|
The search
for oiled animals was called off
in early January 2005 after most
of 470,000 gallons of oil leaked
from a grounded freighter into the
waters off Unalaska Island. Members
of the IBRRC response team were
able to collect 29 birds –
even though severe winter weather
and the remote location hampered
the search and collection of oiled
animals.
A stranded Malaysian
cargo ship that lost power on December
8, 2004, still sits in shallow water
in the Alaska Maritime National
Wildlife Refuge. The vessel has
been there since it lost power and
broke in half on its way to China
from Tacoma, Washington with a cargo
of 60,000 tons of soybeans. Oil
not the only mess left by freighter
According to Incident
Command reports, more than 1,500
birds and five otters have found
dead. Several hundred more live
oiled birds were spotted, but proved
to unreachable because of the remote
Bering Sea location.
| |
Totals
as of Feb 2, 2005 |
Captured |
Cleaned
and Released |
Died |
Carcasses |
| Birds
|
29 |
10 |
19 |
1,503 |
| Mammals |
|
|
6 |
6 |
Various experts have
called the spill the worst since
the disastrous 1989 Exxon Valdez
spill that dumped 11 million gallons
into the Prince William Sound. The
ship ran aground near Valdez on
Bligh Reef at 12:04 am March 24,
1989. More
info on the Valdez spill
 |
IBRRC's
Curt Clumpner, gets an oiled
Murre ready for transport.
(Photo: IBRRC) |
In an attempt to prevent
similar accidents in the future,
a new coalition of business and
conservation interests announced
the formation of a Shipping Safety
Partnership (SSP).
The oiled birds collected,
included Common Murres, Crested
Auklets, Horned-grebes, Pelagic
Cormorants and a Long-tailed Duck.
Some members of IBRRC's
oil spill reponse team left Alaska
and traveled directly to a broken
pipeline oil spill near Veracruz
in the Gulf of Mexico. Details
To study the impact
of the spill on shorebirds, the
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
released 162 bird size blocks of
wood from the grounding site the
second week in January 2005. The
blocks will help determine where
dead birds might have drifted, said
Catherine Berg, an oil spill response
coordinator with the USFWS. The
agency is asking that people report
any ocean sightings and return any
blocks found on shore.
 |
| Waves
pound Selendang Ayu, off Unalaska
Island, Alaska.
(Photo: NOAA/US Coast Guard) |
"We're trying to
get a feel for what we may have
missed," Berg said. "It's
just not possible to search every
beach where carcasses come ashore
and even if could, we'd still be
competing with animals that prey
on oiled birds, like foxes, eagles,
gulls and rats."
At the mercy of the
weather
For three weeks the
weather proved to be a frustrating
waiting game for IBBRC and others
on scene. The cleanup and search
for oiled animals was stalled by
strong winds, rough seas and the
remoteness of the spill. Adding
to concerns: Only five hours of
daylight in this area of Alaska
in winter.
 |
Oiled
Crested-Auklet at IBRRC's
Anchorage center receives
treatment. (Photo: IBRRC) |
“We are at the
mercy of the weather,” said
Jay Holcomb, Executive Director
of the California-based IBRRC. “As
soon as there's an opening in the
storms we'll assist wildlife officials
in assessing and capturing any oiled
wildlife we can find.” Holcomb
said. “But it has to be safe
enough for our team members to access
the impacted areas.”
When live birds were
rescued, they were stabilized for
a day or two in Dutch
Harbor, Alaska. Then the oiled
birds were flown to Anchorage for
treatment at IBRRC-managed Alaska
Wildlife Response Center (AWRC).
The AWRC is an adapted warehouse
that was developed after the Exxon
Valdez spill in 1989. It is funded
by the petroleum industry.
Federal law requires
that any oil spill response team
include wildlife handlers. In past
spills, animals have been hazed
to keep them out of oil and IBRRC
has captured and removed healthy
animals to keep them clean.
 |
After
being washed of oil, Crested-Auklets
swim in pool at IBRRC's Anchorage
facility. (Photo: Jay Holcomb/IBRRC) |
Tar balls from the spill
were reported on shore as far north
as Makushin Bay, about 10 miles
from the spill site. Oil was also
spotted in Skan Bay, drifting north
from the wreckage.
According to a federal
hazardous materials fact sheet,
the type of bunker oil on the ship
is "a dense, viscous oil ...
(that) usually spreads into thick,
dark colored slicks" when it
is spilled on water.
 |
| Releasing
washed murre at Seward Harbor.
(Photo: Russ Curtis) |
Biologists are worried
that the spill from the vessel could
threaten Steller sea lions, sea
otters, harbor seals and seabirds
foraging in bays along the island's
west coast.
This spill was not only
a tragedy for wildlife but for people
as well. A Coast Guard helicopter
crashed trying to rescue crew members
from the grounded freighter. Six
people were lost at sea in the 43-degree
water; the four Coast Guard members
onboard survived.
The internationally
recognized IBRRC has responded to
more than 200 spills since its formation in 1971. On this spill, the bird
rescue group is working with the
oil spill response co-op Alaska
Chadux Corporation.
— Written by
Russ Curtis, IBRRC (with help from
reports from Incident Command, The
Seattle Times, AP, ENS and the Anchorage
Daily News) |
