(OIL SPILL) NEW ZEALAND — The beaches of New Zealand’s east coast were covered in oil after a ship carrying about half a million gallons of fuel collided with a reef this past week. The ship hit the Astrolabe Reef, only 14 miles from Tauranga Harbor, and oil has been washing up on a 3-mile stretch of land ever since the collision. Crews of a local wildlife rehabilitation facility are working hard to get birds and other wildlife cleaned up. Read on for commentary by WWF New Zealand and to find out which animals are in danger. — Global Animal
This penguin was rescued and cleaned up after the oil spill in New Zealand. Photo credit: animaltracks.today.com
The Guardian, Oliver Milman
Conservationists
have warned of an impending wildlife ”tragedy” caused by an oil spill
off the east coast of New Zealand, with populations of penguins, whales,
seals and seabirds set to be hardest hit.
A
severe weather warning for the Bay of Plenty area on Monday/yesterday
has heightened fears that the stricken cargo vessel Rena, which is
carrying 1,700 tonnes of fuel oil and 200 tons of diesel, will start to
break up, with grim consequences for the local marine wildlife.
The
fallout from the incident, which saw Rena run aground on a reef last
Wednesday, is already being felt, with seven little blue penguins and
two cormorants recovered and treated today at a centre in Tauranga.
- Penguin getting cleaned up after the oil spill. Photo credit: animaltracks.today.com
However,
this number is expected to rise to more than 200 in the coming days,
with warnings that an escalation of the situation would have dire
consequences for several species.
WWF New
Zealand said it hoped the incident would not prove a “tragedy” for the
region’s marine wildlife, which includes bottlenose dolphins, orcas and
beaked whales. Large baleen whales also migrate through the affected
area.
Of particular concern is the New Zealand dotterel, an endangered shorebird.
“There’s
only 1,200 dotterels left due to coastal developments, so the last
thing they need is their feeding ground contaminated,” said Bob Zuur,
marine advocate at WWF New Zealand.
“Little
blue penguins are also very vulnerable as they swim through the oil.
Fairy terns frequent the estuary and many northern hemisphere birds,
such as godwits, that have migrated south for spring, are also under
threat.”
“New Zealand is known as the
seabird capital of the world. We have about 85 different seabirds that
breed here. It’s breeding season now, so there are many birds, such as
petrels, that are diving into the water to find food for their chicks.
“The
oil makes it difficult for them to fly and there’s a real risk they
will ingest the oil when they preen, or pass it into their chicks.
“Should
the vessel break up, we risk an international-scale incident. It’s a
huge amount of oil. I sincerely hope the it doesn’t break up as the
storm bears down on it.”
It’s estimated
that up to 50 tonnes of oil has already been jettisoned into the sea.
Radio New Zealand has reported that four of the 1,300 containers aboard
Rena carry ferro-silicon, a hazardous substance which is flammable if it
comes into contact with water.
More
than 300 Defence Force personnel have been deployed to tackle the spill,
along with specialists from Australia, the UK and the Netherlands.
- Penguins after New Zealand oil spill. Photo credit: animaltracks.today.com
The
exclusion zone around the Rena has been extended to 2.8km today, with
teams set to resume pumping oil off the damaged vessel. So far, just 10
tonnes of oil has been removed.
Humans, as well as marine wildlife, are also in danger from the spill, according to Maritime New Zealand.
The
government agency has urged people not to touch the oil, which has
started to wash up on the tourist-friendly Mount Maunganui beach,
despite the efforts of volunteers to begin the clean-up operation.
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