and thousands more are covered in oil and face death in the coming days. The main species reported to be affected are Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Common Coot Fulica atra, Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus and Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis. So far, 50km of Russian coastline is affected by the oil spills.

Dr Clairie Papazoglou, Head of BirdLife's European Division comments: "BirdLife International is very concerned as this incident is an ecological disaster in an important area for wildlife."

Two Important Bird Areas (IBAs), nearby, the Kiziltash Bay and the Tamanski and Dinskiy Bays, are under threat. Both are designated primarily for migrating and wintering birds. Up to 50,000 migratory waterfowl and other birds are known to use the sites during migration. Among these are Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus, listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List and White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla.

On Saturday night November 10th, a heavy storm brought severe damage to vessels stuck in the Kerch Strait between the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. One vessel broke in two, leaking at least 2,000 tonnes of oil in the Black Sea. At least three more vessels that sank carried potentially hazardous sulphur. Twelve ships in total were reported to have been affected by the storms, killing at least six sailors.

Due to the weather circumstances which are still difficult at the moment, information about the current situation in the area is sparse. BirdLife's network representatives are therefore relying on local sources to receive updates.

Weather services have announced more storms for tonight which make it impossible to undertake large-scale rescue operations at sea or to start cleaning oil-covered birds.
[source]

Clean-up continues after California oil spill

The recovery effort continues in the US, after a cargo tanker collided with California's Bay Bridge and released approximately 58,000 gallons of hazardous bunker fuel into the waters of the bay.

Now in the second week since the disaster (on 7 November), conservationists from Audubon (BirdLife in the US), are among those monitoring the impact, in many cases transporting birds to local recovery centres.

The dramatic events have received intense media coverage in the US - with California's Governor Schwarzenegger reportedly "sad and angry".

"While the environmental impacts of the spill have reached across the entire ecosystem, the story of the disaster has largely been written through images of dead or suffering birds." report Audubon California on the events.

Since the spill occurred Audubon staff and volunteers have worked to monitor the sanctuary's waters and beaches for oil, more recently turning their attention to the oiled birds, cases of which have become increasingly evident.

As of Wednesday 22 November 2007, the latest figures from Audubon -collating the results of a number of different organisations assisting with recovery efforts- report that 1,052 birds are "in care" with 1,514 birds found dead in the field.

"These numbers are particularly frightening because Richardson Bay is only one small part of the larger bay ecosystem, and it has so far escaped the massive oil slicks that have hit other regions", said Gary Langham, director of bird conservation for Audubon California, who estimates that by the time the numbers are tallied for the entire bay, thousands more will have died. Many of these birds, he notes, are already under threat from habitat loss and other dangers.

Particularly hard hit has been Surf Scoter Melanitta perspicillata, a diving sea duck vulnerable due to its habit of spending long periods on the oil-slicked surface before diving. Some 78 percent of Surf Scoters in the Pacific Flyway are reported to winter in San Francisco Bay.
[source]